Fashion Fail! Dear Daughter.. Don’t Ever Do These!
Photo Credit: Rene Syler
Over the weekend, my beautiful daughter and I undertook the Herculean task of back-to-school shopping. I sort of like shopping, when I’m by myself and shopping for myself. Actually, I don’t even mind shopping for the kids, but that’s becoming a tricky proposition as they get older.
But Casey is now becoming a bit of a clotheshorse, only the type that needs to be led to water. That means the shopping trips have me doing all the work. “How’s this? “What about this one?” “Do you like this?”, all of which are met with a monosyllabic grunt, a roll of the eyes or just a deep and heavy sigh. Sounds as much fun as a barrel of monkeys, right?
Given that reality I’m not sure how she talked me into going to the land of the Gucci-clad but she did, so off we went to one of the largest outlet malls in the Tri-State area. What transpired was less money-saving and more memory-inducing. Bad, bad memories.
See, I am a geek. I was born a geek, was a geeky teenager, who became a geeky adult and, by the grace of God, found a geeky mate. My high school career was punctuated by a number of humiliating experiences; dateless for four years, plagued with bad hair, and the only one cut from the flag team (I went out for the flag team because I thought the odds were in my favor. Sadly they were not). I was always just one season behind the most popular fashions, the narrative of my life.
Now that I have a daughter, I am determined that she not have to do through that social ostracizing. I can hear you now, worried that I’m placing too much emphasis on the superficial. I can assure you I am not; we talk about beauty emanating from the inside. But I also don’t see the harm in saving her from some of the sartorial stumbles I made.
Here they are.. Fashion Fails I hope my daughter never makes.
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The fanny pack
Marketed as a convenient, hands-free way to carry your stuff, they really didn't look good on anyone. And definitely not when paired with a dress, as was the case here.
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Leather, fringe, white tennis shoes
Honestly, there are so many things wrong with this picture I don't know where to start. Mark the entire thing as bad. Very, very bad.
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Too-light make-up
Yes I was on television. Yes, I thought more powder meant a better look. Sadly, it does not.
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Over-tweezed brows
When I was in the 8th grade, my mother let me pluck my own eyebrows. "Less is more" does not apply here.
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Over-drawn brows
Too little or too much, I'm not really sure which is worse. They're both bad
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High-waisted jeans
Dark green and with peg legs? And flat shoes? Daughter, do yourself a favor; buy a full-length mirror and don't ever put together an ensemble like this.
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High-waisted shorts
Because you can't wear high-waisted jeans in summertime.
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Other posts by Rene:
10 Lessons I Learned From Being Fired And What You Can Learn Too
Here’s the thing: At the time, you fit right in. And no matter how cool our daughters look in their own era, they’ll look back and cringe later. P.S. I love The Good-Enough Mother and referenced it on my own blog: http://tragicsandwich.com/2011/09/03/words-of-wisdom/
Ok, the fanny pack does have its place (with the plaid Bermuda-Shorts and the “wish yous was hear” T-shirt)., Loved the fringed jacket and you are so right, stay away from the white snickers. I can remember seeing the hi waisted jeans when I was in High School and thought ‘wow those are so awesome” (was from the everything is Awesome generation).
Just wait a few years and it will be back in style and wait a few more and it will be Oh My God, Gag Me With a Spoon!!!! My kids just yelled at me No MOM don’t you dare Post that!!!
I do not think you are placing the emphasis on the superficial. I myself have a 20 month old daughter, and I already worry about how to handle the clothes! That being said, I think that dorky clothes can’t hide your pretty face, and I agree with tragic sandwich. I can’t wait to see what styles she is embarrassed of!! Cute article.
You honestly make leather, fringe and tennis shoes LOOK SO GOOD. Seriously, I’m going to wear that look for the fall.