Constantly
Staying in Style
“Do
I look like Victor Vacation?” That is the big question that I’ve
asked my wife a hundred times, regardless of the season, climate, or
our vacation location. It has popped up on every trip we’ve taken
to Ocean City, Maryland and the East Coast, to San Francisco,
California and the West Coast, and everywhere in between.
You
have all seen Victor Vacation or one of his many relatives before,
especially when you travel. He stands out more than a white-hooded
KKK member attending Mass at the Vatican.
His
attire usually involves a nice dress shirt, casual cargo shorts (with
at least 14 pockets), and some kind of open-toe sandals or
flip-flops. At times he sports some out-of-date sunglasses, and he
might wear a cap or visor, too. However, the dead giveaway to
identifying him as Victor Vacation are his black dress socks, worn to
a height of just below the knee, with the toes of the socks stretched
to the breaking point within the sandals.
Above: Mr. Vacation with the "dress sock" look.
Mr.
Style for a while
Constantly
conscious of style through my entire teaching career, I never wanted
to look like him. But now that I’m retired, I’m amazed at how
I’ve changed regarding style.
After
returning home from a church service on a Sunday a number of years
ago, I changed from my dress pants into a pair of baggy but
comfortable shorts. I didn’t change the shirt, nor did I take off
my black dress socks. I was ready for an afternoon of relaxation.
Then the doorbell rang.
I
immediately ran to the door, as the others in the house usually
scattered when they realized that an unannounced visitor was on our
front porch. I accepted some religious brochure from the visitor and
wished him well, and I turned back to head into the living room. It
was then, that I looked down at my attire just as my wife asked, “Do
you realize how you are dressed?”
I
replied, “Yes, I do, but I no longer care.” To that, my daughter
proclaimed, “Maybe you should, Dad, maybe you should.” That’s
when it hit me… this once-stylish, color-matching professional had
transformed into Victor Vacation; and what was even more remarkable,
I had no regrets about it, either.
The
stone-wash era, long passed
During
the same time period (estimating it was in the 2000 to 2003 era), I
stopped for a fill-up at a local CoGo’s gas station. I was
returning home from mowing the grass and doing some maintenance at a
small cabin I owned along Yellow Creek.
I was wearing old work clothes, and went in to pay the attendant (Samantha Faron, a former student) before I pumped the gasoline. I noticed her undeniable smile as I talked to her. She was focused on my jeans, and as she questioned the apparent age of the slacks, her smile gradually turned into a giggle.
“Quite
the stylish jeans, Mr. Potchak,” she stated.
When
I asked her to explain, she reminded me that the jeans were black in
color, stonewashed, and had pleats, all of which had been in style a
number of years prior. Her comments made me roar out loud. I informed
Sam that my wife had also commented on my attire before I left the
house. Once again, I didn’t care. But maybe I should have. In any
event, I was sadly becoming quite oblivious to my out-of-style
appearance.
Matching
jeans and a sweatshirt
A
few years ago, when my daughter and son-in-law visited, they couldn’t
help but remark sarcastically about the pale-colored blue jeans I was
sporting or the over 30-year-old sweatshirt I matched with the jeans.
The jeans were not worn or washed to a new light shade of blue. That
was their original color.
Again,
I laughed but really didn’t care. I was becoming comfortable in my
own skin, so to speak, but even more comfy in my own old styles. I
still have the sweatshirt and pants and wear them occasionally, but
only around the house. My wife forbids me to put them on and be seen
in public.
Styles
go round and round
Shortly
after the Top Gun movie hit the theaters in May of 1986, my wife
purchased a very nice pair of aviator sunglasses for me for Father’s
Day. I wore those Tom Cruise “Maverick” specs everywhere I went.
With my ball cap brim curved downward like a horseshoe, I was Mr.
Cool, fitting right in with the fashion crowd. Heck, brimming with
confidence, I expected Kelly McGillis to call me sometime and perhaps
treat me to dinner and a drink.
Above: The aviator specs in Top Gun.
Time flew by, and when I sported those same sunglasses two summers ago, my daughter and son-in-law remarked again, “Nice sunglasses, Dad.”
I
immediately took it as a sarcastic comment from them, as those specs
were 30 years old to the day. But this time they were trying to give
me a compliment. Apparently, unbeknownst to Victor Vacation, the
style had returned and I was once again a part of the in-crowd.
They
knew fully well that they were not new sunglasses. I didn’t need
to elaborate that the aviators were the very same set purchased 30
years earlier. I was just proud that I kept them that long and that
they were still in semi-good condition.
Well,
under closer inspection, the frames of the glasses do show some wear
and the lenses are scratched and marked, but that doesn’t matter.
In fact, I proudly admit that I still have all the items mentioned in
this story, and I’m not about to toss them away anytime soon. But,
as my daughter Kelly said 15 years ago, maybe I should – yes, maybe
I should.
In
the meantime, I’m pleased to report that I am still constantly
staying in style. And I intend to legally change my name this
summer to Victor Vacation.