the 07/22/2008

When did underwear become part of our outerwear?

When did underwear become part of our outerwear?

Excuuuuuse me, but when did underwear become part of our fashionwear?

When I first moved to North Platte 20 or so years ago I attendedMid-Plains Community College. That winter the fad was for girls towear long underwear (regular long johns - but not the kind with theflap in the seat!). They would wear men's gym shorts or boxershorts over the long underwear. If their mothers would have toldthem they absolutely HAD to dress like that to go out in public,I'm sure they would have pitched a fit loud enough to be heardaround the world.

Today young people wear their jeans so low on the hips that theirunderwear shows above the jeans, or even worse is when they havehuge holes in the backside of their jeans and you see theirunderwear. The briefs or panties are usually quite colorful anddecorative, so you know they intend for you to see the underwear.

How do they get dressed in the morning? Do they pull some jeans outof the drawer then hold some of their panties under the hole in thebackside of their jeans to see what effect it has on the viewingpublic? Do they coordinate the panties or shorts with the shirtthey pick out? This whole process (pardon the pun - hole-whole) ofpicking out underwear that you know is going to be displayed justis beyond my comprehension.

Then there are the young girls who wear tops with spaghetti strapswith their bra straps in plain view.

Good grief! When I was their age (sorry about using that phrase),you didn't even want to let people know you had a bra, let alonehave the straps showing under your top's straps.

You know what's really scary? Some young people dress like this togo for a job interview - and then wonder afterward why they failedto get the job.

Another thing that really bugs me these days are the short topsthat leave a gap of flesh between the bottom of the girl's top andthe top of her jeans or slacks.

To be real honest, I just don't find people's navels all thatattractive. Why would I want to see anyone's navel anywhere but atthe swimming pool? They certainly wouldn't wear that in the office,would they? Oh yes, some are wearing them to the office. I have toresist the urge to grab their top and try to stretch it down overthe top of their jeans or slacks.

Heaven help us if they wear a skimpy top and have excess fleshflopping over the top of the bra or top. I am not real fond of thewomen who wear revealing necklines in the office, either. I thinkthat's enough said about that. I'll leave the rest for you toconsider.

Let's not forget the guys. Plenty of them show up with T-shirtswith suggestive or vulgar sayings on them. My brother worked in afilling station for many years. He often had high school boysworking with him after school. If they showed up for work shirtlessin the summertime or wearing T-shirts with suggestive sayings, hesent them home to change or to stay home if they weren't receptiveto changing. Hopefully somewhere down the road they appreciated thestandard he set for them.

I'm not real fond of flip-flops at work either. First of all, Ithink they belong on the beach or in the house, they are notsuitable for office wear. Second, the noise they make as peoplewalk by can get really annoying: Flap, flap, flap, flap, flap. Thatranks right up there with popping chewing gum.

I know, I'm showing my age. I'm an old fuddy-duddy and not "withit."

It's bad enough when some trim 18 year old wears some of theseoutfits, but in case you hadn't noticed, more people are overweightthan ever before. Their bodies are definitely not made forspaghetti straps, halter tops and low-rider jeans.

Remember when your mother or grandmother used to tell you to changeyour underwear before you left the house "in case you are in anaccident?" They couldn't have forseen the day when your underwearwas not under your clothing but part of your outerwear.

Wish I hadn't see it either.