Vintage

Hello. Vintage animation nerd and definitely not a fashionisto here once again with a case to plead for fashion trends that may deserve a second chance...

Before this trend is banished permanently back into the closets of only a loyal few less-than-trendy folks, I want to see the resurgence of the "Vintage Animation T-Shirts" that once meant that we were still clinging to our innocent childhoods, not to mention forming random connections with fellow former fans of animation past.

...No; not everyone needs to invest several weeks worth of "PUI" pay into a closet full of "Vintage Animation" t-shirts; not to mention the decorative, iconic face masks (though not as protective as PPE) to complete matching outfits between upperbody and face. That was, unfortunately, just me...

I want to say that for a very brief time in the early 2000s, I would walk into high school and there would be high school friends bearing childhood friends across their chests. I saw a lot of Mr. Rogers t-shirts. Then I'd see plenty of "Care Bears" or "She-Ra" (obviously, on the women). There was definitely Fraggle Rock and may or may not have been a plethora of G.I. Joe or Transformers shirts wandering around MY particular high school; this fashion-flash-in-the-pan had only lasted for maybe 3-5 years; and long before the M.A.S.K., G.I. Joe, He-Man, Silverhawks, or FILMATION Ghostbusters' T-Shirts were in MY closet.

These were better, simpler times for us 80s kids, my people. It was a childhood of, comparative, innocence. It meant that wearing a mask would make you look cool; or at least conceal your identity for a reason. We didn't hear much about pandemics as we were kids at the time. Maybe there is a chance at gaining BACK when a person would broadcast their childhood memories on their chest (if not their FACE beneath a mask) and allow someone else to go "Hey, YEAH; I remember that TOO...!"

Last March/early April, I wandered into a place called "B.R.T." (it comes up from time to time in my "...Eat Local..." submission). Anyway, I can't remember if I had coupled it with "M.A.S.K.," the t-shirt; but I was definitely wearing "M.A.S.K.," the face...well, mask. My bar neighbor instantly recognized it, we shared some memories about the show, and we had a chuckle over the appropriateness of a face mask that literally read "M.A.S.K." on it. This conversation died just in time for us to continue to bond over watching U of M in the Third Round of March Madness (Sweet Sixteen); but the conversation DID happen.

...Now maybe someone will laugh at the garish wardrobe (maybe they'll even be honest enough to do so to your face). If I'm doing this correctly to hang on to the last vestige of innocence, should I really care what others think as they wear THEIR next trendy clothing? As an adult (albeit in gear to remind me of my childhood), I should really just file away the negative opinions and let THAT reflect back on the opinionator, not myself.

Okay; I'm not asking for extremism. For each time that I couple my G.I. Joe shirt with a Cobra neck gaiter, or M.A.S.K. shirt/M.A.S.K....uh, mask, if I'm thinking of this like an adult, I might feel a swell of self-consciousness. If I'm looking at it as grasping at the last vestiges of a more innocent age, then more power to me (and in speaking of power, maybe I'd actually wear the "He-Man and Power Sword" shirt; and out in PUBLIC, no less).

Let's bring back the trend of each of us being our own personal Fashionisto/...sta; and, passed a certain age, let's no longer worry (much) about what others think of perfectly innocent outfit choices...