You may not know this, but penguins take birthdays pretty seriously – so it’s no suprise that my friend decided to spend his 30th at the classy and prestigious Mulligans Family Fun Center.  You need to get past how ridiculous the choice of this location for a 30 year old man may be, and quickly GO TO THE WEBSITE  www.mulligantorrance.com.  The fun center had a theme song professionally written and recorded for their website and it is amazing!!  Though that unnecessary expenditure could have something to do with why only 50% of the arcade games were in working condition.

To the point… the place was in Torrance, CA – quite an ethnically diverse area in comparison to my Antarctican roots.  Since the average age of park-goers was 12, I was surrounded by Torrance groms all day… and I was really impressed with their fashion sense.

Fashion @ the Family Fun Center

I apologize for the picture quality (my camera was apparently on a setting called ‘crap photos’), but look at these kids!  Maybe 11-14 and they’re turning on the style charm like it’s nobody’s business.  First off, both of these guys clearly believe in the ‘fashion first – comfort second’ philosophy because it was 95º in Torrance and I was in a tank top and shorts.  The guy on the left changed an otherwise standard jeans and v-neck outfit into a small statement, with a grandpa style, printed cardigan in brown and tan.  That said, I think the fact that he had chosen a v-neck shirt alone made an impression on me.  The plain white v-neck which was once saved for older men to wear under a suit or to mow the lawn on weekends is now on the back of this kid, matched with baggy jeans and skate shoes.  The kid on the right is maybe 11 or 12 and he was outstanding.  Discretion didn’t allow me to get a full body shot, but you should know that the v-neck (again), sweater, reflective angled aviator shades, and New Era hat you see… are paired with black skinny jeans and a pair of brown loafers that you don’t see.  I was jealous of this child’s wardrobe.  What’s more, he looked so natural – not like when Will Smith shows up to an awards show having dressed his boys in the exact same outfit as him.  No, this kid looks like this on a daily basis and he wears it with confidence.

I believe we all start out creative geniuses, and over time that imaginative spirit is stifled as we learn about and perceive  boundaries and limitations.  So it’s no shock that these young people are expressing themselves stylistically, even if they are looking to their elders for influence — I just wonder how long it is until I’m buying clothes off the shelves that were the brainchild of a 12 year old designer.