A Leather Jacket should hug your shoulders,
Not Slouch off them!
My teen finished his senior project and then immediately started a three-week internship working at an auto import shop. His plan was to finish his internship hours in two weeks instead of three so he could use the third week of the internship to work on the Bug and improve Chicago’s economy by spending some of his birthday money.
The internship was a big success. He worked on lots of foreign cars and enjoyed the privilege of test driving a number of them. Cross the Mini Cooper off your list. They cost a fortune to work on because of their mini size. When the owner of the shop asked him if he could speak Spanish and he said that he could not, the owner then asked him if he could pretend to speak Spanish. No problemo, since he has pretended in Spanish class at school for years. At the end of the second week, they invited him back to work a couple days a week over the summer. This is good news since they will let him use the shop to keep his Audi in tip-top shape.
This week has included working on the Bug, shopping trips to outlet shopping malls, thrift stores, and malls. One of the purchases on Cole’s list was a leather jacket. We found what he was looking for about 40 miles from home. However, he went back and forth, wavering between a medium and a large. I’ve learned in moments like this to simple agree with the choices he makes. Medium looks great; small looks great; sleeves are long enough on both. The sales person, however, had very strong opinions and pushed him towards the medium, which he ended up buying. I had a feeling.
We returned home, Cole went to his room to try on his jacket again, and I headed to the couch with a little coke and a book. Moments later, Cole was standing in front of me with his computer, showing me GQ’s web site. The proper fit for a leather jacket is very snug. No slouch. NO GAPS!! My feeling became reality. As we shop, so shall we return. Fortunately, the return could take place closer to home the next day. But no. These things cannot be put off. Hi-ho, back to the mall we go again. The ride to the mall was tense. It was impossible to know if they had the right coat in the right size over the phone. Good Lord, we lamented why the first salesperson hadn’t take the time to research how a leather jacket should fit. Had she never googled GQ? We decided to send her the web link so others would never have to face our angst. Ok, I know a leather jacket that slouched instead of snugged is not a world problem; this problem only exists for the over privileged, over indulged, middle class American youth who have no idea how rough the real world is. But I did remind God that we had packed up a box of coats and delivered them to the park district on a day that dipped below zero. I digress. Is the suspense killing you? Alright, I won’t keep you in limbo one word longer. We achieved shopping victory! They had the coat in the right size. Amen. Happy days were here again.
Cole Happily Juggling in leather coat that is snug. See no slouch. . .
On the ride home, our sprits much improved, Cole informed me that the auto shop he had interned at always had country music on the radio. He then went on to share that he thought he might have phonographic ears because he could memorize the lyrics to most songs after hearing them only once or twice. Who knew? I asked him to please share, and he started to loudly sing the country song I’ll Hold On by Dierks Bentley—badly but accurately.
Looking over at my kid wearing his new floral shirt (leather jacket tossed in the back seat) and shades, with his wild hair, grinning as he belted out country and western tunes captured with his phonographic ears, I thought the nut does not fall far from the tree, but I wonder who he gets his phonographic ears from.
Odd Loves Company
Good to know that my leather jacket is not tight but stylishly snug. Sounds like you two have enjoyed your week.
Yep. Stylishly snug is very in!
This sounds like shopping with Domer. Only since he majored in Finance, one would need to factor in PRICE. He seems to know instinctively what something is worth, never mind what the store says, and refuses to budge with a penny more. Even if Mom is willing to help pay for it!! Oh, and that return-thing? Yep, been there done that, too!
Well at least we don’t have price to worry about. How sad that I am breathing a sigh of relief. Cole researches what he wants and we shop until he finds it and then sometimes he finds what he researched in reality is not all that cool. So we shop some more. Shoes have always been the worst. I think he is filing a discrimination lawsuit against the shoe industry next week. In general men shoes offer too little of a selection compared to the acres of women shoes AND size 13 shoes are hard to find in the styles he likes.
Thank heaven the leather coat issue has been resolved. He looks very stylish in it too.
He reminds me of you, remember the exact boots you wanted? What were they called again?
TTFN
MJ
I was nothing like this kid when it comes to clothes and shoes. He is impossible. They were called Fry boots. A very specific style of boot. Hard to find the right ones, is all.
All this shopping talk makes my head spin!
Ok..we are planning a trip through Frank Lloyd Wrights studio just for you! We won’t even stop at the souvenir shop!!
Aww fun post Katybeth! Yep snug fit looks good. Whew! We almost bought a Mini glad we came to our senses. Felt like my butt was dragging the ground but dang they are cute!
The Mini are cute. Unfortunately I guess they are mess to work not all that reliable. But cute counts even if my Son doesn’t buy it. Hates it when I call the Bug cute.
My son doesn’t much care about clothes yet and I am going to stop wishing that he did. My daughter is enough of a pain. I’m glad the leather coat worked out and I am sure Cole’s phonographic ears will take him far.