My guess would be that whatever he can't pull off would come off with mineral spirits (paint thinner). It would take a long time, though, because you can't use a lot of that stuff at once. He most likely ended up with some nicely-waxed legs.
They might have mentioned what the 1957 event was. I bet it was the integration of the Little Rock schools. The governor brought out the Arkansas National Guard to prevent black students from entering the city schools, and the president sent the 101st Airborne in to escort them in.
Calling this “shabby chic” was a joke on the part of the Atlantic, one that works on several levels. Shabby Chic is a home decorating style that was really hot in the '80s and '90s. It basically consisted of trying for an organically vintage look by mainly faking age of the stuff you used (because that’s way cheaper than using actual antiques and faster than letting your stuff age organically). It was cute while it lasted, but today’s hipsters would be appalled to confront the fact that their obsession with a vintage appearance is compared to an outdated but not-so-distant-as-to-be-cool decorating fad.
A woman opened a shop in my neighborhood and named it Shabby Chic. She made it look like an antique shop, so I took a look. She had bought tons of used furniture, painted it pastel colors, distressed it, and tripled the price. I saw things I’d be liable to buy if I didn’t have to refinish it. Pastel deliberately distressed furniture just doesn’t work if you’re over 30.
A woman opened a shop in my neighborhood and named it Shabby Chic. She made it look like an antique shop, so I took a look. She had bought tons of used furniture, painted it pastel colors, distressed it, and tripled the price. I saw things I’d be liable to buy if I didn’t have to refinish it. Pastel deliberately distressed furniture just doesn’t work if you’re over 30.