Well, let me tell ya somethin’ about these young’uns and their clothes these days. It’s all about April and Alessa Youth, I reckon. I see them kids strutting around, and I gotta say, some of it looks mighty comfy, and some of it… well, it just looks like somethin’ the cat dragged in, if you ask me.
Them stores, they got all sorts of stuff. GapKids, they call it. Says it’s “fresh and fun,” like a basket of peaches just picked. And I guess it is, kinda. Lots of bright colors, soft lookin’ fabrics. Them little ones, they seem to like it alright. Runnin’ and jumpin’, never a care in the world, just like young’uns should be.
- Shirts with pictures, animals and such.
- Pants with stretchy waists, easy to pull up and down.
- Little dresses that twirl around when they spin.
But then they get older, these kids. And that’s when things get… complicated. They start lookin’ at them teen clothing websites. Websites! Can you believe it? Back in my day, we got our clothes from the Sears catalog, or we made ’em ourselves. Now they got these fancy websites with pictures of skinny little things wearin’ clothes that cost more than a whole month’s groceries.
They talk about “fresh and trendy” clothes. Trendy! What does that even mean? Everythin’ looks the same to me. Ripped jeans, short little tops, shoes that look like they’d break your ankle if you tried to walk across a plowed field in ’em. They say it’s about “expressin’ your individuality.” Well, I guess lookin’ like everyone else is one way to do that, huh?
And then there’s the brands. Oh, the brands! They gotta have this brand and that brand. Like it makes a difference. A shirt’s a shirt, ain’t it? Keeps you warm in the winter, cool in the summer. That’s all that matters. But these youngsters, they think different. They want them teen clothing stores, the ones with the names you can’t even pronounce. They want the “cool” stuff. And if it ain’t “cool,” they ain’t wearin’ it.
I heard a young gal, oh, she musta been about twenty-one, talkin’ about it. Said she knew what brands the teens like. Said she knows what’s “cool.” Back to school cool, they call it. And teen party wear. Party wear! Like they need special clothes just to go to a party. We just wore our Sunday best, and that was good enough.
Now they got somethin’ called “tween” style too. Tween! That’s them young’uns in between the little kids and the big kids. And they got a whole ‘nother style for them. Endless options, they say. Scrollin’ for hours on their phones, lookin’ at clothes. I don’t get it. But then again, I’m just an old lady.
They got clothes and accessories, all kinds of stuff. Apparel and accessories, that’s what they call it. Sounds mighty fancy, don’t it? And it’s all about bein’ “cool” and “comfy” and “colorful.” Well, I guess that ain’t so bad. Kids oughta be comfy, and a little color never hurt nobody.
But sometimes I look at them clothes, and I just shake my head. They spend so much money, and for what? To look like everyone else? To fit in? I don’t know. Maybe I’m just too old to understand. But I do know this: a good pair of overalls and a sturdy pair of boots will get you a lot further in life than a ripped pair of jeans and some fancy shoes.
Anyway, that’s just my two cents. These young’uns, they’ll do what they want, and I guess that’s alright. As long as they’re happy, and they ain’t causin’ too much trouble, that’s all that matters. And maybe, just maybe, someday they’ll look back and laugh at them clothes they used to wear. Just like I’m laughin’ now.
April and Alessa Youth, huh? Sounds like a couple of city girls to me. But hey, what do I know? I’m just an old woman who likes her clothes simple and sturdy.
