Nehru jackets, culottes, skorts,
leather vests with fringe and beads,
bellbottoms, Bermuda shorts,
swirl skirts, Op Art, heathered tweeds,
ponchos, halters, go-go boots,
headscarves like a buccaneer,
polyester leisure suits –
where are the clothes of yesteryear?
Caftans, tube tops, platform shoes,
wide lapels, huge shoulder pads,
tie-dyed tees in Day-Glo hues,
seersucker or angled plaids,
granny dresses, maxiskirts,
puffy sleeves (opaque or sheer),
peasant blouses, ruffled shirts –
where are the clothes of yesteryear?
Hiphuggers, designer jeans
(acid-washed, distressed and frayed,
ripped, embroidered by machines),
madras plaids that bleed and fade,
jumpsuits, lacy babydolls,
skirts with flounces, tier on tier,
paisley, hot pants, capes, and shawls –
where are the clothes of yesteryear?
Fashionistas, don’t ask where
old styles go when they disappear:
the young revive the odd and rare,
wearing the clothes of yesteryear.