Summer is my favorite time of year for clothing:
Floaty dresses. Mini-skirts. Super soft knit tees and tanks. White linen pants. Beachy hair. Hats. Straw handbags. Sandals. Flip-flops. Bright pink toenails. Sunscreen. Lip gloss.
As a sometimes follower of fashion trends, I noticed--with horror--that Summer fashions were skewing towards maxi dresses and skirts. Tiered prairie skirts. Voluminous shirts (read: looks like maternity wear even if the wearer is most decidedly not preggers). Gladiator sandals. To quote G (out of context), "ACK! GAH!"
A trip to TJMaxx with B last week revealed ever more fashion abominations, namely a strapless polyester jumpsuit, complete with a matching poly fringe trimmed belt. (which could, the tag proudly proclaimed, be converted into pants.)
(in the interest of "research," i tried on the aforementioned monstrosity...B and I laughed so hard we could no longer hear the strains of Miley Cyrus filtering into the dressing room.)
This past weekend I set out to chronicle the up-to-the-minute real life fashions of everyday people attending Summerfest in Milwaukee. I saw many a maxi dress and skirt, some so long they trailed on the dirty pavement. I saw many gladiator sandals. I saw quite a few dresses worn over capri leggings. These trend-followers, a minority, were scattered throughout crowds of eclectic sartorial display.
Among the delights:
* An older man sporting a bright purple mesh tank top (non-ironically)
* A youngish woman wearing a micro bejangled and bespangled belly dancing skirt
* Several elementary school aged kids with faces painted for the KISS concert ("Daddy, why are you painting my face? It isn't Halloween!")
* A young woman wearing white patent leather go-go boots, black and white horizontal striped tights, a tiny shiny white mini skirt, and a black pleather vest
Above all, the most popular item of clothing was the quippy-phrase-tee-shirt:
* Pain is weakness leaving the body
* Real Women Drink Miller Lite
* You can't drink beer all day...if you don't start drinking in the morning
* Life, liberty, and the pursuit of Happy Hour
* I like Beer
* Beer is Good
* Made in Wisconsin
(and, yes, i did keep my little notebook and pen handy to write down such sayings, with the help of my companions:)
And as for me? I may not have been the trendiest or best-dressed Summerfest attendee, but for the two days I wore summer clothes that made me happy:
Floaty dress. Sandals. Shorts. Layered tank and dressy tee. Straw bag. Pink toenails. Sunscreen. Lip gloss. Blissful smile.
LOVE IT. So glad you took notes.
ReplyDeleteI honestly think G has some talent for fashion commentary, because for some of those choices, I believe "ACK! GAH!" is the only appropriate response.
No "Snark and booze keep me interesting" shirts, then? Too bad.
wishokie, nope on the "snark + booze" tees. hee! but i think you might could start a cafe press shop with that phrase for shirts and bags and stuffs. and, i stole g's words out of context for this one...
ReplyDeleteThe "snark and booze" shirts would sell! That cracked me up.
ReplyDeleteI wonder why so many of the shirts you saw over the weekend had beer-related themes. Hmm...wasn't expecting that. (and you forgot to mention the dork who wore a "Guiness" T-shirt, but spent much of the weekend with Miller products in his hand. that might could be a sin.)
gregg, excellent use of the double modal. now you can impress your friends and relatives with some fine southernisms. (i think the guiness/miller juxtaposition was fairly inspired. brilliant, even. definitely *not* a fashion don't.)
ReplyDeleteToo funny! Would have LOVED to have seen you in the jumpsuit:) Was it like that one that Heather liked so much??? he-he
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