I could swear there is a verse about being clothed in humility, but I can't find it. It doesn't matter. I was leaving a comment earlier after Valerie posted a gorgeous picture of her little girl in a dress that Valerie had worn as a child. I had mentioned that I'm thankful my daughter doesn't have to wear the brown, plaid polyester pants my dad had gotten for me. I started to think about some of the clothes I remember from my childhood. Some were my favorites, some were hideous and some were hideous and my favorites. And wasn't it funny how something that could be the greatest thing in the world could become not so cool in 6 months?! For example...One day my mom and I went into a thrift store and she bought me a dress. This dress was a red, prairie style dress with tiny yellow flowers on it. It had short, puffy sleeves and the bottom part went all the way down to my toes and I LOVED it! I got it in second grade and wore it a few times (we weren't Christians, so we never went to church or it would have been worn to death!). Well, in THIRD grade things were different. There was a new girl, Kristine, in class and I introduced myself to her and I was her first friend. She was very nice to me, but immediately was welcomed in by the popular kids (a.k.a. the ones who lived in developments and had money and wore preppy clothes). One day was class picture day and my dad suggested I wear my red dress. Umm, well, okay, I guess...since I really didn't have a huge selection and I did like the dress. I was walking in the hall the next day and came around a corner and there was Kristine with two other girls. I said hello and she looked me up and down and said, "Jennifer, WHAT are you wearing!?" I don't even remember what I said. It didn't devastate me (after the initial shock wore off, mind you), but obviously I never forgot it.

Well, then I started to think about some of the other clothes phases I went through and wondered if any of you had "clothes nightmares" you remember or favorites that you still might have or at least won't ever forget.

Okay, who had Gloria Vanderbilt jeans?

Parachute pants? (not the poofy ones, but the nylon ones with the zippers)

I had both, but they were colors no one else had because they were always the leftovers. By the time I was allowed to get any, they had been out for months and all the "normal" styles were gone -- either that or still full price.

Did you have an oxford with the collar up? I did, but it wasn't IZOD like everyone else had. And guess what? I lived through it.

Did you have the white leather Nike's with the black or red "swoosh"? No, we couldn't afford those. Still lived through that too.

Before that icky, tweenager, junior high clothing phase, I remember a few items from when I was 3 and 4yo that I won't ever forget. One was a white sweatshirt with a fairy godmother type person on it and it read "Pretty Is as Pretty Does" At 3yo, I never really understood what it meant, but I loved it. And at 4yo, my mom sewed me the greatest blue, polyester hooded zip-up jacket and the sleeves were the exact same material except with a light diamond pattern. I got an iron-on patch from the cereal box and mom actually ironed it on the left side for me and it was a Snoopy patch that said "Here comes the Great Pumpkin". Ahhh, just thinking about it and I'm a kid again in my gravel driveway on Maple Ridge Road listening to the Robins make their sound at dusk as I head inside for the night.

So, share with me some of your clothing memories! I'd love to hear them. And I won't hold it against you if you did have those Nike's or IZOD...rich kid.

Jennifer :)