Denims

I want to talk about the return of Denim.

I'm not just talking about blue jeans either (They never went away; in fact, for anything but work or church, I don't wear any different type of pants than blue jeans).

Have you ever worn Blue Denim over Blue Jeans? (The look isn't for everyone; and, if that weren't a rhetorical question, then, yeah, that was me). In fact, I used to wear a denim jacket that was an EXACT match for the blue palate in my jeans, almost like a teenager overly obsessed with finding the exact same patterns of colors before stepping out for the day. I was either prepared for a full day of learning or to duck out and..."TRICERATOPS!"

(...In speaking of nostalgia that simply needs to be brought back rather than constantly retreaded and reseasoned).

Anyway, there is a point here besides my obsession with a term that is either a color or an indicator of sadness...

Did I mention that, by the time that I was teenager stumbling into the denim jacket, it was early 2000 and my very first Denim Jacket came from the local Tractor Supply store? (I was not a harbinger of trendy fashion back then either)...

...Then, I was such a harbinger of trendiness that I used to add a Fedora with the brand "ADIDAS" clearly printed on the front of it and those Silver "Wild, Wild West" specs (the ones that they sold as a Burger King promotion at the time. I miss those shades today). Oh, yeah; I remember all of the cool cliques and how they...were polite to me because I strove to be kind to EVERYONE. And, boy, do I recall the line of girls who...were courteous enough to associate with me in the halls or classrooms even if they were interested in other fellow classmates.

Anyway, I would wear that Denim Jacket all of the time because, after about the second time I wore it, a cute Sophomore girl purported to liking it on me ("Madame Sophomore Cutie Circa 2000" deserves a name; I haven't forgotten it and we'll call her "Nicolette" for appearances sake [Refer to "Bachelor"]). Besides, even back then, I had a lot of frame in a rather unsightly middle that needed some covering up and a severe lack of musculature that needed as hidden from view as possible.

Then, a month ago at work, I saw a girl who might be a little younger than I sporting (could it be) a Denim Jean Jacket. I complimented her on it; then we STILL shared a joke about how it looked like something from the "New Kids..." closet. She sported the same jacket earlier this week at work and I repeated how much I liked seeing Denim again; withOUT the backhanded humorous anecdote.

It did get me thinking that there are STILL three Denim Jean Jackets in the back of my closet (one of which I only bought three years ago, so it definitely fits me now). So, I wore that particular Denim Jacket (complete with fringe) out to one of my favorite riverfront taverns tonight. I didn't hear any compliments about how I had dressed myself; I didn't hear any insults from the 20-something women behind the bar either. Then, one of my bar neighbors had to vacate her seat and we were all asked to watch her purse.

It's freezing in Michigan today and there were three of us at the bar, two bartenders, a couple at one table, and a family at another; ALL hawking the same seat and purse until its owner should return. This lasted five minutes, then I got to thinking about the layers that I was wearing.

With rapid fire thinking, I planted a huge DENIM JACKET right over the object of importance as "an extra layer of protection" against >15 people; NONE of whom were remotely shady characters. Because, as everyone knows, tossing a giant Denim Jacket over a bar is completely inconspicuous ("Hmmm; I wonder what's under HERE???")

Yeah; us former 80s kids (and midthirties singles artists) need some reassurance that we once knew how to dress ourselves in style.

Let's bring back the Denim

(I still want to talk about the Fedora, The Class Ring, and the Cross Necklaces/Pendants. Maybe the "Vintage" animation tees. Maybe another time).

...Oh; and the "Sunglasses Indoors and at 7:30 at night when I took that selfie?"

Yeah; even I'll have to admit that that only works for fooling around with a digital camera; especially when "The Guy in Shades" has reduced himself to wearing CLIP-ONS...