FashBlog.com

By Christina VanGinkel

It has happened. In talking with my son about what he needs clothes wise for the upcoming school year, I do not even recognize half the names he is bandying about. I have always considered myself pretty in tune with what is stylish and what is not. I may not always be precisely right, but close. So, when he said he would like an Element bag, along with a pair of Bam shoes, I know I must have just looked a bit weird. My brain was running through the lists it has stored of brand names, and while I think I recognized the Element part, the only thing I could come up with for a comparison to the Bam part was a vision of the old favorite Flintstones kid, Bam Bam. Thing is, I was almost as sure that was not what or who he was talking about!

The Element bag ended up being easy. We found one locally at a store we frequent for his clothes regularly. A backpack, it has a nice assortment of pockets, and is made to hold a skateboard. While he will most likely not use the skateboard feature, it is perfect sized for jamming in a locker, and I really liked how well it was padded.

As to the Bam shoes, a search online did point me in the direction I needed. I found a pair of Bam Margera shoes by Adio, decorated in a mock snakeskin. That they were a skateboard shoe was the only thing not a surprise. Even though my son is not big into skateboarding, he loves all the clothes and accessories that go with the sport, that is why the Element bag. When I asked him why, his answer was simple. They are comfortable. When he tried on a pair of Van shoes this past week, which we bought (He needs two pairs of shoes for school, hence our continued shopping!), I told him he should tie the laces to make sure they fit. The look he gave me said it all, but he did explain. You do not tie skateboard shoes. The tongues are so thick that they stay on. You just ties knots on the end of each lace so that they do not pull through.

If some of you parents are wondering why I give in to my son about clothes, and do not just buy what I want, the answer is quite simple. I have learned through my two older children to pick my battles. Clothing and hair are two factors I do not deem worthy of a battle. If my child wants to dress in oversized clothes, and paint his hair blue (While not blue now, it has been blue, green, even rainbow colored at times in the past!), who am I to worry about it. His grades average at an A consistently; he is polite 99.9% of the time, (with the other 0.1% of the time being sent to his room because he is overtired), and he is respectful to both his father and myself. A good kid is what I am getting at. Hair and clothes are just a way for him to express his individuality from us old folks at home.

So when he suggested that his second pair of shoes be a pair of Bam Margera shoes, I just nodded and started to hum the tune to the Flintstones.