These Kids Nowadays...

So Bets and I were taking an afternoon stroll through the park (oh, and just so you know, the Dalai Lama is out in full force. He's so hot right now. Folks were loving him today... and passing out cookies.), bubble tea in hand, and we couldn't help but notice the fashion-forward kids all around town. Okay, first thing's first, sometimes their parents could learn a thing or two from them. Second, I wondered how fashion-forward kids in the Midwest were socially appropriated by their peers. I turned to Bets, as she is a constant source of reality at times like these, and posited the inquiry her way. Looking exfoliated and carefree as she does on a day like this, she blinked twice and said, "I think they were just nerds. But they're also the kids who grow up, then look back on their past and realize they were just with it."

Truth.

In light of this, we began thinking about tips we can pick up from these in vogue youngsters.

Tip #1: Don't steer clear of interesting eyewear.

Growing up with vision issues can be kid's nightmare, but those who know better pull it off with style and grace. It's also a purchase that parents (the nice ones, at least) allow their kids to have at least a little of input on. So take a page out of these parents' stylebook, and get a pair that tells the people around you about more than your crazy astigmatism... Purchasing eyewear is a great way to express yourself without feeling like you're throwing away money on an outfit you may never find an excuse to wear. Think Oliver Peoples. Think Prodesign:Denmark. Don't think $99-and-under rack at LensCrafters. Two quick addendums, though: (a) listen to the person behind the eyeglasses counter, for they tend to know the shape of glasses that work with your face. They know more about this sort of thing than you do, it's what they do. (b) The combination of great designers and best selling literature does not make for great eyewear. Enter the round Harry Potter glasses. People, have we forgotten that Harry is a fictional character? Is Mary GrandPre really supposed to be a style icon? Not since Gandhi has anyone been able to rock these glasses. Take the hint.

Tip #2: Don't be afraid to layer, especially when circumstances require it

Kids are forced daily to run the gamut of environments: from chilly early mornings at bus stops to stagnant classrooms with invariably crappy climate control to rank school gymnasiums to stifling hot buses to what we can only hope to be a regulated climate in their own homes. Kids are forced to be ready, clothing-wise, for every eventuality, and those fashion-forward kids tend to do so with style. Basic rule: Layer is encouraged, but don't put anything on your body that you would be ashamed to wear on its own. Simple, but a rule that tends to be ignored by most. Let's see, what are we trying to say here?... Ummm... oh right, this is it: Guys, you can afford another white undershirt.

Tip #3: There's a difference between whimsy and ridiculous.

Whimsy = good. Ridiculous = bad.

This is perhaps the most difficult to grasp if you haven't thought about it before. Whimsy implies confidence, a sense of humor and wit. Ridiculous implies that your parents dress you because if they didn't, you might actually look worse. Whimsy is effortless. Ridiculous looks contrived.

Let's put this another way, this time in a way New Yorkers can't ignore... it has been everywhere the past decade, nowadays more than ever. If you haven't run into a Sex and the City film crew on your way around NYC, then you arguably haven't left your apartment recently. Unfortunately, the new movie provides an ideal example:

Patricia Field (SATC stylist) has been historically daring, but she might've taken a brief, somewhat unfortunate, detour recently...

Carrie, circa 2003:
Carrie, circa now:

If we need to say more about these images... well, you should get out more.