At the mall recently I took note of a gaggle of Generation Y girls in the food court. They were so in style. Low slung Capris. Platform shoes. You know the look.

Been-there-done-that, I said to myself. Yeah, Barb, but that was a few-plus years ago. Still, hip huggers are hip huggers no matter what you call them and, young ladies, in the future you are going to have to look at snapshots of yourself wearing what you wore and I predict you’re going to emit low moans of regret. You may even tear up a few Kodak memories and deprive future generations the opportunity to laugh at your funny clothes.

Take it from me. You’re going to be about 40 something and a big bulb is going to light up over your head and you’re going to have an epiphany. You’re going to say to yourself: “I’m not going to buy anything trendy any more. I prefer traditional.”

Welcome to my world.

This advice is not for women only. Men, especially those of you over 40, I say it’s time to lose the baggy pants and spiked hair. At your age, preppy trumps gothic in every category.

Clothes, houses, boats -- I like traditional things. I look at pictures after I went traditional and I’m okay today with what I was wearing then. For me, old home styles are right in step with the new times and classically-contoured boats are things of beauty and joys forever.

Vic, also, is a traditionalist. If his deck shoes still have some wear left, he’s wearing them. If we have to dress up for some event, he will wear his uniform, still in style after many years -- a navy blazer, button down shirt, khakis. Sorry, no tie unless he’s attending a wedding or a funeral.

Being in style is a big thing for most of us but you can be trendy-stylish or traditionally-stylish. In this day and age, traditional stylishness is big. Take note of the “retro” look, popular with everything from toasters to T-birds. The experts say we find a sense of security in tradition; tradition gives us a sense of comfort and stability.

Traditional style also gives us something else – savings. In fact, what turned the traditional light bulb on for me was the sudden realization that tradition costs a whole lot less than trendy.

This is so true in our world, the world of boats. Vic and I have been in the yacht chartering business going on 20 years now. We have had trendy boats and we have had traditional boats. We’ve learned that we pay more on the front end for traditional boats but they cost us less over time because they last longer, require fewer repairs, and hold their value.

Sturdy construction and high-grade materials and accessories are the hallmarks of traditional boat building, and this is how it should be when your operating theater is the brutal marine environment. Quality counts. Quality engines, lights, gauges and every option from anchors to Avon dinghies tend to last longer and, better yet, they tend to work when you need them most, like during an emergency.

Your bonus is style. On the water and in the marina you’re still going to be in style even when your boat, like its owners, has put on some years.

Hot, new fashions might work on the runways of Paris and the hallways of every high school but they rarely stand the test of time.

So, mall walkers and all, slip on some topsiders and a blue blazer, say cheese, and make those Kodak memories really last.