Ok, yesterday was downright wierd.

My costume was basically 80's chick. I had it all planned out the day before. It would be so detailed. The first hint that something was a bit off was how little I actually had to buy to make myself authentic. I wore reebok hi-tops with baggy socks. I did have to buy the socks. I wore a denim knee lenght skirt (already had it). I had a hot pink shirt with a rhinestone heart in the center. The shirt actually had three-quarter length sleeves, but I rolled them up. I put a belt over the shirt. I cut the arms off of a denim jacket that I never wear and covered the front of it in buttons (again, already had these). I wore every bracelet I have, and I did buy some of those rubber bangle bracelets (I want to say we use to call them gumis or something) that frighteningly seem to be making quite a comeback. I wore giant hoop earings. These were authentically purchased in the 80's at a wonderful store called Canary and Elephant, which I don't think exists anymore. I did buy a can of aqua net, and ratted up my hair, winged out the temples, gave myself fright bangs, and crimped some of it. It was very much a time warp effect. In fact, I cataloged the differences between 1980s Chasha and 2003 Chasha.

-Then I was a lot thinner. Also had somewhat smaller ta-tas.

-Then I had braces.

-Now there are a few more lines around my eyes.

-My hair is now professionally highlighted with three different colors. Then it was Sun-In'd.

-Then I was usually too lazy to fix the hair for school, but I did do this to myself when I went out.

And that's the thing. I looked in the mirror and found it funny. I then realized that I really use to do this and think it was cool. That's a bit scary.

It got worse when I got to school. I can get that a lot of the kids wouldn't quite get it- they were infants in the 80's. The aide I wrote about the other day thought I was a cowgirl. But he also thinks Satan is everywhere, so what-ever (or should I say gag me?). A couple thought punk rocker, which was closer to the right page. I got "the chick from that video" which I'm assuming is in the ballpark. Somebody else asked if the 80's was poodle skirts.

The thing is, when I was in high school I would have been able to distinguish eras of clothing. Granted I learned 50's style from watching Grease and Happy Days and the like, but these kids all know the John Hughes flicks and they all watch 80s re-runs.

I think we were just more aware that not everyone was like us.

And we were creative. Half the costumes I saw at school were those pre-packaged Halloween Superstore costumes. I've used those places to gather bits and pieces of costumes. But a lot of those were not even altered. Is imagination a lost art?

-CRbE