2008 Woodie Awards
Life through the eyes of a fashion guru
The next size up
Sheree Whiteley
Issue date: 3/1/07 Section: Culture
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what seemed to be a million T-shirts depicting various
cartoon characters.
As the two hosts of the show trashed these shirts, the woman tried desperately to salvage them.
I thought she might actually attempt to engage in a fistfight
in order to save these atrocious fabric monstrosities.
Now, if someone were to come into my closet and try to strip my favorite pair of heels or jeans from me, I would be throwing fists. But these were T-shirts created for 12-year-olds, and this lady had to be pushing 30.
Congratulations to her for being able to fit into child-sized shirts, but seriously – grow up.
She couldn’t see how ridiculous and inappropriate these shirts looked on her, and how obvious it was that she was trying to hold onto something that she’d outgrown.
I can empathize. I clung to my Barbie dolls until I was a teenager (an early teenager, mind you). When everyone else my age had put their Barbies in boxes or sold them off at yard sales, I was still occasionally putting them in their pink Corvettes and pushing them across the carpet (secretly,
of course).
It wasn’t until I started trying the activities that my peers were enjoying that I realized that I had also outgrown Barbie dolls.
There’s nothing wrong with being an individual, and there definitely isn’t a reason that we all need to kow-tow to the normalities constructed by society.
But when we reach an age or point in our lives when certain things aren’t appropriate or don’t work for us anymore, we need to recognize it.
It’s not always easy.
At a Nickelback concert a few months ago, I saw a woman in
an itty-bitty corset-style tank and jeans.
The only problem was that this woman wasn’t nearly as itty-
bitty as her top or jeans – she had literally outgrown her attire.
Back fat, side bulges and a belly that looked as if she had just downed a keg of beer by herself.
Not to mention she was about 25 years too old for an outfit like that. I asked my self, “How can she not see that? How can she look in the mirror, walk out the door and think that’s OK?”
Some of the things that seem to so obviously not be good fits for us are things that we can’t see.
Case-and-point: the “bad for you” boyfriend/girlfriend.
All of your friends can see how much of a jackass he/she is, but it takes you a whole lot longer to figure it out.
Usually they’re not bad for you at the start (if they were, why would you continue to date them?) but you outgrow them and then can’t see what a poor fit for you they are.
Friendships are the same way. Looking back on my friend record, I’ve seen many come and go.
It’s the ones that grew with me that stuck around.
The ones with minds similar to 16-year-olds were ousted alongside my Backstreet Boys albums and overalls.
Nothing is forever (well, maybe somethings – like Chanel suits) so don’t fret too much when what works for you now doesn’t anymore.
Yes, it’s scary, but soon what’s new will become what’s comfortable.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Don Allen
posted 3/02/07 @ 8:48 AM MST
Fashion is appropriate to the person, not necessarily to the age. Some older people look fabulous in outfits that many people would reserve for the young. (Continued…)
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