Do These Pleats Go With My Vans?

A few posts ago, I talked about how grateful I was for women's fashion this season. I saluted legs and gave a hearty thank you to short dresses. There was also my mention of legs and my appreciation for them. Then my sister reads my entry and tells me that I'm being a bit of a creep. And know what? She was a little right about it.

I don't feel that I was much of a creep in the sense of the kiddie pool character of that blog. It was more in the "I'm a daily schlub" kind of way. Although appreciated, I had become more or less a version of the construction worker, cat calling women as they walk past.

That's when I stepped back and took a look at myself and some guys around me and noticed a few things. 

Now, I'm not going to use this time to take shots at myself and my fellow males. It's a given that a lot of men have a sense of fashion. We can pretty much tell that by the onslaught of male names on brands when we're walking through the mall or flipping through the pages of a magazine. And no, Sean John does not count. It just seems that there's a loss of translation between what's on the racks and magazine pages, and what we men are actually wearing. 

We're strictly talking about summer wear here. So, what's with the mock shorts that end half way down the shin? I like to think that someone accidentally shrunk the remaining stock of JNCOs and made millions selling them as shorts. This isn't a call to arms for short shorts either. No one should ever be subjected to the torture of seeing that much "guy thigh".

We're also very guilty of wearing graphic tees far too often. Yes, they're comfortable and some of them are funny, but that's the same excuse that women are using for Uggs. My wardrobe would be a lot better off with some nice button downs and clean tees. I can't do v-necks, though.

I hope to dress like the older gentleman who was sitting next to me while I started writing this. He had on a pair of khakis with a light white dress shirt. He was untucked, but not unkempt and his shoes were the perfect loafer that ask, "am I walking around the office or the backyard of a friend's place?" I don't want to dress like him today, but definitely in my years to come.

Plus, it's hip to dress a bit trashy, right? Are kids still using "hip" these days?