Where have all the belts gone?

A group of talented young people were gathered together recently in Nevada. I was waiting for our great grandchild to be ready to come home so I passed the time by watching the group. They were both boys and girls and their ages ranged from middle school to high school ages. Some were tall and skinny. Some were tall, but verged on becoming too heavy. The short ones varied from being very small and wiry to being a little on the chubby size. It was just a cross-section of typical middle-western youth. None were too heavy or too thin.

The public schools here in Nevada do not have a uniform, but from looking at this group you could imagine that they do. Each was wearing blue jeans and a sweatshirt touting some University. Their footwear went from the new sneakers with rollers on the bottom to clog-like open-heeled shoes.

The thing that caught my eye the most was the similarity in their actions.

About every two minutes or so each of them would yank at their blue jeans to pull them up a bit. It never seemed to make any difference in their looks because it wasn't long until they would again give another tug on their jeans. Some of the girls would accompany this gesture with a tug down on the sweatshirt.

It didn't appear that any of them were aiming for the Brittany Spears look of the bare midriff. They were making these clothing adjustments because not a one of them was wearing a belt. A belt could have provided the tightness to keep the pants from sliding down. It could also have held the pants in place so that the movements of the sweatshirt top wouldn't cause a draft at the tummy.

I was not allowed to wear jeans in public when I was that age, so I couldn't compare myself to these modern youth. But I do know that when I was their age I would have been mortified if any of my undergarments became exposed. A bra strap showing at the neck, or dropping below the short sleeve on my arm would be enough to make me want to avoid the public for days. Letting the top of my underpants show would have done me in for a year!

Today, it doesn't seem to be modesty that causes the pants tugging reaction as much as comfort. Jeans that don't remain snug can cause a bulkiness that is uncomfortable. Some boys especially who are aiming for the below the waist look appear to have their hip pockets at the back of their knees.

That certainly doesn't look comfortable to me. The tops of their boxer shorts that show above the jeans waist is not an unfortunate fashion mishap, but a planned part of their wardrobe.

It made me think back to the cute little training pants that the boys could proudly show when they graduated from diapers. I also remember in the Shirley Temple movies how short her fancy dresses were. Often the lace-trimmed panties were visible also.

So maybe the trend today is a natural, more grown up follow-up from those earlier years when we chose attractive undergarments for our children.

I'm not sure I want to live long enough to see what the next step on that evolution might be.

I'll remain middle age plus, exposing only street clothes, if I can find a belt that still fits me.