Everyone Has a Tortoiseshell Phone Case Now. I Think Mine Is the Prettiest.
I’ve never been one for flashy phone cases. For most of my adult life, I’ve simply purchased (and repurchased) the nondescript silicone case you can buy at the Apple Store. I assumed my buying habits would continue, until I stumbled upon a video on TikTok that featured a stylish tortoiseshell phone case. Unlike other phone cases I’d seen that cut a square chunk out of the casing to make room for the camera, this one was flush against each lens and flash — it looked more streamlined, and the pattern was a marked upgrade from the solid-colored case I’d been using, which seemed boring in comparison.So I scoured the pages and pages of tortoiseshell-phone-case listings on Amazon until I found one with the same smooth design and hazy chocolate-brown patterning and pressed “Order.”
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In the months since my case arrived, I’ve spotted publicists at press events, teens on the train, and even one of my neighbors with similar cases. In fact, now that everything from claw clips to pill cases to trash cans is available in the print — which I’m sure we’ll only be seeing more thanks to the revived fervor for Carolyn Bessette Kennedy’s headbands — I think it’s fair to say that tortoiseshell has become something of an elegant (and ubiquitous) neutral. But there’s no set formula for the pattern, and since many tortoiseshell prints lean too khaki-colored, too splotchy, or too crackled for my taste, I think my case, with its pleasing blend of milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and black is just right. Whenever I see it lying flat on the table while I’m working at a coffee shop or complementing my outfit in a mirror selfie, I get a little jolt of satisfaction.
It’s worth noting that I’m not precious with my phone. I’ve never been one for screen protectors and tend to drop it a few times a week. So after nearly a year of using this case, my phone screen has gotten a few scratches and the case has some scuffs. That said, I wouldn’t expect anything more from a $10 phone case, and it truly could be worse. After I’ve scuffed the phone case enough, I’ll just buy another. I don’t foresee my appetite for tortoiseshell fading anytime soon.
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