So, am I cool?

I have been baffled by the whole concept of cool. When I first had the idea for this blog, I must have been feeling pretty hip, pretty happening; but now, a few months down the track, I wonder if I would know cool if it hit me in the face. This is not an invitation for those cool people out there to actually hit me in the face, by the by.

So I thought I would ask around. But who to ask? My friends are all too lovely and would tell me that I am, in fact, very cool and give me reasons etc etc, but it is not the same as asking someone who would tell me the truth no matter how much it hurt. So I asked Friend #1, who instantly said that of course I am cool, but there are various notions of what that means. He stated that to a surfing, tattooed, mud-wrestling hippie - I may be the epitome of boring. But, to another full time mum, part time teacher with a deep desire to be cool, I may rate higher on the cool scale. He also said that I need to define the difference between style and cool - it was then that my brain started hurting and I asked him to please pass the salt.

I asked my sisters. Who else could really know me and have a historical point of view of who I truly ruly am? I sent each of them a text simply asking if I was cool and would explain why I needed to know at a later date (I am too chicken to mention my blog to them....) Sister #2 did not reply - and the reasons for this could be two fold; 1) She thought my question was stupid, or, 2) She had been eaten my her neighbour's feral children. Sister #1 replied as bluntly as expected and said that no, I am not cool, but more along the lines of cute and quirky.

Herein lies the conundrum. I have been working my whole life at being cute and quirky, because I think that these are cool qualities. So I can only surmise that cool is individual. Of course there are some universally cool things out there and also some things that are anti-cool (see previously posted lists), but I believe it basically comes down to individualism and how this is portrayed.

One of my friends, who I believe is cool, collects things, not Snoopy McDonalds toys, but fine China and black t-shirts - I think this need to collect is cool. Another friend, who I believe to be cool, will wear the same Ben Sherman t-shirt until it is thread bare and then buy a brand new t-shirt - I think this thriftiness and sense of style is very cool. Another friend again, is obsessed with craft: she scraps, she sews, she cooks AND she writes two blogs - passion is cool.

Therefore coolness is acting out your personality not dependent on trends or fashion, but simply on a core sense of being true to one's self. This is my quest - and coolness is my Holy Grail.... Should I mention here that Monty Python rates below moulding fruit on my cool scale?

Never Cool

These are the things that I think are not and never will be cool (mark my words)

1) Snot
2) Smoking
3) Kids who swear
4) Bad Breath
5) Badly fitting jeans
6) Mono-brows
7) French Toilets
8) Creeping Underwear
9) Telemarketers
10) Cellulite

Always Cool

I am really into making lists. I list everything; the jobs I do in a day (I will go back through my diary to add things I have done, just so that I can put a neat little tick beside each one), shopping lists, holiday job lists etc etc etc. So, given my passion for lists, I thought I would, over the life of this blog, compile some lists of things I think are timelessly cool.

Endlessly Cool Fashion Items - Gals

1) Almost anything on sale...
2) Jeans - don't worry about brand or price, go for what is flattering - if you can find this at K-mart - bless your cotton socks - I cannot...
3) Esprit - classic cuts, cute t-shirts and the best jeans for my rounded bottom
4) Converse - classic sneakers, great with jeans and a hoodie
5) Op Shop items - can be one off amazing things
6) Flat patent black shoes - even better with buttons or buckles, worn with jeans, trousers, dresses and skirts - very cute!
7) Scarves - I have a fav scarf bought in London, but am going to explore different types of scarves as part of my look
8) Tights - make the legs look longer and I feel give my butt a nice little lift if wearing a straight-ish skirt
9) Cute t-shirts - choose quirky designs or added bits like buttons or screen print, great with denim skirt and Havianas for a summer afternoon in a park
10) Trench Coat - mine is Ben Sherman - just had to add that, trenches are a great midseason item as well as being able to be worn over cute argyle vests or sweaters. Or team with items 2,4,6 and 7 for a cute outfit for the school run...