The flip-flop flub
(For once, I'm doing something like this in a timely fashion.)
I first heard about this story while watching the morning news: Some members of the Northwestern women's lacrosse team wore flip-flops on a visit to the White House, and they were photographed, piggies and all, with the President. It was also in the Chicago Tribune today. (Note--after today you'll probably need to register to read the article.) The players' families were aghast--the headline of the story, a quote from a player's brother, reads, "You wore flip-flops to the White House?!"
I am with them. Flip-flops are not White House footwear.
Personally, I hate flip-flops. If they were banned from the earth, I would not shed a tear. And I am with the people polled by the Trib who voted against wearing flip-flops while meeting the President. (With 8600 votes, the unscientific poll registered 26.3%, or 2262 responses, for them being appropriate; 73.3%, or 6338 responses, were against.)
I am amazed at how casual our society has become. I don't care what you look like when you're in your house, but have a little class in public. If you're not at the beach, don't wear flip-flops. I don't care how cute your pedicure is, people don't want to see your feet. And that thwap, thwap, thwap is obnoxious. I am lucky that my current job tends to frown upon open-toed shoes, as dropping heavy books on uncovered tootsies tends to lead to broken toes. I did, however, have a coworker at the music store about five years ago who discovered flip-flops and began wearing them every time she worked. This was before they got as big as they are now. She was someone who tended to dress very nicely, but she was also in high school. Youth leads to interesting fashion choices. She could easily have been one of those girls at the White House thinking it was perfectly okay to wear flip-flops. If you've looked at the picture, you can see that some of the girls are wearing tasteful sandals. Those look perfectly fine. But flip-flops, regardless of how nice and/or expensive their sellers purport them to be, still look far too casual.
If it has a chance of easily flying off your foot, it is too casual.
If there is no back to it, and the only thing holding it onto your foot is a small strap that goes between your toes, it is too casual.
If it horrifies your mother, it is far too casual.
Saying that "everyone else is doing it" only shows that you are a lemming. (One girl gave that explanation to her mother. I'm sure the mother replied with something about all the other lacrosse players jumping off a cliff.) And, clearly, everyone else was *not* doing it. Those players' families taught them how to dress properly for special occasions.
I am so old-school about clothing for formal occasions. No, really. I'll tell you this right now--I want a small wedding. And part of that reason is because I fear guests coming to my wedding in black dresses or flip-flops. (I am anal-retentive enough that I just might stop my own wedding ceremony and ask you to leave if you were to wear something like that. But I suppose that's what ushers are for.) Weddings are not funerals. They are happy occasions. Wear something colorful. And flip-flops do not belong in a church. Yes, Jesus wore sandals in his day, but that was before God invented the high heel. While Jesus won't say anything, I'm sure he's pretty tired of washing people's feet. Wearing proper footwear tends to prevent that from happening.
(Yes, okay, if it wasn't already established before those last sentences, I am going to hell. Who's coming with?)
So, anyway, the morals of this ramble:
Flip-flops: Bad.
Flip-flops at the White House: Very bad.
My wedding: Very tiny.
Jesus: Hates washing feet.
Please, feel free to weigh in on this topic. Speak now, or forever cover your feet.
I first heard about this story while watching the morning news: Some members of the Northwestern women's lacrosse team wore flip-flops on a visit to the White House, and they were photographed, piggies and all, with the President. It was also in the Chicago Tribune today. (Note--after today you'll probably need to register to read the article.) The players' families were aghast--the headline of the story, a quote from a player's brother, reads, "You wore flip-flops to the White House?!"
I am with them. Flip-flops are not White House footwear.
Personally, I hate flip-flops. If they were banned from the earth, I would not shed a tear. And I am with the people polled by the Trib who voted against wearing flip-flops while meeting the President. (With 8600 votes, the unscientific poll registered 26.3%, or 2262 responses, for them being appropriate; 73.3%, or 6338 responses, were against.)
I am amazed at how casual our society has become. I don't care what you look like when you're in your house, but have a little class in public. If you're not at the beach, don't wear flip-flops. I don't care how cute your pedicure is, people don't want to see your feet. And that thwap, thwap, thwap is obnoxious. I am lucky that my current job tends to frown upon open-toed shoes, as dropping heavy books on uncovered tootsies tends to lead to broken toes. I did, however, have a coworker at the music store about five years ago who discovered flip-flops and began wearing them every time she worked. This was before they got as big as they are now. She was someone who tended to dress very nicely, but she was also in high school. Youth leads to interesting fashion choices. She could easily have been one of those girls at the White House thinking it was perfectly okay to wear flip-flops. If you've looked at the picture, you can see that some of the girls are wearing tasteful sandals. Those look perfectly fine. But flip-flops, regardless of how nice and/or expensive their sellers purport them to be, still look far too casual.
If it has a chance of easily flying off your foot, it is too casual.
If there is no back to it, and the only thing holding it onto your foot is a small strap that goes between your toes, it is too casual.
If it horrifies your mother, it is far too casual.
Saying that "everyone else is doing it" only shows that you are a lemming. (One girl gave that explanation to her mother. I'm sure the mother replied with something about all the other lacrosse players jumping off a cliff.) And, clearly, everyone else was *not* doing it. Those players' families taught them how to dress properly for special occasions.
I am so old-school about clothing for formal occasions. No, really. I'll tell you this right now--I want a small wedding. And part of that reason is because I fear guests coming to my wedding in black dresses or flip-flops. (I am anal-retentive enough that I just might stop my own wedding ceremony and ask you to leave if you were to wear something like that. But I suppose that's what ushers are for.) Weddings are not funerals. They are happy occasions. Wear something colorful. And flip-flops do not belong in a church. Yes, Jesus wore sandals in his day, but that was before God invented the high heel. While Jesus won't say anything, I'm sure he's pretty tired of washing people's feet. Wearing proper footwear tends to prevent that from happening.
(Yes, okay, if it wasn't already established before those last sentences, I am going to hell. Who's coming with?)
So, anyway, the morals of this ramble:
Flip-flops: Bad.
Flip-flops at the White House: Very bad.
My wedding: Very tiny.
Jesus: Hates washing feet.
Please, feel free to weigh in on this topic. Speak now, or forever cover your feet.