Fashion puzzlement

Recently, there were two fashion risks that completely baffled me.

Firstly, short shorts (or hot pants) at work Christmas party. I was at a friend's work Christmas party last weekend and I noticed two young ladies (in their early 20's) donning hot pants at the event. I could understand wearing hot pants to an MTV award event but work Christmas party? (Well, I guess it's ok if you were playing the role of an elf at the party but trust me there were no dressed up Santa or Elves at the party).

Secondly, skinny young Asian (by Asian I mean Oriental and by Oriental I mean Mandarin speaking) guys carrying designer ladies tote bags. I was pretty sure they weren't carrying their girlfriends purses because there weren't any girls accompanying them. Yes, I understand that the tote bag can be highly functional and also serves as a status symbol (since they were designers') but they are meant for ladies - no masculine qualities to these purses at all.

I am baffled by these fashion risks taken - or maybe I am just jealous of those who have fab legs to carry off short shorts and and also those who splurges on extravagant designer purses.