on cloud 1999

i've often been told that i have an old soul. at times, this judgment is meted out kindly, with a generous smile and approving glance. more often, it's asserted as a pithy quip, eyes twinkling with harmless mockery. even my parents chuckle at my reluctance to leave voicemail and wonder where i picked up an ardent affinity for the andrews sisters and peggy lee. i'm fully aware of the peculiarity of my situation - where does a girl born in 1988 get off thinking that it's "unnatural" to talk to machines, anyway? - but i've learned to embrace it, despite the general confusion of my peers.

i scoff at the experiences of those younger than me like a grumpy old-timer, illogically convinced that they could never compare to the years i've lived through. my only acknowledgment of an era that could possibly rival mine are the ones that came before it, probably even more idyllic in reality than my projected images of them, crystallized in my mind's eye. in true retiree form, i'm constantly marveling at just how quickly the years have gone by - for me, the y2k crisis seems like it happened just yesterday. while the eighties-inspired looks on the runway delight me, the ones remniscient of the nineties disorient me - do we really have enough temporal distance from the decade to revisit it already?

still, i figure as long as it's here, i might as well revel in it. ten years ago, i was ten, finishing out the fifth grade, and creatively stifled by a boring school uniform. naturally, this was the bane of my sartorial existence, but i reveled in the rare dress down days when we could show off our non-regulation wardrobe. i'd corner my mom and force her to pore over my top choices from the delia's catalog, nagging a commitment out of her to buy me at least two pieces. it was the best of times, and while i'd be hard pressed to recapture the fun innocence of that time, delia's has managed to remain relevant, even to my older and wiser reincarnation. yeah, i said it - delia's is still pretty cool.

i promise i'm not on one of my usual misguided nostalgia trips. before spring break, i was desperately searching for an inexpensive one-piece swimsuit and failing at it when i checked out the delia's website on a whim. not only were they stocked, the options were actually viable. i decided on a simple black strapless suit, which i plan on wearing with hot pants, wedges, and a loose frilly button down for a iris from taxi driver-type vibe when the temperatures hit swelter status in the coming months. the other options were equally enticing - i loved the rugby stripes collection, but deferred in the end because i couldn't tell if the yellow was matched with navy stripes (cool, nautical vibe) or black (trite, punky, vibe).

of course, at least part of the thrill has gone missing over the years, with plenty of pieces best left to precocious high schoolers and aspring tweens. the bulk of my grown-up wishlist is focused on their shoes, with the bass loafers poised to be one my next purchases. the multiple and constant sales, plus the twenty-five dollars towards my next purchase i received with my swimsuit also keep me coming back. call me crazy, but if we can resurrect neon bike shorts and crop tops from my childhood, then i'm reserving my right to start shopping at delia's again.

fun fact: on this day in 1999, the number one song on total request live was 'n sync's 'i drive myself crazy.'

[photo credits: plan 59, delia's, google image search]