Kyle Hayes is an editorial assistant at the Northern New York Newspapers Corporation.
"Ever come across one of those collections where, by the last look, you think to yourself: ‘That was made for me.’? Like, you think about it so often between the Fashion Week ends and the looks hit retail that you’ve become that guy who walks into the store assuming everything will look just right when you put it on?
"Yeah, that’s fall '08 Marc by Marc Jacobs for me. Despite Mr. Jacobs and myself never having ever crossed paths outside the Mercer, I believe to this day that Marc was channeling my dream wardrobe in that collection, and that he designed the entire thing with me in mind. Or at least that was my justification for dropping three full Pinkberry paychecks on a wool biker jacket with pockets that aren’t even functional.
"That jacket became my obsession for many months after its purchase. The first sign of snow? Off came the dry cleaning bag. The first sign of spring? I wore it with a Hanes V-neck tee and pretended I wasn’t actually sweating inside, or that the scratchy interior wasn’t rubbing my arms raw. And you know what? Those asymmetrical zippers were the shit, and I always feel pretty bad-ass in the first designer garment that I paid full retail for.
"The mohair-blend sweater came later. This electric blue bundle of goodness entered my closet via a plotline not entirely unlike that of Cher Horowitz and her ex-step-brother, Josh. My first Gilt purchase, that sweater remained in the box, shoved into the back of my closet, while I continued to work my jacket into every outfit imaginable. The jacket (Cher) got all the attention while the pullover (Josh) was the family outcast. Until the day they finally came together and realized they truly loved one another. And, well, the rest is history. The two work perfectly together when the leaves get crunchy and the winter boots get dusted off. I think that’s the way Marc intended for me to wear them right from the get-go. Together, in itchy-scratchy harmony."