I was in the 8th grade when my mom came home from her Friday self-care day. She got her hair fixed every Friday at Crews-Beggs, which was the classic four story department store in downtown Pueblo. If you have ever watched the movie ‘Christmas Story’, the setting for the visit to Santa is its twin. Each floor of the business provided Pueblo with the finest opportunities of retail delight. There was no such thing as Walmart. Mom presented me with two pair of corduroy Levis. One pair was a nice tan and the other was powder blue. She said, “The sales lady at Crews-Beggs told me that all of the kids in California were wearing these”.
Well, the next day I put on the tan pants and headed off to Heaton Junior High with my first—ever attempt at being a fashion trend setter. I don’t remember exactly where we had gathered, but I do very much remember a peer (who will remain nameless) bursting out with this—“Corduroys, you are wearing corduroys. What a weirdo. Where did you find those”? The circle that soon surrounded me with Mr. Cool, humiliated me. It might have been the longest day of my life as I became an ongoing spectacle.
When I got home, the conversation with my mom could be summed up with “You have ruined my life, Mom”. The cords went in a bottom drawer. The next day I had to face the gauntlet of teen cruelty. It wasn’t two weeks later that the school began to be invaded with the appearance of Cord Levis.
I did not ever see one pair of the powder blue variety, so for whatever reason I found the courage and I pulled out the powder blue pants and wore them to school. I was prepared for the ridicule that might flow from a particular “friend”—who still remains nameless (but anyone who went to school with me would surely guess). Sure enough, when he saw the powder blue cords, he began his name calling. It did not last long. The intervention came from none other than two ninth grade girls, who were considered to be the top of whatever was ‘cool’. “Those jeans are amazing!!! Where did you get them? That color is the best”. I answered, “I got them at Crews—Beggs”. I never mentioned that my mom was the shopper.
The next week after my mom’s Friday outing she gave me a Crews—Beggs report. “I went to the men’s department and the sales lady who sold me the cords, told me they can’t keep them in supply. Then she said that all a sudden, lots of kids were asking for powder blue”.
By the time I got to East High the uniform of the day was a Madras shirt, cord Levis, and Converse Allstars. One of my great joys was watching Mr. Big Mouth wearing his own pair, while knowing that he knew he was not the first one to set the style trend he was sporting.
My next journey into fashion trend setting was when I bought my powder blue “Roll-Later” 60 years later. It’s getting rave reviews—tomorrow it goes to the Bronco game with me.
Onward and Upward,
Mark
Lyfting Me Up 