A simple task – hanging a jacket by that little loop on the inside of the collar – sent my mind down memory lane to a red corduroy loop I once had in a scrapbook. It had special significance in the eighth grade if a girl had one from the back of a shirt of a favored fella. We called them fruit loops.
The Urban Dictionary describes the fruit loop perfectly then adds that the purpose of the loop had never been determined. That meant continued searching. The Original GarnetGlitter, apparently a go-to gal affiliated with Yahoo, affirmed its significance to kids in the 50’s and 60’s and offered several options about its purpose. Most sensible to me was that a guy could hang the tie he wore with that shirt through the loop when he put the shirt on a hanger, thereby resting assured he would have it pronto the next time he wore it. That was back in the day when boys wore ties regularly, and everything ‘matched’ perfectly: headbands matched the color of an outfit; shoes matched belts and/or purses; hats matched coats and ties matched shirts.
Am I ever dating myself here! Then I had an A-HA moment. I read recently that if a female wants to dress to reflect a youthful spirit, she shouldn’t worry so much about the matchy-matchy aspect. That is a dead give-away to the era of one’s raising, I guess. Earrings and necklaces don’t have to come from the same set. Mixing clothing patterns in the same outfit can be okay sometimes, too.(GASP) .
Purses must not have to match with anything, either, based on trends in handbags. What would one wear to complement correctly those original creations of color, design and bling?
That is why my one trendy bag adds color, design and bling to my bedroom decor as it hangs from the reading chair.. Not sure I want to go out in public in an outfit that would ‘go’ with it, even if it isn’t matchy-matchy. Anyway, carrying it wouldn’t camouflage the fact that I am an ABB – that’s my term for ‘aging baby boomer‘ that I so cringe at hearing. I can’t yet mix patterns on purpose and leave the house, either.
Not sure that wearing earrings and necklaces from different sets is the reason for the spring in my step, but it’s a safe rebellion from my early years of conformity to the few fashion facts I knew.
Anyway, a bounce in my step and a smile are all I really need to reflect my gratitude for being an ABB for one more glorious year, and change that to Amazing Baby Boomers!
PS. The favored fella who wore that red corduroy shirt my fruit loop came from? His name was Dan.
