I’m Conflicted
March 8th, 2008 at 10:05 am by CrankyOn one hand, I am happy to see my tween son has a fashion sense. Me, I let my mother dress me until my freshman year – in college.
For the kid, wearing the brand names make him feel popular, which no doubt contributes to his self-confidence. I see it working and think that it’s great.
On the other hand, paying $30 for a $15 dollar shirt to enrich a porn-envelope pushing company which, in turn, sends dollars to the same commie plant that makes the cheaper brand sets off every red flag in my collection.
Am I overthinking this?
March 8th, 2008 at 10:58 am
That $15 shirt cost less than $1 to make. You’re paying that 3000% markup for shipping, the store’s recessed lighting, faux woodwork, the sales clerk’s 10 gallon drum of Bed Head, and airfare for the underage models to run naked through the surf to show you that their clothes are so cool that they don’t even have to wear them.
You do have to buy them first before you can be cool enough to not wear them. Thus the conundrum.
But other than that, Viva La Revolucion.
March 8th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
No, that’s worth taking a stand on.
When I was a wee lad, we had scratchy Ocean Pacific T-shirts with abstract surfers on them, and we wore them walking uphill to school in the snow, and we liked it!
March 9th, 2008 at 12:44 pm
Ah, See-Dubya…OP shirts and shorts…
I was a Stubbies man myself…
Cranky, I wouldn’t let any of my kids wear that A&F crap…hold the line.
March 9th, 2008 at 6:06 pm
I remember working a Black Friday in the mall one year just out of college and they had some teenage guy (who obviously lifted weights) shirtless wearing cargo shorts and a santa hat.
They flirt a bit too much with ephebophilia, and if your kid wants to be stylish and a bit overpriced, American Eagle or Aeropostale offer the same fix, but without the creepiness factor.
March 10th, 2008 at 8:29 am
You know your yout fashions, Lee. My son is into those too.
He fashion sense is so keen that I breathed a sigh of relief when he told me he likes girls.
March 10th, 2008 at 9:06 am
The first rule of cool is don’t give a damn.
Remember when people who had tattoos didn’t care what people thought.
Now it is “LOOK AT ME”. Look at my new tatt.
Tell him to save his money for a good set of wheels. Chicks dig the car.
March 11th, 2008 at 10:34 am
Dude! Ebay. Craigslist. Consignment stores.
Don’t buy that stuff brand spankin’ new. Then you are feeding into the system.
Boys grow so fast nowadays, you can find that stuff gently used. Heck, half the time not even worn at all. My best suggestion is to go to the hoitey-toitey part of town and dig into a consignment shop where you will find all that you care to purchase, for pennies on the dollar.
Ebay is good too.
March 11th, 2008 at 11:15 am
Here is the funny part Karenina,
The American Eagle stuff is pre-frayed!
Who worries if it isn’t worn out at all.
Thanks for the tip. Let’s see if my son goes for it.
March 13th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
My brother was one of those teenaged fashion victims. It was something else back in his day, but whatever it was he had to have it. He used to tell me – his older sister, how to dress.
Anyway, he wouldn’t have had used clothes. He would have known it was last year’s fashion.