Cool or Just Immature?

A trend has swept the nation, or perhaps just college campuses. Things that were wicked cool when we were...oh say ages six through twelve, have come back in full force (at least for girls, that is). For some unexplicable reason (though we shall try to explicate the phenomenon) things such as leggings, Hello Kitty, high ponytails, princesses, and novelty jewelry are all extremely "cool."

Though this could be an examination of what is cool (a lengthy scrutiny that many real theorists have done before), we will instead look at the specific trends themselves.

Leggings. We wore them as children (maybe not with such a risque top). I definitely owned quite a few pairs of leggings for all occasions as a kid. But now they've made a comeback. Everywhere you look girls are wearing them. With a teeshirt, with a fancy top to go out in, with an oxford, etc. I myself have worn them with an oversized sweater or flannel shirt, but why? Is it the whole 80's revival that is taking over our fashion sense? Will we look back another 20 years from now and say, "What the fuck were we thinking?" I think we will. The amount of spandex that is deemed cool to wear in our everyday lives is absurd. And of course now it is completely acceptable, even admired, to own everything American Apparel sells, but I do believe that someday when we're looking back at our glory day photos, we'll be having some WTF moments too. Perhaps much of the coolness is in its irony. Do we actually think we look good in these absurdly bright and tight clothes? Maybe, maybe not. Maybe we all have great sense of humors and are just having fun...

Hello Kitty/Disney Princess/Other Infantile Games & Toys. Parties of these themes are frequently had and always enjoyed, especially by the girls dressing up for them. Do we simply miss our childhood? Is this a way for us to make up for our gone by youth?