bobby socks to stockings

At the grocery store we also get what the business calls, HBA stuff. I've never asked what that means exactly but it is the non grocery things. Things like medicines and cleaning products. I was unpacking some of this material yesterday when I noticed it was cards full of bobby pins. Now I never had girls of my own but I know what bobby pins are. I didn't know whether the girls today even used those things anymore. My wife tells me my granddaughter does. At any rate, as I was holding those pins I said to a co worker they reminded me of an old song. I sang ( sorta ) when a girl goes from bobby socks to stockings. The manager of the store, a lady of my generation, laughed and remarked she remembered that song well. The cashier, a girl much younger, asked, " what are bobby socks ? " We both laughed and I told her you wore them with your saddle shoes and poodle skirt. Needless to say that explanation didn't explain a thing. Chuckling the manager says, I wonder if they still make stockings ? After a little discussion it was decided that panty hose and knee highs had more of less replaced real stockings. They could be had at specialty shops.
This conversation led to a little bit of reminiscing. The idea that a girl went from bobby sox to stockings implied she had grown up. She was now a woman and dressed like a woman. That was in the time when the girls wore skirts and dresses. Only the most progressive, or the very rebellious, would be seen in slacks or jeans. I remember as a young guy all the ladies wore a dress. My mother had what she called a house dress and would change out of that to another dress when leaving the house. At some point Mom did start wearing slacks. Very progressive and I remember Grandma not thinking much about that. Now I see the moms in the store wearing yoga pants ! Scandalous. In my day Moms were a bit more,shall we say demure, and not quite so, um, provocative.
There was an older lady that used to shop at my store. I haven't seen her in a while and hope that she is well. She always came well dressed and her hair coiffed. Coiffed is the only way I can describe her hair. She wore one of those pill box hats with the netting on it, neatly pinned and placed just right. A long dress, stockings and shoes with short block like heels. With her long overcoat and gloves she struck quite a sight of elegance. The last of a generation. A real lady.
I do wonder just what style the ladies of today will be adopting in years to come. When reaching into your sixties and beyond I do not think Yoga pants,high heeled boots and clingy materials are going to work for them. Skinny jeans may not present the most appealing of pictures. Sorry about that, just sayin'. Just like I think long hair on an old guy looks pretty ridiculous. Bald on top and long gray strands on the side. Muscle shirts and tight jeans don't work so well either. So it is not just a gender thing. It is just that there was a time when we grew up and adopted the style of being grown up. Stockings for the ladies and perhaps suits for the guys. Time and style change. The current trend of tattoos, body piercings, and clothing choices should make for interesting sights at the rest home in years to come. I would say, rock on, but I don't think the kids are rockin' anymore. I'm not sure what they are doing. The current generation doesn't seem to have a theme, if that is a description of what we did. Last thing I heard about was being " Goth " but I don't think that caught on. Is there a time when they go from yoga pants to dress slacks ? From tee shirts to blouses ? I do think adjustments are going to have to be made. Call it growing up or just being practical. We all have to do both at some point.