Lookin Shnazzy....

You know that old saying, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks"?

Well, it turns out, it isn't true.

In this scenario, my dad is the old dog and the new trick is any sense of fashion - what.so.ever.

No offense, dad.

This is what I had to work with....


The shirt isn't so bad - if you are at Buffalo Wild Wings with five of your best buddies throwing down some hot wings and soda on Game Day. But anywhere else? Completely unacceptable.

The jeans are the Sam's Club Special (probably from 1998), and those are his "nice pair."

The shoes, although intended by the manufacturer for gardening and such, have become a staple in his casual wear attire.

It became a personal mission of mine to bring this man into the twenty-first century world of fashion.

Dad, I would like to introduce you to a proper shopping experience...

It is a world full of dressing rooms and sales attendants. The clothes are on hangers and the floors have carpet.

My dad was quite the trooper. He tried on BKE shoes, Affliction shirts, and I even got him to try on some Big Star jeans. This wasn't just a step up, this was a catapult into a new galaxy.

It is amazing what some nice clothes can do for ya. I swear, he looks twenty years younger.

Although it is not evident in this picture, my mom was very supportive of this whole experience. She came right along with us, and gave her two cents on how his backside looked in the jeans. An aspect that was clearly outside my jurisdiction. At the very moment of this picture, she swears she was laughing at something the sales attendant said.

And although Ellie Kate looks a little concerned about her Poppy and his new-found style, she was honestly, probably more concerned about her snack that had just fallen on the ground.

And here if living proof of a job well done - his brand new jeans sitting on the counter of his kitchen.

I honestly, can't believe he bought a pair - Dad, I have never been more proud of a man and his metamorphosis over a 24 hours period. You're lookin shnazzy.