Flip-flops as formal wear?!

They did the unimaginable: proudly wore flip-flops to the White House.

Four women from… They did the unimaginable: proudly wore flip-flops to the White House.

Four women from Northwestern University’s champion women’s lacrosse team were pictured standing next to the President dressed in what most refer to as typical “beach shoes.”

In today’s society, there seems to be two types of flip-flops: the cute, beaded thong shoe that is either flat or has a kitten heel, and the plastic flip-flop — usually in bright colors — that is rarely worn with cocktail dresses in formal settings.

Or to meet the President.

Apparently, the lacrosse team didn’t wear the latter of the two — one of the young ladies was quoted in saying she didn’t wear the cheap kind; they were brown and had sequins — but the team’s choice of casual footwear still triggered a controversy filled with rage similar to a settler who feels violated when a clothed person steps into his nudist colony.

It seems as if women have developed this outlandish belief that flip-flops are the standard summer shoe that can be worn virtually anywhere. Whether it’s the coastline or a conservative convention, flip-flops have become customary.

Granted, the ladies wore nice dresses and shirts, but don’t shoes matter just as much as blouses and skirts — even if they’re decked with bells and whistles? You wouldn’t wear rugged Timberlands to church, and I’m positive you wouldn’t wear slippers to an interview.

Thus, meeting the President at one of the most formal settings in the world does not necessitate flip-flops.

As it stands, our generation forces elders to go back to an archaic theory: Young people take fashion trends to the extreme and don’t have reverence for political leaders.

Could this theory be true?

Think about it: Whatever happened to the idea of being respectable in front of elders? Gone. How about the thought of being completely formal from head to toe? Gone. And what about looking presentable without wanting to put comfort first? Gone, gone, gone.

But, in all honestly, people can’t really blame Generation Y for radical ideals when we live in a time when Oval Office sex scandals are everyone’s business. How can anyone take White House dealings seriously?

I doubt the lacrosse team plotted to embarrass themselves and their families; they were just trying to be comfortable. After all, they are young, athletic women. We should be pleased they wore dresses and not shorts and white tank tops. And at least their toes were freshly pedicured — we can’t even say that for some of the non-athletic, girly types.

The predictable end to this debate: Generation Y will alter the attire for formal occasions. This transition can be easily achieved because the only people who were truly insulted about the situation were older, Baby Boomer folks. And we know how they can be — some even leave their house without wearing pantyhose. Sigh.

So, wearing flip-flops may have been a fashion faux pas, but Northwestern University’s “come as you are” approach to formal settings could be the new way of expressing formality.

All I can say is, had it been me — a proud member of Generation Y — I may have been tempted to dress a little comfortably, too. After all, it’s just the White House.