Nobody is going to mistake me for a fashion trendsetter.
Most of the clothes I wear have been in the rotation for years. But I try my best to keep them clean, repaired and at least somewhat coordinated.
Some folks probably think I’m wasting my time.
I passed a clothing store today on the way from the car to the grocery and noticed men’s jeans in the window with several rips, holes and frayed seams. They cost $49.95. I have a couple pairs of jeans I have been wearing for years (that cost much less) and still don’t show the wear and tear shown by these new jeans.
I did a little research on the store’s website and found that what I think are defects in the jeans are what the store calls “whiskered thighs, destroyed details and knee bursts.” Apparently, these are fashion statements of the highest orders.
When I went to grammar school, we had recess on the blacktop playground. Being somewhat of a clutch, I sometimes fell down. As a result, my pants often had whiskered, thighs, destroyed details and knee burst. But mom didn’t praise me for my fashion sense.
In a world beset with poverty, starvation and lack of basic human needs for so many people, there are many folks who have holes in their jeans because their jeans are old and they have nothing else to wear. But you must be pretty well off to buy jeans that have been intentionally distressed.
Something is wrong here. And I want to make it clear that if you see a hole in my jeans, it came from hard work or clumsiness, not fashion nonsense.
