Hip

I, am not hip.
This is something I have known for quite some time, but the fact was thrown into harsh light this past weekend when I went shopping for new clothing. I recently got a new job as a graphic designer. This job does not allow for shorts and flip flops in the summer which I have been accustomed to for the past 4 years of summer employment. So after a couple months on the new job it became apparent I didn't have a wide selection of officewear. I remedied this problem this weekend by expanding said lackluster wardrobe, but in doing so, I found that,well, I am just not hip enough to pull off most of the the current fashion trends, not to mention free enough with my funds to buy into these current fads.
I've found that there are basically 3 types of stores out there for the modern trend setter/follower:


1) the "I have a trust fund and dress like it" store

2) the "my daddy has a trust fund and I want to dress like a surfer bum for the rest of my workless/nonsense filled days" store

3)And, the "I want to be a punk/goth but don't have the guts do anything but hang out in the mall." store


From these options putting together a wardrobe presentable in the office yet unique enough for an artist's penchant for uniqueness is not only challenging but almost impossible to do on a budget. Why can't we get a store that says, "Hey I'm unique but all I have is a struggling checking account" or maybe "hey I have a sense of humor, but I'm no football player/surfer" I would even settle for a store that carries pants that aren't stained ripped or weirdly altered in one way or another and a shirt that doesn't look like it was picked out of someone's laundry hamper and put on a hanger.
Just to allay any fears that I will be walking around the office in clothes that were in fashion 10 years ago, I did find clothes that fit my "modern, but not hip enough" sensibilities. Also found were 3 exceptional CDs and Two thoroughly entertaining books.
In the music category I found citizen Cope "The Clarence Greenwood Recordings", Bright Eyes "I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning", and Shawn McDonald " Live in Seattle. All of these I would highly recommend. Citezen Cope's music can be found in one of Santana's collaborations on his "Shaman" CD and on the new Pontiac commercial. Bright Eyes is a bit like Dashboard Confessional but in more of a folky stream of things. Impressive music and very well written lyrics. Shawn Mcdonald is just a great mellow acoustic experience.
As to books I picked up "Searching for God knows what." by Donald Miller and "Batman: The Long Halloween." by Jeff Loeb and Time Sale. Both good reads depending on your tastes but on most different wavelengths of literature.
Well I'm sure there are loads more I could say about my "shopping spree" about the hordes of people crowding into the mall, or the walking "mannequins" that are always willing to help you find the right piece of clothing. Actually I will talk about this...
Do you remember when Mall employees were just pimply teenagers or older people who couldn't get a real job? Now it seems they are hiring models to sell they're products, well at least in the clothing stores, everything else is still the acne laden or employment desperate. These Walking Mannequins who behind their welcoming smiles and helpful attitude is the personality of an actual mannequin....Its actually a bit of creepy that today's culture is producing a whole generation of mannequins. (Amberzombies anyone?)
The best employee sighting on this trip was this guy in Hollister bending over folding shirts in the guys section. He was leaning due to him being like 6'6' and I thought if his muscles bulged out any more his shirt was going to rip... Most definitely not your normal mall employee....It just seemed so out of place, and I just wanted to point and laugh to my fellow customers, but well that's not polite, and in all reality the guy could have probably rendered me limb from limb....I don't know, now that I write it out, it doesn't sound so absurd but this dude was just huge....Possibly the Missing Link judging from his stature and low furrowed brow, I think the folding procedures at Hollister may have been causing him some undue stress....Ok I am now officially done ranting....For the moment.

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