What (Not) to Wear

Its a sure sign that you're getting old when you don't like what all the "kids" are wearing. As many of my friends know the last few years I have been ranting about the trend of women intentionally letting their bra straps show. You know - like wearing a bra with a "spaghetti" strap "top". It just looks low class. I guess that is on the wane now, but I have a different problem now.

I have been riding a Scooter for about three years now and a bike for most of my life. I always wear a helmet (unless I give it to my passenger- and that hasn't been a lot). The law in PA was changed a few years ago and it is now legal to ride a scooter or motorcycle without a helmet. I really didn't know the motorcycle riders lobby was so powerfull to get such a law passed. Maybe they could work on Universal Healthcare too, because now they're really going to need it. Almost anyone who has ridden a motorcycle for any length of time will be happy you tell you about a horrible accident they had. (I've been extremly lucky- and moderately carefull) Most of them would be dead without a helmet. Most motorcycle / scooter crashes happen when a car doesn't see you or is distracted. I don't trust the "cagers" enough to leave my fate up to them as they talk on their cell phones and smoke a cigarette and eat while driving. So I wear a helmet - I wouldn't think not to. Pete and I were sitting last friday night having a beer at the Society Hill Hotel at 3rd & Chestnut. Its a great place to people watch and we also must have counted at least seven scooters go by (many Kymco's like mine) - only one person was wearing a helmet.
Hey listen - if you're riding a scooter you're probably not too much of a badass- even I realize that. Scooter riders don't have the same rep as Motorcyclists. You can look cool wearing a helmet- you are supposed to be hip and trendy - not stupid.

Helmets look especially good with sunglasses - but not the kind I've been seeing women wear latlely. Yes, here it comes my new pet peeve. Philadelphia is always a few years behind the fashion trends, so it is only in the last few months that I have been seeing women wear those ridiculous oversized bug eyed sunglasses. I remember seeing pictures of Nicole Richie wearing them a lot a few years ago. Please don't copy Nicole Richies' fashion sense. What does she do anyway - she's famous for being ex-friends with that other girl who never did anything and for being the daughter of a guy who used to sing. So those big sunglasses have got to go. It is one of the few fashion trends I can remember that doesn't look good on anyone (like all clothing in the decade of the 1970's). Women of Philadelphia and elsewhere - resist the temptation to be trendy and get some sunglasses that truly look good on you. And make sure your bra straps aren't showing.