During this latest move I looked at my clothes. My sad collection of Old Banana Republic Gap [the strange middle road that is the Old Navy/Gap/Banana Republic consortium]. My lame attempts at costuming myself as a designer, writer, New Media Hack. Sad really. Saddest of all, my one suit, three jackets and fifty neck ties. They smell of saddness and sobriety. Only being trucked out for funerals and ...what else, I don't know.
I had to rent a tux about 4 years ago, and at the time, someone said "Get used to this...Corporate types love shindigs involving tuxedo's". I actually considered buying one. Well,long story short, dot-com bubble burst...companies don't have open bars anymore, I don't have to wear a tuxedo. I don't wear suits. I wish I did. I remember seeing footage of the Red Wings' first cup win in the 90's. People in the crowd looked like a trailer park had collided with a refugee camp. No grace at all. They compared this with footage from the 50's. Everyman wore a fedora or cap, jacket, tie - really a very respectable looking bunch. I am locked into a series of passing trends when really all I want to do is not bother. I am constantly getting rid of stuff and saying that I'm just buying t-shirts and jeans from now on. Then somehow a dress shirt sneaks back in, a tie is recieved as a gift, a nice pair of pants are on sale and whoops, I've slipped back into the clothing I hate. I don't know why I feel so self-conscious dressed up. I just do. It's not as though I were whipped as a child or made to wear a suit if I'd misbehaved. I just feel like a modern version of that poncey looking "little boy blue" - you know, that kid on the paint can.
Interestingly, I was reading how when Kodak had to sell it's new invention, film, first it had to sell the idea of photography. They had to invent the market for a product no one wanted. So they did. Photo albums, taking photos at weddings, birthdays all were popularized by Kodak. The same was true for Gilette and the safety razor. Men didn't shave everyday. Why would they? It was dangerous. Gilette first had to sell the idea that shaving everyday and being clean shaven were right and proper and every man should do it. So, why does a guy who never wears a tie, own so many, and is clean shaven everyday?
Well - I think a change is coming. A return to the man of yester year...a suit every day and a shave on Sundays. Sounds good. I think this idea will last about six minutes. Which is 5 minutes longer than having Aloo Gobi for Thanksgiving dinner.
I had to rent a tux about 4 years ago, and at the time, someone said "Get used to this...Corporate types love shindigs involving tuxedo's". I actually considered buying one. Well,long story short, dot-com bubble burst...companies don't have open bars anymore, I don't have to wear a tuxedo. I don't wear suits. I wish I did. I remember seeing footage of the Red Wings' first cup win in the 90's. People in the crowd looked like a trailer park had collided with a refugee camp. No grace at all. They compared this with footage from the 50's. Everyman wore a fedora or cap, jacket, tie - really a very respectable looking bunch. I am locked into a series of passing trends when really all I want to do is not bother. I am constantly getting rid of stuff and saying that I'm just buying t-shirts and jeans from now on. Then somehow a dress shirt sneaks back in, a tie is recieved as a gift, a nice pair of pants are on sale and whoops, I've slipped back into the clothing I hate. I don't know why I feel so self-conscious dressed up. I just do. It's not as though I were whipped as a child or made to wear a suit if I'd misbehaved. I just feel like a modern version of that poncey looking "little boy blue" - you know, that kid on the paint can.
Interestingly, I was reading how when Kodak had to sell it's new invention, film, first it had to sell the idea of photography. They had to invent the market for a product no one wanted. So they did. Photo albums, taking photos at weddings, birthdays all were popularized by Kodak. The same was true for Gilette and the safety razor. Men didn't shave everyday. Why would they? It was dangerous. Gilette first had to sell the idea that shaving everyday and being clean shaven were right and proper and every man should do it. So, why does a guy who never wears a tie, own so many, and is clean shaven everyday?
Well - I think a change is coming. A return to the man of yester year...a suit every day and a shave on Sundays. Sounds good. I think this idea will last about six minutes. Which is 5 minutes longer than having Aloo Gobi for Thanksgiving dinner.
posted by Peter at 9:35 PM
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