"Hmm, I want to check out some jeans, straight-leg style!"
Straight-leg pants have been enduringly popular, never going out of style.
Bootcut, bell-bottom, and skinny styles have all had their moments, but they've either vanished or failed to become mainstream.
"Sure, right this way!"
The salesgirl led Su Zelin to a section of the store, filled with straight-leg jeans, with dozens of styles to choose from.
Su Zelin glanced briefly, his eyes landing on one pair, which he picked up casually.
"There's some elasticity, good drape, and decent breathability. It's probably a spandex-cotton blend, with about thirty percent spandex content!"
"Indigo dye gives it a bright and vivid look, with a slight red tint, and the pocket fabric shows no significant color transfer!"
"The texture is delicate, high thread count!"
"..."
Before the salesgirl could introduce the jeans, Su Zelin was already describing them like an expert, leaving the girl stunned, as some of the terminology was beyond her knowledge.
She had run into an expert!
But this young guy still looked like just a high schooler. How could he know so much...
Su Zelin was immediately taken with this pair of jeans. The girl quickly went to the storage area to find the right size, checking the wash label on the way.
Spandex content: thirty-one percent; Cotton content: sixty-nine percent.
Impressive!
Su Zelin tried them on and nodded in satisfaction at his reflection in the mirror.
This was more like the look of a stylish guy; the previous style was such a mess!
His figure was perfect for clothing, as long as the size was right, he could effortlessly pull off anything that wasn't too bizarre.
Wearing these straight-leg jeans, he looked sharp and, crucially, felt comfortable.
Pure polyester fiber clothing is elastic, soft, and has good drape, and its colors are vivid and not prone to fading. However, it is neither breathable nor sweat-absorbent, and not very skin-friendly. Pure cotton clothing is exactly the opposite: it breathes, absorbs sweat, is skin-friendly, but lacks elasticity, drape, and tends to fade, so adding a certain ratio of polyester fiber to the cotton blend is the best material choice.
There's also the consideration of craftsmanship, such as the thread count, which directly affects the skin texture and comfort level.
Leaving the Jack Jones store with two pairs of jeans, back in those days the spending was low, just over a hundred yuan was spent, compared to the twenty-three yuan market stall goods, Jack Jones in 2000 was considered a light luxury.
Continuing to browse other brand stores, he picked up a set of hip-hop style wide-leg shorts and a loose T-shirt, a set of island academy style, and a tracksuit, draining most of the cash in his pockets.
Carrying several big shopping bags, Su Zelin left the brand street and headed straight to a hair salon.
Alongside his old clothes, he was also dissatisfied with his hairstyle.
The heavy long hair parted at two-eight or three-seven might not have been non-mainstream, in Xiangjiang it was even currently a classic trend, as seen on Lin Zhiying, King Guo, Gu Tsai, and Xie Tingfeng. However, Su Zelin, a man from the future who traveled back ten years, still found it insufficiently refreshing, especially as summer was unbearably hot.
This was one of the most well-known hair salons in the small town, a bit pricey but offering many avant-garde cuts, like Hong Kong-style, Taiwan-style, or even Europe and America style, thus Su Zelin chose it.
Upon entering, he directly requested the director, describing in person what he wanted—a layered cut resembling the male lead Ke Zhendong from the movie "You Are the Apple of My Eye", not too long, not too short, just right, with the vigor of youth, and with a little mousse styling, it could make him look a bit more mature.
The director's skills were decent, and at least Su Zelin was quite satisfied with the result.
With the image makeover complete, it was nearing noon, and he leisurely pedaled home on his bicycle.
He stopped by a convenience store at the entrance of the alley.
After spending half the morning shopping and under the scorching sun, Su Zelin's throat was parched.
"So hot! Uncle Chen, give me a Polar Bear soda!"
Uncle Chen had run this convenience store for many years and was an old neighbor. Since childhood, Su Zelin was accustomed to buying snacks and drinks here.
"Alright, one Polar Bear soda coming up!"
Uncle Chen quickly took a soda with a polar bear logo from the fridge and handed it to him, examining him for a moment before smiling, "Wow, Zelin has become quite the handsome young man!"
Su Zelin couldn't bear his old alternative clothing style for another moment, so he changed into his new outfit from the brand street right then and there. Along with the short layered haircut, he looked refreshed.
"Uncle Chen, what are you saying? Are you implying I wasn't handsome before?"
Su Zelin protested.
Uncle Chen chuckled.
Although Su Zelin always had a good face, his previous fashion sense was quite appalling. Only this thick-skinned kid wasn't afraid of criticism; even Uncle Chen's son had experimented with a similar style before his wedding but relented after being scolded a couple of times.
He shook the bottle a few times and opened the cap; the orange soda fizzed and splashed out, which Su Zelin quickly guzzled.
Refreshing and invigorating!
Ah, that's better!
Sitting by the doorway sipping his soda, Su Zelin also took a look at the convenience store's offerings.
Though small, it had everything needed, selling a variety of daily goods.
But Su Zelin's main interest was snacks.
Maltesers, Monkey King pellets, lard candy, fig threads, whistle candy, popping candy...
That's right, back then popping candy was still something you ate. Even boys ate it.
"Uncle Chen, give me two packs of plum powder!"
Feeling nostalgic, Su Zelin responded.
"Such a big guy now, and still eating plum powder!"
Despite his words, Uncle Chen took out two packs of plum powder.
Su Zelin first fiddled with the small packets through the packaging for a while before eagerly biting it open.
Inside the heap of dark red powder, he found a small flat plastic spoon, with Sha Monk's likeness carved into the handle.