What's Good in the Hood? (July 18, 2008)

Today's temperature in the Chi reached the low 90s and, taking advantage of my flexible work schedule, I found myself on 87th & Cottage. No, I wasn't at the Foot Locker where eh'body in the hood gets their white tees, Ones, and Jordans. No, I wasn't at the Rainbow where all the hood chicks get their flip flops, fashion belts, leggings, and low rise jeans (see T's Top Ten on fashion trends). No, I wasn't at Rothschild, one of Chi-towns few chain liquor stores. I was at Target (my fav). The same Target where I saw a women trying to return a Chrismas tree that she had CLEARLY used because it was still decorated with lights and garland. I was waiting to do a baby registry at the customer service counter, and what do I see? Booty shorts (see T's Top Ten on booty shorts). Not only do I see booty shorts, but I also very clearly see booty cheeks. The killer part is that the chick was so pregnant, I darn near saw the baby's head peaking from under her booty shorts. As I get ready to shake my head in disgust, I turn to the pregnant teenager I had accompanying me, and she too has committed a fashion faux pas - wearing jeans that were too small for her 8 month belly, and her shirt wasn't large enough to hide the very visably unbuttoned button-fly. Yes, this is the same girl who just got 2 brand new maternity outfits from me 3 days ago. Apparently, in her hood (shout out to Roseland), faux pas is wearing the same pair of pants 2 days in a row, although I was careful to give her plain black maternity pants and plain denim maternity pants so that she COULD wear them mutilple times with out being too obvious. Because I love her so dearly, I waited until we left the store (less than 5 min later because the baby registry was out of order) before I explained to her that open fly jeans in public is not acceptable. What's REALLY good in the hood?