Going Batty

One of Zoe Karssen's batty tees

What’s the new animal trend in clothing? It could be bats, if my nonscientific calculations are correct.

It was Racked who first pointed out this case of copycat vs. inspiration. And a curious case at that, in which the inspired piece is showing up almost a year later. In Fall 2010 vintage maven Alexa Chung created a collection for Madewell that included a cute bat shirt. A bat silhouette, a quirky “Hello” in block print, and ta da.

Designer Zoe Karssen of Amsterdam has stepped into this batty scene with no fewer than three versions of a plain white tee shirt with a bat on it. In one case, it’s a bunch of bats, lined up in neat rows. They’re pretty cute.

I dare say, dear reader, that this is our new animal trend. Admit it, we go through phases. We went panda crazy a few years ago (D.C. and beyond); right now it’s owls everywhere. Are we getting less cuddly as we go? Are snakes next? Caterpillars?

All I’m saying is that maybe bats just aren’t for a certain autumn festival anymore.