Back Pocket Bling

It's true, I sit here, chained to the chair, in my comfy yoga pants most days. No need for fashion at this end of the cul-de-sac, right? Haha. I may not have anywhere to go (right now), but I'd still like to have something nice to wear if say... I want to present myself as a hip YA writer. My Talbots work wardrobe probably counts against me in that category.

Anyhoo, this past summer, my husband's cousin was here for a visit from Paris. So being the diligent, thoughtful host that I am, I spent many days as a shopping spree guide. (Stuff is more expensive in Paris.) As I shopped with her, I visited some places out of my usual SOI (in this case, sphere of income), out of my usual shopping territory, veering into Buckle , and into a pair of Rock Revival jeans. Bling included. (The buttons are ginormous crystals.)

Confession: Wearing them makes me feel like at least ten years younger - which would make me twenty-something. :D

The very next week, this CNN article pops up on my screen : Why Are Moms Dressing Like Their Teen Daughters?  

Hmmm. I don't have any daughters. So why is my cursor going over there to....click. Scroll, scroll, scroll.

Damn it. Girls don't like it when we steal there sense of style? We're not supposed to shop in their stores?

What? Like they never take stuff out of their (incredibly stylish) mother's closet anymore? Like a girl could afford these jeans? (<rant> I thought Abercrombie was expensive. The cousin and I spent a good amount of time in there too, but I only got jeans for my son. I wasn't on a spree just for me, you know. Although, why couldn't I be on a spree just for me? I work my derrière off revising and editing and </rant>.)

My point: I do not fit into anything Abercrombie because Ambercrombie is made to fit juniors. For example, if I wore jeggings (perish the thought) I would probably look like something in a bad Youtube video. I do not want to wear my daughter's clothes, but that doesn't mean I need to wear "mom jeans".

To me, the fact that my derrière fits into Rock Revival must mean those jeans are made for women. Yes? No? Maybe? Yet the models in the ads are distinctly younger than I am. Are they really marketing to the twenty-something crowd? When I was twenty-something, I was saving quarters for the laundry and eating Ramen noodles, not buying haute-designer jeans.

Gosh! How does this relate to writing YA?

Here's how: I'm a mom, pushing forty, trying to tap into the YA girl's psyche on a full time basis. I've noticed a bunch of other author/writers are in a similar demographic. Are we reliving our YA  years- without having to actually relive them? *ducks* Why not? The right to such fabulous back pocket bling comes only with experience. :)

Gentlemen, I'll give you an example so you can empathize. When you were little boys, you dreamt of this:

And when you grow up you want this:

2012 Carrera image via Porsche.com

Imagine being a teen and driving a Porsche. Hmmm. Nice, huh? Except what would you have to look forward to later? When you get the keys to your shiny new 911, don't you want to feel like you've earned it?


BTW, on the way out of Nordstrom Rack the other day, I saw a new mom in Rock Revivals pushing a baby carriage. I don't think that daughter was the one who spilled the bling.