I’m not sure why I’m thinking about fashion and music this morning but “I think it has something to do with the way that I fill out my skin-tight blue jeans! Oh….Lord it’s hard to be humble!” No, that’s not what I’m really thinking. I’m thinking about the show I had at home over the holidays where a random guy from my old high-school caught me during the break and said “Aymar, why do I see pictures of you on stage wearing black cowboy boots, a black shirt, and black jeans? I’ve seen you wearing a collared shirt, a suit jacket and tie on stage? What’s that all about man? There’s already one Kristofferson and why would you want to wear a f’n collared shirt if you’re a folk singer? I would have thought then that the freedom of being a folk singer was so that you never had to wear a tie or fancy boots ever again? I only remember you with a t-shirt and jeans and sneakers! Why not just dress the way you dress. You’re a folk singer. Who gives a shit?”
As God is my witness, I couldn’t remember who this guy was. Really. He was from my high-school and either looked so much different that I didn’t recognize him OR he was never really on my radar to begin with. I was obviously on his. (Come to think of it, I wonder how many people’s radar’s I’m not on?). But as these situations call for thinking on the fly I responded with “Huh…you’re right!” Nice. Quick thinking Aymar.
And he WAS right! I’ve been asking myself his question ever since. I only ever wore t-shirts, blue jeans and sneakers. Usually t-shirts that were given to me from my older brothers or ones that mom brought home from parts unknown. My favourite one read “Life’s a beach, then you die!” Wow…so heavy. The shoes were always white Adidas. As my Uncle Brendy told me (and I trusted him because he ran the best sporting goods store in the country – The Duke of Windsor – still going) that ADIDAS stands for “All day I dream about sex!” I was ten when he told me that and he was forever my God. Then his wife, Aunt Dot chimed in “Brendy – that’s not true. It stands for ‘All day I dream about sports!” Years later I came to realize they were both lying. I bought my runners there every year until Brendy convinced me to buy Tennis shoes called Stan Smith’s. They were great. Then they disappeared. It was back to ADIDAS.
The blue jeans were always Levis. For a while it was Howwick Painter Pants and Jordache Jeans but they were always for the ‘too cool’ rich kids (or smart, hard working kids who held down two paper routes at once). I remember the year I didn’t get any cool Levi’s handed down to me and I had to walk around grade 9 with Brand-X jeans. Yeah…that’s what they were called “BRAND-X” right there on the label above my boney ass. Dark blue denim…they came with a sticker that you slapped on your forehead that read “Hi girls…don’t ever give me a chance.” I’d walk down the hallway muttering: “All day I dream about sex” and then go play some sports.
Funny that this random guy remembered the jean jacket. It was a hand-me-down and this girl from St. Joe’s Island painted Neil Yonge’s Harvest album cover on the back of it. That was my favourite album in grade 9 and I loved that jacket. My mom thought it looked ratty and donated it to the Sally Ann. I’m still waiting to see some random sixty year old wearing that jacket in Moncton, or Vancouver someday.
So, thanks random guy from high school for reminding me that I never used to care about what I wore. My favourite line about fashion is from that song from Midnight Cowboy – “I’m going down to where the weather suits my clothes!”
So today I’ll take that money I made the other night and buy some white Adidas sneakers instead of that painting. I’m going to wear them everywhere from now on. I’m washing my old Levi’s and t-shirts. I’m never wearing anything else ever again.
I hope she’s cool with my hard lined fashion stance at that wedding next weekend.
JAY AYMAR 
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