Recently, I bought $150.00 worth of pajamas at Target. Most people my age would say, "why spend money on pajamas when you can sleep in an old t-shirt you got from high school?" Well, per usual, I am not like most people; these pajamas were much too special for me to pass up, being that they are covered in old-school Care Bears, My Little Ponies and that ever classic Barbie logo. When I got home I sprawled them all over my bed just to admire them. A rush of childhood memories came back to me-simpler times and innocent giggles filled my head.
For so long I have heard snide comments about my Disney purses and the fact that I am 24 years old so why wear socks patterned with Sesame Street characters. To those comments and judgments, I say who cares. Age is but a number and I have never been one to conform to normal standards of dress. I wear my childhood memories on my sleeve, literally.
Our culture has made adult women feel like they have to grow up so fast. More and more women, especially young girls, are shown wearing clothes making them look 13 going on 30. It blows my mind when I see a middle school aged person stare at me then laugh and point because they find it so weird for an adult woman to be carrying a purse shaped as Snow Whites face. I feel a twinge of sadness whenever this occurs. It makes me wonder how many of these teens think they can not be themselves because our society has shown examples of teens where once they turn 13 it is all neutral toned clothes and simplistic accessories.
For the record, I do not care if I am mocked or teased or thought strange of because I enjoy to wear and display clothes and items that are largely associated with children. To those people I say, have you seen Coach's incredibly classy and high-end purses with Mickey Mouse ears coming out from the top? So many high end designers and brands want to be associated with the mouse himself or a popular toy from the 90's.
I am brave enough and bold enough to show off my love for childhood nostalgia. Now please excuse me while I watch reruns of Rugrats in my Toy Story sweats.
