Are you ever tired of explaining why you live or dress the way you do?

[Fastuni]

I only explain and talk about my clothing with people who are positively interested.

[QUOTE="Baron Kurtz]A while ago, I decided that the only answer worth giving to the "Why …" questions was "because I want to".[/QUOTE]
After a while of explaining and a while of ignoring, I found that the best response to an ignorant/unfriendly "Why" is "Because I can". It's mostly impossible for the questioner to follow up with anything meaningful. Usually they would ask again "But why?"... well "because I paid for it." Bewilderment ensues.

 

[LizzieMaine]

"Why do you dress like that?"

Well, I tried wearing a sarong, but it gets pretty chilly in February.

 

[Burma Schave]

I tell them I'm waving my freak flag high. It worked for Jimi Hendrix, whose antique hussar jacket was older-looking than anything I wear.

 

[stevew443]

I mainly get questioned on casual Fridays, when I still show up to work in dress pants, dress shirt, bow tie and sports jacket. I just explain that one is to wear clothing one is comfortable wearing on casual Fridays and I am the most comfortable when I am dressed well.

I really love he freak flag comment though. I may have to borrow that one the next time someone asks.

 

[Canadian]

I remember being told by my late grandfather, that he was proud that his grandson wore a tie every day. He grew up in the depression.

He was a traveling salesman for many, many years, selling fur coats. Wore the best clothes he could, and he never considered it odd how I dressed. I would see him every day in his suite in the lodge and he was the same till the end, dress shirt, suspenders, slacks and slippers.

I remember being asked by him to help him dress for his best friend's (who was the maintenance man at the mall where he had a fur shop) daughters wedding. We selected a nice sports coat, I tied his tie for him (he had a heart condition and lacked the dexterity to tie a real tie) and he went off to the wedding.

He darn near cried when he got back. Most of the people there were wearing jeans. He was so disappointed, as he thought he was going to a real party. He was also disappointed that when he showed up with his gift of a microwave, he found out that the bride and groom had already been living together and had no need for a (very expensive) microwave. They took it gladly, but he was sure it was headed for the pawn shop.

I don't tell that to everybody who asks why I wear a coat and tie most days, but that's one good reason.

 

[olive bleu]

I mainly get questioned on casual Fridays, when I still show up to work in dress pants, dress shirt, bow tie and sports jacket. I just explain that one is to wear clothing one is comfortable wearing on casual Fridays and I am the most comfortable when I am dressed well.

I really love he freak flag comment though. I may have to borrow that one the next time someone asks.

I used to get the questions on casual Friday too, now I just pay my dollar to charity every Friday, regardless of what I am wearing. that mostly keeps them quiet.

the crazy thing is, my workplace does casual summer . So from July 1st -September 1st, we can wear jeans everyday. Who the heck wants to wear jeans in July?? I show up for work everyday in the summer in a dress...and then come the questions..'why are you so...."?

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

Maybe you're right. I just can't believe that they don't look at these styles, and think "Wow, this is not how an adult should dress." The amount of grown men in short pants, print T-shirts, and backwards baseball caps is incredible. Also, shaved heads are very popular, here. Is that just a local thing or do others see a lot of it where they are?

It's everywhere, sadly enough. Even out here in the heart of the west. The Frat Boy look just doesn't seem to want to go away any time soon either. We've been stuck with this idiotic mode of fashion since about the late 1980's to early 1990's I think? That's going on 30 years now! :eeek:
I suppose it's because it's so easy, and doesn't require any real thought or discernment.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I reckon you're right. It's a shame that people can't find five minutes to spruce up a bit. Well, if it's what they like, I guess it's what they like.

It's everywhere, sadly enough. Even out here in the heart of the west. The Frat Boy look just doesn't seem to want to go away any time soon either. We've been stuck with this idiotic mode of fashion since about the late 1980's to early 1990's I think? That's going on 30 years now! :eeek:
I suppose it's because it's so easy, and doesn't require any real thought or discernment.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

My father, and all his friends, were prompted by the Hendrix jacket to go to Anderson's in Edinburgh and buy all the old Victorian uniform jackets they could find. Hussar's jackets were the goal, of course, to look just like him. They wore them to death at gigs.:eusa_doh:

I tell them I'm waving my freak flag high. It worked for Jimi Hendrix, whose antique hussar jacket was older-looking than anything I wear.

 

[Edward]

My father, and all his friends, were prompted by the Hendrix jacket to go to Anderson's in Edinburgh and buy all the old Victorian uniform jackets they could find. Hussar's jackets were the goal, of course, to look just like him. They wore them to death at gigs.:eusa_doh:

Hard to imagine now, isn't it? Jimi's was a genuine Crimean piece, which I suppose in 1967 was about the same age as my 30s suits are now....

 

[robertsieg]

Dressing well in China as a foreigner is an interesting phenomenon. Expats who already live here are well aware of the expansive cultural gap between the local population and themselves, and how it can never really be bridged. Unlike in the US, if you are a foreigner, you will always be a foreigner. No matter how well you learn the language, they will never allow you to fully assimilate. And that doesn’t mean hostility; foreigners are almost always welcome and popular. But we are a curiosity, mostly, especially in smaller cities like Ningbo, where I live.

So you can imagine how much more attention you can draw when you not only dress well, but dress vintage. I must think that the experiences I’ve had in China are not dissimilar to what a minor celebrity goes though day to day. Literally I get open stares, finger pointing, waving, picture taking, autograph requests (only once, but still), girls giggling, compliments in broken Engrish, etc. At first I was annoyed by it, but you come to understand how completely different the culture is here and realize they only mean well.

Funny enough, in all the questions from locals about my country of origin, not one single person has ever correctly identified me as American. I am sometimes German or Russian, but 90% of the time they guess I am British. And this is despite the fact that my ancestry is almost entirely Swedish/German. I take this to mean that the Chinese view British people as sartorial perfectionists, and Americans as, well, not that. And sadly, even though I have never been to the UK, I can’t help but think they are at least partially correct in this assumption.

 

[Dan Allen]

I never leave the house without a hat on, either felt or straw. This seems to strike a cord with the Jr. high aged crowd for some reason, or at least those are the ones who make the comments. While checking out at the local grocery the other day one came up to me and loudly ask why I wore that stupid hat. I replied that if I get too stupid I can always take the hat off--unlike yourself who has nothing to take off- You're just stuck with stupid. the laughter of his friends stung worse that my words by far. Funny thing is, I have seen the kid several time since and now he always smiles and waves.

 

[ottawa_adam]

One of my teens insists on wearing these really tight jeans that are halfway down his butt. I tell him repeatedly to pull up his pants. He just replies with "I can't. Skinny jeans are supposed to be worn on your hips." I got tired of it one day, threw him to the floor, and pulled them up so high his voice went pre-pubescent again. He tries to not let me notice he's wearing them like that anymore, but I figure I'm turning his room into an art studio in 5 months anyway. Good luck finding a job with skinny jeans, pony tail, and coke bottle glasses, boy.

This is the funniest thing I've read in a long time.

What was the outcome of this event?

 

[Asienizen]

Dressing well in China as a foreigner is an interesting phenomenon. Expats who already live here are well aware of the expansive cultural gap between the local population and themselves, and how it can never really be bridged. Unlike in the US, if you are a foreigner, you will always be a foreigner. No matter how well you learn the language, they will never allow you to fully assimilate. And that doesn’t mean hostility; foreigners are almost always welcome and popular. But we are a curiosity, mostly, especially in smaller cities like Ningbo, where I live.

So you can imagine how much more attention you can draw when you not only dress well, but dress vintage. I must think that the experiences I’ve had in China are not dissimilar to what a minor celebrity goes though day to day. Literally I get open stares, finger pointing, waving, picture taking, autograph requests (only once, but still), girls giggling, compliments in broken Engrish, etc. At first I was annoyed by it, but you come to understand how completely different the culture is here and realize they only mean well.

Funny enough, in all the questions from locals about my country of origin, not one single person has ever correctly identified me as American. I am sometimes German or Russian, but 90% of the time they guess I am British. And this is despite the fact that my ancestry is almost entirely Swedish/German. I take this to mean that the Chinese view British people as sartorial perfectionists, and Americans as, well, not that. And sadly, even though I have never been to the UK, I can’t help but think they are at least partially correct in this assumption.

So how does that compare to Hanoi? I seemed to get an overall positive response - but then I'm more understated. Further south in Vietnam I wager the weather is too warm to wear a jacket except for on a few days of the year.

 

[will.james]

yes its gets almost painful having to tell people why i dress like i do i'm rockabilly love it been dressing this way since i was 15
for me love the 50s, the music, clothes and more i have had a few not very nice comments

 

[dr greg]

About 3 weeks ago I found a pair of brand-new, in the box, modern walking boots, well-known brand, in an op-shop, $5, wow i thought, looked em up on the internet, they're about $150 in the shops...great stuff. I wore them to work on Sunday, in the rain, by lunchtime they had FALLEN APART, literally, soles peeled off, flapping like a duck's gums, I actually had to finish the day barefoot....THIS IS WHY I BUY AND WEAR VINTAGE....and I look good...

 

[will.james]

same here always feels good to wear what you love

 

[xXClockwork]

I often get asked where I am going, where I have been, or what the big occasion is by anyone under the age of 50. People also tell me I look like a "gangster". I do get compliments as well, mostly from women aged mid-50's or older. Most people around this area seem to "dress up" in a pair of slacks and shirt with unbuttoned collar; a suit, trench, and hat seem to be out of place. I don't mind breaking the mold, though.

 

[rue]

bump

Lately I've been asked what "the meaning is" behind the way I act and dress. This is done with real concern, like I'm demented or something lol

 

[LizzieMaine]

bump

Lately I've been asked what "the meaning is" behind the way I act and dress. This is done with real concern, like I'm demented or something lol

I tend to get that one in the summer, when the tourists are all in bloom. I look them dead in the eye and say in a serious voice, "I follow the traditional ways of my people." They nod and say "Ahhhhh," and then they feel guilty about bothering me. Works every time.