The latest fashion?

I'm not very fashion conscious. If I had any say in the matter, my typical "dress" code is a T-shirt and a pair of shorts. Or a pair of jeans if it gets chilly. So, I'm fairly oblivious when someone walks by with some clothing faux pas. You really have to be blatant for me to notice. Say, for instance, not having a svelte figure and wearing stretch clothing.

Since I spend a lot of time in my "office" at Panera, which happens to be near a mall, I get to see the latest in fashion and it makes me wonder where our society is going in terms of fashion. Today, I watched a teenager walk in wearing a sweater and a pair of shorts that showed so much leg that I wondered if it was a bikini bottom. When she removed the sweater, I saw that she was wearing a top akin to a sports bra with extra fabric at the bottom. It might even be mistaken for a camisole if it were a few inches longer.

After my eyes stopped threatening to pop out from the sight, I saw her friend was wearing something similar, except that it was a mini skirt instead of "shorts". Thankfully, they walked around to another part of the restaurant so that I could regain my composure. I can easily imagine that these outfits are popular with the boys. Especially next year, when these girls are in college.

I've said it often enough, but I can't help asking again why they weren't wearing stuff like that when I was their age. I find it amusing (not to mention distracting) that they wear clothing that shows off so much skin. Yet, I can't imagine what it must be like to be their fathers and have to handle restricting their clothing styles. How do you keep them from wearing stuff like that without losing connection with them?

It's not as if wearing clothing that is suitably modest (or at least something that doesn't make my eyes keep drifting in their direction) really stops them either. Only witness some recent posts I made that covered the not so innocent. If anything, I've learned that a demure appearance can hide something much wilder underneath the skin.

Or I could take a positive outlook and hope that this upcoming generation will carry the new fashion to new levels so that every female is wearing some strips of cloth that barely hide anything. Call me what you will, but I can easily imagine that this is the end result of current fashion. At least until it swings back in the other direction as a reaction to the latest style. Then again, perhaps it's not such a good idea for strips of cloth to become the latest style.

I'm not too prudish, but even I have limits if such fashion becomes the norm. The real question here is whether their new "style" is detrimental to our society. I suppose only time will tell.