In order of ugly

For men

1. Baggy pants
2. baseball caps
3. hoodies

For women

1. tight, sausage link jeans
2. dress down/casual Friday wear
3. lace up high heels, wedgies or boots

Made her day

A woman in a simple black sheath, black belt, modest jewelry and black high heels with a good haircut and understated make-up walked past my table.

"Job interview today?" I asked.

She looked a bit puzzled, and then said, "No, just going to work."

"Well, you look absolutely fabulous."

As she left, she paused at my table and said, "Thank you, you made my day."

Eye candy

Six handsome young men on tuxedos with long tails were at the coffee shop this morning. I spoke to one when I was getting a refill. They were from the high school ensemble and were doing a Christmas concert at the junior high. I told him I remembered when my daughter did that in the mid-80s. He smiled. Then I realized that was probably his parents' age.

Anyway, quite a change from sweat shirts and butt cracks.

From where I sit

The coffee shop is a good place to observe women's fashion and behavior. This week across the room I saw a woman in a stunning, expensive cream colored pants suit with an orange/pink paisley blouse join two men at a table for three. In her mid-30s possibly, she had a stylish hair cut, tipped with blond, perfect make-up, shoes and purse and brief case to die for. However, from a distance, I couldn't tell if this was a business meeting, or if she'd just noticed some friends and sat down. As she sat there in animated conversation, to my shock she put one foot on the chair seat, and brought her knee up above the table, the way a kid sitting on the playground might listening to the coach give instructions.

Then this morning a tall, dark haired dad maybe late 40s and his tall, dark brunette teen daughter enjoyed a breakfast bagel and coffee sitting across from me. She was wearing a mini-skirt shorter than any I saw in the 1970s. There was a table between them. Dad couldn't see her crotch, but I could. How do parents let their daughters out of the house like that and then support rules about sexual harassment in the schools?

Is it Michelle?

I saw 3 teen age girls in skirts at the coffee shop this morning--and it's casual Friday (usually they wear uniforms). Even some of the news-babes on TV are covering up a bit and looking more feminine. I think it's Michelle Obama. Women look at her and see how attractive they could look if they didn't try to dress like 1950s construction workers.

A gaggle of girls

It wasn't even Friday! Only about 5 or 6 of the teen girls who swarmed into Panera's the other morning had on street clothes (jeans and sweat shirts). The other 10 or 12 were wearing pajamas and slippers. It was about 7:30 a.m. so I'm assuming they were wearing these outfits to school. Perhaps they'd had a slumber party (aka sleepover) on a school night? Most were wearing hand decorated t-shirts (marking pens) that announced they were "going to state," so they were one happy, squealing team of very pretty athletes.

The coffee shop fashion show

Hot, sweaty rubber boots over knee socks worn with a short, short mini skirt--now there's a winning look. 20-something.

An ankle-length print dress, ankle-high boot shoes, long side curls to the shoulders with the rest of her hair piled high, held up with a jeweled comb. 40-something.

Mama ca. 45, thin, comes in wearing cut-off jeans-skirt, unhemmed, about 2 inches below her bottom. Daughter, maybe 12, also long hair, is in jeans shorts. Walks and looks like Mom, except her hair is her natural color.

Writing on the butt

A young teen was standing in line at the coffee shop today with her dad wearing gray sweat pants. Written across her bottom was ABERCROMBIE. Why is her father not telling her she's asking men to read her butt? Fathers: it's your job to explain the facts of boys' lives to your daughters.

Open toed shoes in the snow

Yesterday at the coffee shop I was the only person in the parking lot at 6:05 a.m. It was snowing and sleeting and about 2 inches of slushy wet cold goop was on the ground. As I was drinking my coffee I saw a woman come in about 6:45 wearing 2" high heeled, open-toed shoes. They sort of looked like what was popular in the 1940s, so it must be a new fashion trend. She didn't even stomp her feet to get the snow off the way I do, and my toes were curling in my shoes from empathy. She picked up a shopping bag full of goodies and headed back to the parking lot. Brrr. No wonder women don't get to the highest administrative levels. They can't keep their feet dry.

Look alikes--almost

At the coffee shop this morning I saw two women sit down at a table for two, and wordlessly spread cream cheese on their huge bagels and begin to take very large bites, lick their fingers and wipe their lips with napkins. Exact look alikes from my seat by the fireplace. They didn't talk until their bagels were down to crumbs. I wondered if they were twins as I watched their jaws move in unison. So I discretely stared. No, one was older. I couldn't see her face, but there were signs.


yum

Older: black slacks and gray cardigan
Younger: hip-hugger jeans, studded belt, layered black striped shirt over gray sweater that showed some cleveage

Older: medium-to-large black shoulder bag
Younger: small black shoulder bag

Older: black leather dress boots
Younger: tan suede construction boots

Older: short hair, softly permed, dishwater blonde
Younger: short hair, spiky and moussed, lightened blonde

Older: small pierced earrings
Younger: dangle pierced earrings

Older: tasteful make-up but no mascara
Younger: tasteful make-up with mascara

Older: coffee in a china cup
Younger: poofy, fluffy drink in a paper cup

When I got up to leave I could glimpse their profiles. Their noses were shaped differently, but I decided they were mother and daughter, ages probably about 38 and 16 and very good friends.

Stunning

At the coffee shop this morning I wanted to say to the stunning woman dressed in a black, straight long skirt with a side slit, black boots, charcoal turtle neck and charcoal sweater-jacket, "You are the best dressed woman I've seen in weeks." Even her black hair was meticulously tousled.

It was casual chic, but oh so pleasant to the eyes. But she reached into her black leather brief case, and pulled out her black cell phone, so I didn't interrupt this vision of "all-put-togetherness." It's days like this that I miss my daughter-in-law.