When did pantyhose go out of style?

I am 10 days away from turning 50, but suddenly I feel much older.  

Yesterday, I wore a dress and tights to the college where I work with really cute shoes I had just bought.  My students were very complimentary.  One student said, “Ms. Kim, you look fly.”  I wasn’t sure what that meant, but the others agreed, and it seemed to be a compliment. So, “Yay!”

Then today I wore another dress, but I wore pantyhose instead of tights.  I could tell by my student’s faces that today, I did not look fly.  One student asked, “Ms. Kim, are you wearing pantyhose?”  Then, all of the sudden, my other students were all staring at my legs.  I felt like a freak in a circus and people were paying to see my mutant calves!  The shocked looks on their faces were saying, “OMG!”

Then I broke from my own shocked state and said, “Yes, is that a good or a bad thing?” 

I already knew what they were going to say by the smirks and giggles.  I was sure this was not a good thing.

Another student quickly spoke up and said, “Nobody wears pantyhose Ms. Kim.  If you don’t have tights, just don’t wear anything at all.  Go bare-legged.”

Huh…Really?  Even in the winter?  It was in that very moment I realized I was becoming the old woman I swore I would never be.  You know, the one who doesn’t care about fashion anymore and just puts on whatever she can pull out of a drawer when she wakes up.  Flowered blouse and hounds tooth skirt…perfect match!

Now, I have nothing against mix-matched clothing.  But, I swore to myself I would always dress with a little bit of flair and buy up-to-date clothing.  I have failed in this self-promise.

My closet is full of clothing, but very few things I have actually purchased in the last decade…or two. 

Yes, my name is Kim, and I wear clothes from the 90’s. 

I am an old clothesaholic!  I even have a sweater I bought at the Smart Shop in downtown Pikeville, KY in 1982!  It’s 32 years old…older than some of my children!  But, it still looks good…does that count for anything? 

And, many clothes do come back in style…right??  Take for instance my Gloria Vanderbilt jeans.  I saw where they are back in style, and I still own 2 original pair! 

I get it…how sad is that?

So, in light of this epiphany, and as a New Year’s resolution I might actually keep, I am getting rid of the old and bringing in the new!  (Hopefully, I can find a 12 step program to assist me with this!)  But, in the meantime….Look out Chico’s, here I come!

NOTE: I was compelled to edit this post when I opened my fortune cookie at lunch today.