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Very Interesting exchange. Things differ in different parts of the country, I guess. Back in the day, All Stars were big in the Chicagoland area. They came in all colors. If my kids couldn't start off the school year in September with a new pair of All Stars, they were bummed out. Generic gym shoes were called bo-bos. After a while bo-bos were in. Keds, were called "white girl shoes" because, having nothing to prove, white girls wore them. Keds were also standard gear for cheeleaders so that embued them with a certain amount of prestiege. Also around these parts, Arabs moved in on the Jews when it came to clothing stores. They sold a lot of knockoffs, but name brands as well. Black guys were mesmerized by labels and price tags. They really got off on buying expensive clothes and shoes. These were status symbols that embellished their self-esteem. In my hey day I was, personally, never into real expensive clothes. Mainly because after I wore something a couple of times, I was done with it, so I couldn't see paying a lot of money for something that would just be hangin in my closet.. I guess you could say my wardrobe was disposable. Coats I did consider an investment. And I did have a good black dress that was my uniform for funerals. And I did have female friends who would often tease me about shopping at discount department stores but I would blow them off, always making sure to correct their grammar or word pronunciation or vocabulary, never hesitating to quote Shakespeare or some other dead poet. I honed my intellectual snob skills and after a while I started to develop my own unique style, and began to adopt the persona of a Bohemian full of scorn for superficial materialistic people. It was funny how some folks reacted to someone not impressed with their high-priced clothes. Of course these were, in a way, my defense mechanisms. If I'd been affluent I might have opted for quality over quantity. But I was never one to live above my means. I love dollar stores. And I love bargains. Now I can get by with shopping at WalMart, by reminding everyone that I'm a senior citizen on a fixed income. Yet, wonder of wonders, I love a well-dressed man. And my idea of being well-dressed, does not include bright pimp outfits. I like conservative attire, but I do think earrings are kinda cool. Am so glad, stove pipe pants and 3-button suits are making a comeback, thrilled that tab collars secured with tie pins are still around. One thing is sure. when it comes to class, you either have it or you don't. Clothes are just trappings.

LOL! I don't have any orange shoes at all. Those are a bit too much for my taste. I don't even have my ear pierced, but that comes from my mother explaining that men with their ears pierced were acknowledging their servitude in the bible. This has definitely moved away from the main topic but it's valuable dialogue all the same.