While re-watching The Cosby Show 15 years later, what I find most interesting is not that Cliff’s eye-rolling, rabbit-nosed antics still prompt a laugh, not that the Huxtable family’s social and political values appear progressive in the Obama age, and not that I’m still as intensely attracted to Denise as I was when I was twelve. What’s really crazy is how the neon, tight-jeaned, baggy-sweatered outfits the Cosby kids wear wouldn’t look odd on the barista who serves me espresso every morning. That’s right daddy-o, the Cosby kids are scene.
In Season Three, Theo starts rocking this three-quarter length cardigan, bright red with yellow and black geometric shaped patches; it’s totally outta sight. Vanessa looks like a bus stop ad for American Apparel, complete with matching leg warmers and headband. And, Denise’s sunglasses of choice are something Drake would wear for an URB Magazine shoot (Are you picturing them together? I am, and I’m getting jealous).
I suppose I shouldn’t find this all that surprising. Trends are regularly regurgitated onto runways and into schoolyards on about a twenty-year cycle. I remember when bell-bottoms came up for air in the murky late 90s. And it didn’t seem weird then, it just seemed the right time to bring-it-back-round. There are however, some fashion ideas that are entirely original, though I would describe them as anything but fresh…
There is absolutely no excuse, no reason, no job, no activity, no religious duty, no cultural viewpoint, no philosophical argument, no kind of hypnosis or brainwashing, no sickness and no handicap that could possibly justify you wearing Nike Shox with jeans. Don’t fucking do it, it looks terrible. Low-level drug dealers and suburban douche bags – the two are certainly not mutually exclusive – think that because it’s cool to wear sneakers with jeans, and because Shox are the most expensive sneakers you can find at Nike Town, that those have gotta be the coolest possible shoes they could buy to go with their True Religions. Shox are hideous to begin with, but we put up with them because they’re pretty good for sports n’ shit and, well, because Nike tells us to. With jeans not only are they redundant, but they look like high heels for astronauts. Space Lego chicks wear Shox.
In retrospect, it suddenly occurred to me in what parallel universe the fashion faux pas in question might be acceptable. That is, the universe in which Denise wears Nike Shox with jeans and is madly in love with me.
– A. Vice
Denise WAS the greatest. You’re preachin’ to the choir on that one sir!
scene = an emo self-descriptor. only an emo would say scene.