Dear Editor:
Yesterday, I journeyed to the newly remodeled Oakridge Mall to
see the movie Cold Mountain.
Dear Editor:
Yesterday, I journeyed to the newly remodeled Oakridge Mall to see the movie Cold Mountain.
Now that in itself is no cause for great fanfare. But what is unusual is that it marks the first time I have been to a shopping mall of any kind in a number of years. Living in paradise out here in the canyon on Redwood Retreat Road creates an atmosphere of serenity that makes one forget about taking other adventures.
But while I was there, I started thinking about the changes that has occurred in these malls from my last foray into the world of retail marketing. There’s always a lot to see in one of these places, not the least of which are the other people who are also looking to see what’s for sale.
Judging from my cursory look at the demographics of passing shoppers, I would say the median average age was in the low twenties, mostly non-Caucasian, probably more females than males, most were dressed predominantly in dark or black clothing, and none that I saw were carrying shopping bags that would indicate they were actually buying anything.
The dress trend for the young women is clearly toward exposed mid-riffs with pants positioned well below the normal curve in their hips and the whole assemblage appear to defy the basic laws of gravity. This garb really doesn’t reveal much except the unusually large number of girls who have already started developing a spare tire around their waistline. This is another one of those styling fads that look good only if everything else is perfect.
The few guys in the crowd continue to look just as sloppy as they did the last time I was in one of these places. Most looked like a combination of Charlie Chaplin and Mortimer Snerd, all dressed in baggy pants with seats that appear to have been just vacated by a family of pigs. There were a few dressed in leather and chains that appeared to be aspiring young gang members. Notably absent were the camouflaged Army regalia of a few years back. I guess that is out of vogue these days after “W” came up empty-handed in Iraq.
I saw a lot of rings; not the ones worn on their fingers, but those rings adorning holes punched in practically every piece of skin that can be accessed from two sides. That one limitation seems to be the only thing keeping some of these kids from resembling a pin cushion.
But I think the biggest surprise was the newest attire that was on display. Everything from the spike heeled foot apparel and the bright pink, and chartreuse colored clothing and accessories is straight out of the late 50’s. This should be good news for the podiatrists if those spike heels catch on again as there will be a whole generation of young women in need of such services.
I did observe one other change from my last trip to the mall. It’s hardly worth mentioning, but it seems the mannequins, at least those displaying women’s apparel, are more anatomically correct than they were on my last trip.
I can only guess what will happen if John Ashcroft gets wind of this subversive attempt to taint our youth with public graphical representations of the human anatomy. At a very minimum, I would guess he would propose legislation placing strict limits on cup size, and mandatory use of undergarments to mask even more controversial areas.
The trip to Oakridge Mall was exciting, but not something I would want to do more than once every few years. If one goes more often than that, it makes everything seem normal and causes major shifts in trends to go unnoticed.
Wayne Simmons, Gilroy
Submitted Saturday, Feb. 21 to ed****@****ic.com
