Friday, May 11, 2007


3813

Casual Friday Circus


On Friday I get "the best dressed" award. There's just no competition. Today I had on navy, non-faded jeans with a touch of appliqued lace and felt flowers on the left leg and a pressed white shirt, and black heels. My hair was combed; and I was wearing a touch of make-up--powder and rouge, but no lipstick. A watch, glasses and wedding rings completed the ensemble. Compared with my fellow coffee drinkers, I could have walked the red carpet at the Oscars. The competition wore pajamas, shower thongs, rumpled khaki knee-length shorts, skimpy t-shirts over colored bras, horizontal striped short shorts with full side pockets, hooded sweat shirts and rock group tour shirts.

The young lady in the sketch has a lovely face--I can tell now that she doesn't wear the Goth make-up she used to wear or color her hair odd hues. Her puffy muffin top spilled over her low-slung gray sweat pants, and her bra straps hung over shoulders, barely up to the job asked of them. The t-shirt reminded me of what men wore 60 years ago who worked summer construction. But she was well dressed compared to her friend wearing the flannel, print pj bottoms. These young ladies, who I think are students at the local high school, make the case for school uniforms.

Still, the teen years are for experimenting and rebelling. When I was a teen I wore faded boy-cut Levis and most of my friends didn't. I'm sure my parents just sighed and rolled their eyes. I did wonder about some of the adults I saw today. Some boomer moms come in and their kids are better dressed and coiffured than they are. Is that rebellion in reverse?

2 comments:

JAM said...

Boy, you'd hate Florida. I tuck my shirts in and wear a belt, a freak of nature for this area. You see plenty of nicely dressed folks, but the other end of the spectrum is just as prevalent.

Those old-school white t-shirts are now called "wife beaters", shortened from "wife beater t-shirts."

Norma said...

The last time I was in Tampa (some time ago, maybe a decade), I was wearing the casual, snowbird stuff, dressed for the heat. I was surprised to see the men and women in smart business attire. So I thought maybe it was the northerners who brought down your standards. These days, there are no standards apparently, no matter the geographic area.