I have never been one much on fad or fashion. I suspect a great deal of that came from the simple fact when I was growing up, we couldn’t afford fad or fashion. Now we had enough, more than enough most times, but as children we weren’t given everything based on popularity. No, mom and dad pretty much decided on your fashion choices unless you had the cash to buy your own. Even then, that fashion choice might get overruled so it was best to choose wisely. There would be no refunds, no changing their mind on that.

My parents were of a conservative nature, being the working class folks that they were. We were also born and raised in New England and embraced that stoic attitude and practical sense lifestyle associated with that. Generally speaking we repaired what we had, calling that making do. If you couldn’t build it yourself or buy it second hand the odds of you getting that went way down. That usually included the latest fad and fashions.

So here I am 73 years later and I’m still not much on fad or fashion. Today I just say, I’m too old for that stuff. Fads are for the young, a sort of experiment in my eyes. Generally speaking they aren’t of a lasting nature. In the last decade or so I’d say tattoos have risen in popularity as a fashion statement. They are, in my estimation, of a more permanent nature and sooner or later will need defending. Well, I was young will be the excuse for those choices. Nose rings are on the rise but they can be removed.

I’m not without some desire to be fashionable, if not currently. I’ve always liked a good hat and have worn many styles of them. Perhaps that stemmed from my father, he always wore a hat. I never saw him wear a ball cap however, the last style he wore would have been those bucket hats, in wild colors, that were popular in the 1980’s. He did have a fedora, it was kept in a hat box in his closet and only worn for special occasions. It was lost over the years and I sure wish I had that hat, but it is just a fond memory.

I just ordered myself a new fedora style hat for the summer months. It’s a cotton fedora with a 2 inch brim. Very stylish. Am I making a statement? No, I don’t think so, just wearing a hat is all. Something practical. Is that in style? Don’t know and don’t care. I would have bet wearing your ball cap backwards would have gone out of style by now, but I still see that a lot. Looks dumb to me. My two sons were never much on fad or fashion either. I raised them to be of a strong independent nature. That’s how I see that, not subject to the whims and fancy of fad or fashion. It has served them well.