Style & Swagger

We have entered a phase where the child is now very concerned with what he wears, how his hair is cut, and that he is keeping up with the rapidly changing trends of a 7-year-old boy.

Last year, in first grade, character shirts became a thing of the past and athletic clothing was all the rage.

As such, all the clothing that had Spider-Man, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Pokémon, and other characters on it were out, and Adidas, Nike, and Under Armour were in. (Thanks to Jason Momoa and Jack Black, Mine Craft is still cool.)

We gave some push-back to Mikey’s request for name brand clothing because we’re trying to keep him humble. I grew up wearing clothes from Walmart or Ames (yes, I’m that old), and didn’t own a name brand item until well into high school – when I bought it myself.

But, truth be told, we can get a lot the athletic clothing he likes at Marshalls for cheap enough. Also, I do understand the desire to wear what the other kids are dressing in, and what some of the older kids are wearing on some of the teams he plays on.

Many of those athletic shorts and shirts are worn over compression pants and long-sleeved shirts. He only recently stopped fighting us every morning before summer camp when he wants to wear full compression under his camp clothes, apparently unconcerned about heat stroke.

I drew the line one day when an Amazon package was dropped off that contained a pair of compression pants that my husband ordered for the child which, when I unfolded them, had only one leg; the other was cut off as a short.

I thought for certain there was a production mishap at the factory, as there could be no other explanation as to why one leg looked like it was bitten off by Jaws. However, my husband informed me that the single-leg compression pant is in style, so when he wears them under a pair of shorts, you only see the compression on the one side.

And the kicker is – they are more expensive than the two-legged pants.

Those immediately took a trip to UPS to be returned.

However, when it comes to Mikey’s haircut, I embraced his sudden enthusiasm to go to the barber. When he was younger we went to a children’s haircut place in Westchester that had all the bells and whistles, and paid a fortune for him to still throw a fit – but to do so while sitting in a little fire truck or airplane.

In actuality what we were paying for was the expertise of the hairdressers who are used to cutting hair on wiggly, cranky children. Our usual lady would just put him in a headlock and run the clippers over his scalp while he fussed. Seven minutes and $55 later, we walked out of there with a balloon, a lollipop, and a brand new kid.

So now when he requests to go see “Frank the Barber” down the street for a $25 haircut, we happily oblige.

Last year he started requesting specific styles, and I can only imagine it’s because one of his friends had a similar cut. Usually it’s cut close on the back and sides and a little longer on the top. He’s done a faux hawk, and even had designs shaved into the side of his head. There’s been a start, and M, and a lightning bolt, if I remember correctly.

The first time he had it done, he was a little stunned by the aftershave. We came close to having a Kevin McCallister moment, but he quickly adjusted.

At his most recent appointment, we had a different problem.

Mikey likes for me or my husband to pull up pictures on our phone of boys’ haircut styles so he can select one. Well, the one that he just fell in love with belonged to a kid with tan skin and thick, curly hair.

When we explained to Mikey that his hair won’t hold up the same way that kid’s does, he couldn’t understand. I had to tell him to run his fingers though his own father’s hair, which he did as we stood around the barber chair, and see how his hair was different. My husband is pure-blooded Italian and has thick, course hair that has been described as “ethnic” by some hairdressers.

It's been known to break clippers.

Mikey asked, “Why don’t I have hair like that?”

My husband pointed at me – and my German/Czechoslovakian/Irish hair – and replied, “Because of your mother.”

Mikey left there with a skin-fade on the lower half of his head and a spiky hair on top.

I can’t wait to see what the second grade fashion trends have in store for us. (Please note the sarcasm.)

Holly Crocco is editor of the Putnam County Times/Press and mother of a 7-year-old boy. She can be reached at editorial@putnampresstimes.com.