Underwear As Outerwear

Droopy pants, bra straps, messy layers, ripped jeans, shades of black, cheeky slogans, light up shoes, mismatched retro, underwear worn as outerwear…

There’s something unique about every generations choice of clothing style. As I search through the racks for a suitable pair of pants for my 6 year old, he emphatically reminds me that they must be “cool clothes”… nothing “uncool” will be accepted.
So what exactly does “cool” look like? How will I know? What is the difference between 6 year old cool and 30+ year old cool?

I distinctly remember explaining to my Mother why I needed a large package of safety pins to pin my pant legs from ankle to knee, or shopping for the perfect panty hose to wear under my cut off jean shorts. I cringe when I think of the army boots I bought from the surplus store to wear with black tights and a short skirt. I’m sure it seems odd to the youth of today, but I promise you, there was a time when that defined “cool”.

So why do children cave to the pressure? Do they really think that it looks good, or do they just want to fit in with their peers as the sociologists would tell us? And when will a generation come along that chooses a style less ridiculous than their parents generation? Will we ever look to our youth and see the logic of their style choices? Or is that part of aging, the loss of all fashion sense?

Well I’m not sure but I can tell you, I will never be caught walking down the street with my underwear on the outside of my outfit…call me crazy!