The Insect Effect
Turning a grasshopper invasion into a strange spring trend forecast
Arizona is currently experiencing an invasion of locusts. One hopped across the travertine in my kitchen. Another almost joined me in the passenger seat of my car.
Thanks to a wet winter that produced more vegetation, and the recent heat wave warming the soil and encouraging eggs to hatch earlier than usual, the desert is suddenly aflight.
Naturally, this got me thinking: if the desert is going to deliver a biblical insect-led spectacle, the smart thing to do is treat it as a style omen.
So, naturally, I followed the signs straight to the secondhand market. Consider this the official spring forecast, delivered by a thousand tiny, winged oracles.
Wear the Bug
A lot of clothing with insect motifs gives off ModCloth circa 2010. It often feels kitschy and two-dimensional, making it read childish or cheap. Some of which I like, especially when leaning into that vintage, campy spirit.
But insects also have a far more glamorous lineage in high fashion.
Fashion houses have embraced arthropods for centuries. Designers like Schiaparelli and McQueen used the motif to evoke decay, transformation, and surrealist symbols.
Here are some secondhand clothes (all under $400, and most under $100) that share those same sophisticated sentiments.
Emilio Pucci Grasshopper Zinnia Gown — 8, $399. I can imagine wearing this at the Ballet in the Bloom performance at Desert Botanical Garden. The grasshoppers are discreet and the plunging back is fun, flattering and sexy.
Kate Spade “Ladies First” Shirt — M, $24.95. This is a good example of the good kind of kitschy, in my opinion. It would be so cute paired with the below Lilly Pulitzer pants and these Viani Milano Mary Janes ($155).
Lilly Pulitzer Green Ladybug Capris — 10, $21.
During my research for this article, I was drawn to the raffia, straw hats with bug pins adorned around the brim like the Schiaparelli hat below. And I just had to add one to my recently purchased Mariella Vilar rancher.
Star Ladybug Pins — $12 per pin.
Givenchy Bee Brooch — $172.49
And this simple yet stunning Diane Von Furstenberg chartreuse mini dress — 0, $38. The neckline has a sculptural, armor-like shape that almost resembles the plates of an arthropod exoskeleton.
As night falls, slip into this vintage two-piece peignoir — S, $115.
Aside from clothing, brass grasshoppers were once a staple of mid-century coffee tables. These tiny golden good-luck charms were often perched beside ashtrays and cocktail glasses.
Search for “vintage brass grasshopper” or “cricket” and you’ll find a wealth of options, some in near-perfect condition, others with a soft patina earned over decades of good fortune. Besides being cute, they remind me of the lucky cricket in the Disney film Mulan.
And obviously the girls need this praying mantis sticker.
If nothing else, the locusts have excellent timing and taste.
