Clothes Make the Man

I have a theory (ok, l have way more than one ‘theory’ but I am talking about one in particular here) about children and clothing. At some point between the ages of 7 and 12 they will have a piece of clothing that becomes their very favorite and they want to wear it ALL.THE.TIME.

I call it the Red Sweatpants Principle.

In all fairness and in the interest of full disclosure I became an example of the RSP in 8th grade. My article of clothing was a sweatshirt from The Limited with the Forenza Bear on it. (Yes I tried to Google a picture for reference, no I could not find one *SIGH*). I wore that sweatshirt (which started out white but turned a grayish color from multiple washings and wearings) every week.

One week I wore it twice and a rather mean spirited classmate called me out on it in front of the entire English class. I never wore it again and at that moment developed a neurosis about clothing and the frequency that it is worn.

As a grown up I can literally go an entire month and not wear the same piece of clothing twice.

I have joked for years that someday the MP would find his Red Sweatpants and I would need to be ready. I expected I had a few years yet but like all things about the Lovey Mud Puddle, he was one step ahead of me.

He revealed his (first) RSP item last night:
His Cross Country t-shirt.

Someone told him it was good luck to wear it to bed, so he did.
He wears it to school tomorrow for Spirit Day and then on his race day this weekend.
He tried to wear it to school today over the clothes I had picked out for him and I calmly tried to explain to him why that was not a good idea.

After some argument back and forth I finally said “Do you want people to call you the stinky kid??” with visions of my Forenza Bear dancing in my head. Mocking me. I think he sensed my underlying issues and gave in. Or he was just tired of fighting, either way, I won and he took the shirt off.

Something tells me this is not my last run in with the RSP but I am ready: You love a shirt that much I will buy you two (see $70 sweatshirt purchase for my OUTRAGEOUS clothing budget) and make sure no one calls you out on it.