children get older

I came to an important realization the other day while trying on some pants in a Macy's fitting room.

I am getting older.

At 4'11", I usually don't have a problem skimming off the juniors rack when I go clothes shopping-- 'when' being the operative word here. I got myself a new pair (singular) of jeans about two years ago. Styles that were acceptable when I was in high school weren't too hard to find. Finding something that didn't make me look perpetually 15 was a little trickier, but it was doable. With this past experience in mind, I made the junior's section my first stop in my browsing hunt for sophisticated, yet youthful. I grabbed a couple of cute straight cut black slacks and headed back to the fitting room.

I don't know what's with kids these days, but in my day, it was not cool to have pants so tight that they end up cutting off your circulation. My generation has more self-interest than that. If anything, we believe in the opposite. Loose pants. Slipping off your hips loose. Stuff falling out of your pockets loose. My brother, for years, had to chain his wallet to his back pocket just to keep from loosing the thing.

This, of course, was supposed to make us more attractive to the opposite sex. Cause nothing says sexy like meeting that special guy's eyes from across a crowded room while he's busy hitching his pants up.

Oh.. the memories.

It's a metaphor, people. Unencumbered freedom of.... well, movement for one thing. It seems that the cool kids of today like their freedom constricted and narrow. They like everything close and exposed and.... skinny. Looking in the mirror after my ill-ventured run in with teen fashion gave a whole new sense to the term 'chicken legs'.

Ugh... the memories.

Now if wearing the pants is a statement in and of itself, taking them off is an experience. Let me just say that these kids are not gonna be suffering from blood clots anytime soon. They'd probably do wonders for my varicoses. And be great for long plane trips.

I did find the cutest sweaters though. Bright vibrant colors, texture like no one's business, and warm. Baggy. Room to breath. I walked out of the mall smiling, having gave fashion a great big expressive flip-off.

I really must be getting older.