Fads and Fashion Trends

I hate fads. This is something that has developed over the years as the gap between my age and that of the next generation has widened. Although I was never one to jump on the bandwagon when something new came along, I did indulge in the fads of the time as I was growing up. Let's see.....big bangs, fluorescent shirts, friendship pins (then later, bracelets), colored Keds, drop waist dresses and shoulder pads. Yes, I have participated in more fads than I want to admit or remember, but I can't help the way I feel.

If I see one more child roll by on those horrible Heely shoes...well, I won't do more than sigh and shake my head since I can't control the universe. They really annoy me...kids are oblivious anyway and when you give them wheels to go faster it just makes it worse because now they jet out in front of people without looking. At least before you could get out of the way or at least predict the speed at which they were going to take you out.

Don't even get me started on the Razor scooters. "The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a report on September 5, 2000, indicating that more than 9,400 scooter-related injuries requiring emergency-room visits had been reported in the first eight months of 2000, including more than 4,000 in August alone when the product was introduced." Ding ding ding! Dangerous toy! I may be a nerdy mom, but I am not letting Nathan or Grace on one of those things....ever. They can whine, cry and say that they hate me but that is a hard and fast rule.

I also don't like the trend of kids (and adults alike) wearing flip-flops everywhere they go. Apparently they go with every outfit, because I've seen them on people dressed in beach attire all the way up to slacks and a button down shirt. What is up with that? Flip-flops used to be what you put on in summer camp when you had to walk from the bathhouse back to your cabin, or when you had to walk from your car to the pool. I'm not sure where this particular trend came from, but it really bothers me. It's not the wearing of flip-flops that I have a problem with (I have a pair by the back door for quick trips out to the backyard), it's the fact that there is no sense of appropriateness when they are worn. But once again , I don't control the universe (for good reason) and all I can do is roll my eyes and sigh. Again.

The real question remains: When I was a child did adults get as irritated by fashion trends and fads as I do now? Maybe it's just a signal that I'm finally a grown-up. Or maybe I'm just too opinionated.....who knows? But this is my blog and I can say whatever I want, so there!