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Fashion & Clothing: Follies, Fads & Social Norms

I don't know whether or not these have a 'catchy' single-syllable name to top 'shitty denim leg-warmers', but I hate them all the same.

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I've a suspicion - inspired by many magazine articles, online 'trend' posts etc. - that these ... fashion trends don't actually exist. The market is baiting with various utterly stupid trends (see above) in the hope that they create the demand and, therefore, make money from gullible and shallow twerps who are so easily manipulated that if several 'influencers' faked a video over a 'trend' to cut at least one foot off, there'd be a rush in private healthcare for folks who want to become a monoped (TM).
 
I don't know whether or not these have a 'catchy' single-syllable name to top 'shitty denim leg-warmers', but I hate them all the same. ...

The most common label for these appears to be "denim leg warmers." I've also seen them labeled "denim leg sleeves."
 
The most common label for these appears to be "denim leg warmers." I've also seen them labeled "denim leg sleeves."
Leg warmers. In the summertime.
Thing is, the material is too thin to do any warming anyway.
 
Thing is, the material is too thin to do any warming anyway.

This is taking pre-ripped jeans to a whole new, annoying and uncalled for, level....

Denim is also famously rubbish once it gets wet.

All incredibly sensible and valid points.
Also, completely invalid to 'fashonistas' (who aren't known for their critical analysis skills) and fashion houses who know their suckers ... er ... customers. Those that declare they are a trend setter ... by following a trend they've been told is a trend?
Y'know that ol' thing of "supply and demand"? If idiots demand, there will be a supply.
It's a version of 'if you build it, they will come' ... but with more real-life credibility and less Kevin Costner.
 
A relative of mine, back in the 80s, bought a cheapish pair of denim jeans for work. He was riding home from work on his motorbike and got caught in an unexpected storm. He was soaked to the skin and freezing when he got home so went straight upstairs to change and when he took his jeans off was horrified to see his legs were blue -he lay on the bed for a while scared to move as he thought he was at deaths door with no circulation to his legs until he realised it was the dye.
 
All incredibly sensible and valid points.
Also, completely invalid to 'fashonistas' (who aren't known for their critical analysis skills) and fashion houses who know their suckers ... er ... customers. Those that declare they are a trend setter ... by following a trend they've been told is a trend?
Y'know that ol' thing of "supply and demand"? If idiots demand, there will be a supply.
It's a version of 'if you build it, they will come' ... but with more real-life credibility and less Kevin Costner.
"The public wants what the public gets".
 
"The public wants what the public gets".
Durkheim's view was that 'fashion' was simply something adopted by those with high social status to distinguish themselves from the proles. Aspirational people ape the fashion, so naturally after a while, one can't tell the proles from the high-status, so the high-status people change their style...rinse and repeat.

On the upside, those kinds of materialistic and wildly status conscious folk are somewhere between 20-25% of the general population (varies with socio-economic conditions), so amusingly, the majority simply don't care whether someone is fashionable or not. That does leave a big market for people selling fashion though.
 
Durkheim's view was that 'fashion' was simply something adopted by those with high social status to distinguish themselves from the proles. Aspirational people ape the fashion, so naturally after a while, one can't tell the proles from the high-status, so the high-status people change their style...rinse and repeat.

On the upside, those kinds of materialistic and wildly status conscious folk are somewhere between 20-25% of the general population (varies with socio-economic conditions), so amusingly, the majority simply don't care whether someone is fashionable or not. That does leave a big market for people selling fashion though.
Yes. I suppose it's the same as 'keeping up with the Joneses' as well.

I even saw an advert the other week for new kitchens and it actually uses that idiom/mentality to sell the product. It's like there's no shame in admitting it now.

I liked some of the old aristos who usually had a knackered old car, freezing, crumbling house and lived in wellies. At least those guys were characters, not like these charmless, shallow idiots.
 
Yes. I suppose it's the same as 'keeping up with the Joneses' as well.

I even saw an advert the other week for new kitchens and it actually uses that idiom/mentality to sell the product. It's like there's no shame in admitting it now.
The 'house shame' adverts are particularly crass.
I liked some of the old aristos who usually had a knackered old car, freezing, crumbling house and lived in wellies. At least those guys were characters, not like these charmless, shallow idiots.
The lady of the manor has a four wheel drive. It's been her only vehicle for as long as I can recall, certainly 15 years, and her sheep go in the back of it. She has a battered old sit up and beg bike with a basket as well. She has a great line in outrageous 'possible' double entendres of which you're never entirely sure...but mention the tradesman's entrance at your peril.

A chap I helped out some years ago with web-site services, although clearly very well off (if you know him) , has had (only) the same battered Peugeot estate for at least 15 years. Always polite, pleasant, never nosey or casually mentioning what great thing he's been doing.

The aspirational types near me all have new grand cars, including the mandatory "it's not because I've got a small willy honest" type of car. You can't buy class it turns out. There's a village WhatsApp group, which I don't mind as we need to keep an eye out this time of year for reasons unrelated to those travelling to the Steam Fair, and some people have to post profile pics pictures of them skiing, abroad, or in front of something expensive etc...

I smile, wave and keep walking...
 
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The 'house shame' adverts are particularly crass.

The lady of the manor has a four wheel drive. It's been her only vehicle for as long as I can recall, certainly 15 years, and her sheep go in the back of it. She has a battered old sit up and beg bike with a basket as well. She has a great line in outrageous 'possible' double entendres of which you're never entirely sure...but mention the tradesman's' entrance at your peril.

A chap I helped out some years ago with web-site services, although clearly very well off (if you know him) , has had (only) the same battered Peugeot estate for at least 15 years. Always polite, pleasant, never nosey or casually mentioning what great thing he's been doing.

The aspirational types near me all have new grand cars, including the mandatory "it's not because I've got a small willy honest" type of car. You can't buy class it turns out. There's a village WhatsApp group, which I don't mind as we need to keep an eye out this time of year for reasons unrelated to those travelling to the Steam Fair, and some people have to post profile pics pictures of them skiing, abroad, or in front of something expensive etc...

I smile, wave and keep walking...
Ha! Yes, that's it. You've nailed it there. The Lady of the Manor sounds great though.

('House Shaming' -yes, they're the ones.)
 
Men ... If you're hankering for a new fashionable novelty - consider the neckerchief ...
Neckerchiefs are a sartorial risk worth taking

Neckerchiefs are an oddity. Once the cowboys' sweat-wiping tool, they are now a key accessory in the glamour – or camp and borderline tack – of a flight attendant’s uniform. My approach to them tends to sit somewhere in the middle. Neckerchiefs are useful, stylish, rebellious, but comforting – a rare choice for men’s fashionwear. A neckerchief can spice up a dull-coloured shirt without imprisoning your neck in a collar choked by its distant relative, the tie.

But before becoming the fabric embodiment of smart-casual, the neckerchief was wholly utilitarian. Sailors began wearing them in the 16th century to combat the discomfort caused by dripping sweat rubbing against their stiff-collared shirts. Scouts found the accessory doubled up well as a bandage or a sling in first-aid emergencies. Above all, the neckerchief provided protection from the blazing sun. For many outdoor workers, from farmers to construction workers to cowboys, a hat alone left the neck exposed. It is where the term ‘redneck’ originated from in the 19th century — to describe the poor American population in rural districts, identifiable by their sunburnt necks.

The beauty of adding the neckerchief to modern menswear is its flexibility and fun. How is it worn? Is there a desired length or material? There are no correct answers to any of these questions. There is no gatekeeping in the world of neckerchiefs. Put simply, if upon first attempt you squirm at yourself in the mirror — or receive a few comments likening you to a golden retriever — the possibilities of adjustment are almost endless. ...
FULL STORY: https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/neckerchiefs-are-a-sartorial-risk-worth-taking
 
Heh.
We've been (successfully) selling bandanas for dogs for years in our shop.
Nice to see humans catching up with them. :D
 
Yes please!

Ive worn them for years; warm in winter, and you can soak in water if it gets really hot.
 
You can tell when the designer feels that they've reached the pinnacle of their career when the models wearing their outfits have dead-behind-the-eyes expressions.
 
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