I was never concerned about what clothes I wore as a child. Back in
the late 60s thru the early 80s, ones mother always bought their clothes.
We had little to no control over the garish styles, and luckily, only
the photographs remain. I grew up in a middle class family, with an
older sister and a younger brother. And with numerous cousins, one
always had "hand-me-downs" and style wasn’t a concern of my parents.
Only having clothing, regardless of how one looked in them. My mother
was a housewife most of the time we were growing up, and she often would
make our clothing from patterns. Whatever we wanted, she would make it
(if the pattern was available, of course); and even if we didn’t want
it. I recall these suit jackets she made for our Confirmation (or
junior high graduation). Red plaid monstrosities. But that was the
time of the leisure suits, full polyester discomfort and the most
hideous colors a boy could ever wrap himself in. My leisure suit was a
powder blue, which only heightened the effect of my obesity. Dress
shirts were of polyester, and usually dark patterns. Easily flammable
and very uncomfortable in the summer heat. We often were forced into
these outfits for holiday and special occasion our folks would drag us
to.
School “fashion” was quite simple back then. We weren’t allowed to
wear shorts to school, only pants/jeans. That was the rules of the day.
Who could forget the bell bottom jeans and corduroys? I actually liked
them, I recall. T-shirts and sports jerseys were just coming into vogue
(the ones sporting Logos, mostly rock concert T’s in high school) in the
early eighties. But I still preferred the long sleeved button downs,
which were easier to wear for a fat kid. Jogging shoes were becoming
popular, no doubt spawned by the hit TV show “Starsky & Hutch.” Most of
the boys either wore these or regular “brown shoes.” Shorts were only
allowed in gym class in school (unless your were on a sports team).
These were short shorts, usually worn with over-the-calf white athletic
socks (although it was an even toss up between the knee socks and crew
socks), which is a reversal of what’s popular today. Every year, the
shorts get longer and the socks get shorter (although it has become
avant-garde to were either cut off (just below the knee, breeches style)
pants of longer shorts with knee socks lately). And boxer shorts were
strictly ‘old man underwear” back then, and 99% of the boys in the small
Midwestern town I lived in wore briefs. Outside of school, jeans and
shorts were interchangeable with the seasons, and the styles are well
depicted in movies from the time.
I always wanted to attend a private school, back in my schooldays.
For in the Catholic High schools, the uniform was basically dress pants
and shirt and tie. I have always disliked jeans and T-shirts, and
thought it I would look better “dressed-up” (as long as it wasn’t
polyester, of course). This was permitted in public school, of course,
but you’d always get a comment like: “Why are you so dressed up?” It’s
not as bad as it is today, though. When jeans are primarily the norm
(a few preppy holdouts, and the sudden resurgence in Khaki pants; which
brings up a point that African-American boys seem to be the fashion
trend-setters of the 90s. Black youth were the first to show-off their
boxers, to sport those wide-legged jeans before jumping into khaki pants
and polo shirts -- worn extra long, mostly) but every year the fashions
change, and I could imagine how many parents, or the teens themselves,
go bankrupt with having to have the latest styles and names this year.
But since the brushed Preppy look has come back, and the pseudo-breeches,
and the insistence of Americans adopting a school uniform, all fashion
old seems to be making a resurgence. And the polyester of today is
called “silk-like” and is slightly less flammable.
All I can say to the boys of today is: wait until you look back and
see how awful you looked! It happens to us all. Even when you think
you looked "cool."
Author: Jeff Stadt
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