A few years ago, I wrote about the “cool-to-be-cold” syndrome that befalls the younger set when the frigid cold sets in the Midwest. What is this phenomenon? Where did it start? Who started it? Fads start bereft of common sense or drummed-in advice from elders about consequences of such odd ideals and yet, they persist.

In light of the fact that we have had a pretty mild winter, until the recent below zero temperatures, I haven’t thought much about the attire of kids and twentysomethings around here. But after this cold snap we’ve been in, I am consistently amazed, amused and incredulous at the lack of season-appropriate clothing I have seen in the past few weeks.

In case you don’t have an adolescent-aged child, or a teen, maybe you haven’t noticed that regular old socks have been replaced with what I called peds or tennis socks. Now kids just wear these sport-type foot coverings as their socks, no matter the season.

They are “in” and everybody is wearing them. Unbeknownst to me, my youngest son has even worn those white footie things with dress pants to an orchestra concert. From the audience, I saw the stark white material peaking below the pant cuffs. He wore them with black dress shoes. It looked weird.

Outerwear, or the lack of it, is the real deal for kids though. The reason I wrote a column a few years ago was because of a Wheaton-Warrenville South High School student I would see each morning waiting for the bus. My oldest son also waited at the same bus stop, which was visible from our kitchen window. This high school kid waited for the bus during the entire winter, no matter how cold, without ever wearing a coat. He always wore jeans and a short-sleeved T-shirt. That’s right, all winter long, and no coat. Don’t even think about asking if he wore a hat, gloves or scarf. If you’re that cool to nix wearing a coat, you’re certainly not going to don a jaunty cap or neck scarf. I just didn’t get it at all. What does it prove? Are you manlier and more masculine if you shun the outerwear that is proven and manufactured to keep you warm? Is it an anti-establishment message to “the man” that you cannot be controlled or cajoled into following the norm for seeking warmth outdoors in the winter?

One particular morning, it was brutally cold. I’m talking minus 25 with the wind chill — just windy and unbearably cold. I thought surely this child would have a hoodie on or a long-sleeved T-shirt this time. Maybe even a coat? As I prepared lunches and poured orange juice, I was thinking that he would be covered up that day, as I shivered in the early morning in a house that was not quite up to the 68-degree warmth I craved.

Guess what? When my son left the house and joined the group at the bus stop, I peered out and Mr. I-Never-Wear-A-Coat was coatless again, in his regular outfit.
This time, I did witness his, how shall I say it? His discomfort? He was kind of hopping around a bit, shifting his weight from foot to foot and quite honestly, was probably agonizingly cold, because of all days, the bus was late. Yep. It usually was right on time, exactly 6:32 a.m. each day, but here it was 6:35 a.m. and no bus. Then I saw it.

He was retreating. He actually was walking away to probably break into a run, to get back home. And then, the bus arrived. He ran back and boarded the bus.

So, here we are several years later and with some kids, it’s the norm to leave the house with a light hoodie on, no gloves, no hat and, for some, no coat. I am still perplexed as always as to why they do it. They can’t be comfortable, but yet they pretend everything is fine. It could be a spring day for all they care.

Don’t even bother to ask a kid because they will invariably say, “I’m not cold.” From Hubble or Wheaton-Warrenville South to Wheaton North and all the other schools in between, it’s some type of fashion statement and survival of the coolest, I guess. It doesn’t matter that research shows that exposure to extreme cold can lead to pneumonia. Clothes and styles are seasonless now, with flip-flops out all yearlong and coats sometimes an afterthought or meaningless accessory when it’s 10 degrees. I think I’ll just keep wearing my coat and be totally, seriously uncool. Keep warm!