Too Cool for School

My mother called while I was out shopping this morning and informed me that she had a question on Daniel's behalf, but he was afraid I might be too old to understand what was cool. I could hear a distressed, "Mooom!" in the background.

My brother is nine years younger than me and generally operates under the dilusion that I haven't the faintest idea what is going in the teenage world. I wasn't cool as a teenager and I'm certainly not cool now, but that's an entirely different thing than being able to pick out cool for someone else.

A few months ago my mother and I went clothes shopping and she informed my brother he was getting new shirts. "Don't buy brown or red!" is my brother's eternal cry. He looks wonderful in both colors, but hates them. "Oh, you're getting brown and red shirts," I inform him, "Green ones too - army green."
When we got home I made him try them on and he stared at himself in the mirror, "I - I do look good in brown!"

Today's dillema was the dreaded semi-casual event. They're calling it a homecoming, but it isn't exactly.
My mother felt my brother should weary kacky pants and my brother wanted to wear nice jeans.

Back when I was a highschool freshman the only thing guys wore were light kacky pants. I'm fairly certain that this is why my brother thought I would side with my mom - but tan kacky's are not dressy anymore, they're actually kinda trashy.

I voted for kacky pants with big, flat pockets in dark green or brown, with top stiching if possible. Or nice jeans - stiffer denim, not loose.

My mother is baffled, but my little brother cries out, "Melody, you're amazing! You're amazing!"
They'll have to go shopping of course, because my brother doesn't own any of those things, but I went online and found them some good examples from nearby stores.

Akward social situation averted. I think I may have just made the world a better place. For my little brother at any rate.