Thinking Out Loud
You Look Mahvelous!

December 25, 2011
By: Diane Szczepanski

"What fun is it being cool if you can't wear a sombrero?" ~ Calvin & Hobbes

It struck me on my way home from dropping my son off at school, at precisely 7:21am on a Tuesday morning, as I waited for the red light to change on the corner of Euclid and Jenny.

The fact I was wearing brown fuzzy slippers and my pajama pants, praying I wouldn't have car trouble or get in an accident, just added depth to the revelation of the levels of 'un-coolness' I've stooped to in my life.

So here it is...Back in the early 90's, I regularly "Vogue'd" on the dance floor to Madonna's then famous song and I thought I was THE coolest thing on the planet when I did.

Well...there. It's out. Whew.

I hate to admit it but, yes, I really did that frame the face with the arm, weird movement thing, as I shook my (much firmer then) booty, while frequenting some pretty trendy clubs in the Detroit area.

No less embarrassing is the fact that I wore a black corset OVER my white blouse when I did it, as was the fashion at the time.

(Psssst...I'm also ashamed to admit I had a pair of MC Hammer pants.

Orange, gold and black patterned.

That I wore in public.

But, that fashion train wreck has been cleaned up, so move along now people, there's nothing more to see here.)

I debated sharing this piece of my Madonna history with my son, but feared the eye-rolls could be cataclysmic, so I haven't revealed this to him. I guess my motherly protectiveness wants to shield him from these awful truths about fads.

Besides, he'll have his own revelations to deal with when he's my age.

For although he thinks he's way too cool for words now, someday he'll shake his head at what possessed him to wear slip-on canvas shoes with no socks in the dead of winter, use gel the consistency of spackle to spike his hair and why he insisted on letting everyone within eyeshot see his boxer shorts at the back of jeans.

It's just the way of the 'cool' world.

In our quest for chiqe, we have to endure the humiliation of remembering our ensembles at a later date. It is the price we pay for being stylish.

So I guess because I like to think I'm still a bit 'cool', brown fuzzy slippers aside, I too will continue to keep up on trends and wear things I'll probably regret 10 years from now.

Heck, I regret some things I wore 10 days ago.

But, I'm a little older and wiser now. Maybe I could be a leader, not just a follower. Maybe it's time to start a few trends of my own.

Perhaps it's time to stand up to the uber fashionistas and hipsters and let them know it's not just about looking good and being in style. Life is about enjoying it.

That is what is really "cool".

So, yeah, dang it! Let's have some fun!

Pass the sombrero.




(Feliz Navidad, May you and yours be blessed not only at this beautiful season, but all throughout the year!)