My Kid Wears Baggy Pants

OK. Enough already. I have tried and tried to understand but I'm at the end of my rope. WHY does my son wear his pants half pulled down?!

Let's run down the checklist. Does is look cool? NO. Is it practical? NO. Is there any good reason for it? NO. Why is this happening?

I've challenged my teenage son by pretending I'm a mugger and start chasing him. He invariably ends up tripping face first because he simply can't run with his pants pulled half down showing his grimy underwear that he changes monthly whether he needs to or not.

Can anyone explain this phenomenon to me?

I buy him pants that are capable of being worn around the waist and secured with a belt. He chooses to wear his belt six notches loose and pull his pants down so they sit on top of his hips. Should I just buy him smaller pants that won't fit that way? Should I stop buying him pants?

Seriously, what if he had to run for his life? He can't. Without coming out and telling him he looks stupid how can I convince him he looks stupid?

Maybe I should start wearing my pants in the same fashion. As a mother I know that the best way to stop a teenage behavior is to mimic it. If mom does it can't possibly be cool. I might have a little trouble getting my husband on board with it as he has resigned himself to the fact that our son is simply stupid and beyond help so he won't embarrass himself for a lost cause. He'd rather just explain to his buddies that he has a stupid son.

So I've decided, I'm going to fight fire with fire. I haven't accompanied him to school for years but I'm going to start. And, you guessed it. My Levis will be worn at the half-hip level with my spaghetti thong prominently displayed for all to drool over. Yes, I have a great rear and all his friends are going to start seeing it. I really hope this shames him enough to start pulling his pants up.

The next step will be to start walking him to school bare breasted, I understand that's legal now.

As a last resort I think I can talk my husband into walking with us wearing nothing but his boxer shorts and sandals.
No easy answer but I welcome any suggestions. Game on!!

High Fashion Tots for Winter

Flipping through a few magazines I was really surprised to see what some of the trends were in kid's fashion for this weekend. For one thing some of the styles are quite grown up. Your kid is supposed to be in clothes that are as tailored as yours.

For example designer Philip Lim showed a collection that was all mustards, burnt oranges, and bone and tan colors. Kids were outfitted in little riding pants, cropped fifties style jackets and trenchcoats. Big bulky suede boots in milk chocolate brown complete the ensemble. This is a wonderful look if your kid likes to ride horses! I would probably only dress up my kids like this if I had to take them to wedding or a funeral. These are not every day looks even though celebrity moms insist they are.

Another interesting trend is the footwear for kids. There are a lot of gold and silver shoes on the market to buy for kids. The only problem with this idea is that once again, they are not really for every day wear unless your little girl is very neat.

Another trend is to make your kid look like a bit of a flower child. This is a much happier and more comfortable look especially for teenagers.

Everything that is tie-die is in including tie-dyed T-shirts and leggings. This is paired with long johns and shirts with tiny Victorian floral prints like violets or roses. Many girls are wearing short wool skirts or jean cut offs over this get up.

Straw hats worn with vintage sweaters with pictures of reindeer on them are also popular as are recycled corduroy skirts with floral inserts.

The key to a successful hippie look is to wear many layers including vests, belts and scarves as well as a perky wool artist's tam. In terms of footwear think Frye boots in a tam color and Jesus sandals for slogging around at home. Mocassins worn with socks and bright and shiny satin style leggings in a neon color are also in style.

Looking like a little jailbird is also cool. Gray flannel shirts, pants and dresses with lateral stripes are also considered to be very cool.

One look at this fashion trend tells me that it is probably a great idea to take my kids right to the used clothing store so they can mix and match their own look. It is a good way to teach them to put an outfit together on a budget!