When does it become a costume?

[tonyb]

I think we would all agree that the only thing a person's attire tells us for certain about that person is that he happens to be wearing certain attire. Whatever else we might infer from that may tell us more about ourselves than about the person whose clothing we're assessing.

Still, clothing is a choice, and it will "say" something about its wearer. The issue, it seems, is whether what is says is what the wearer meant for it to say. Or not.

To return to the OP's question ... If a person doesn't wish to appear costumed, then he has to concern himself with how others are likely to perceive his choice of clothing. A few folks here have made the point that where the line between "normal" (okay, so there's gotta be a better word) attire and costume is drawn depends very much on context and the attitude projected by the wearer.

Rare is the person, no matter how experienced and worldly and seemingly self-secure, who isn't at least somewhat concerned with the image he projects. (And that's a good thing, I'd argue, seeing how without a certain level of conformity we just couldn't live together. Just where that "certain level" is has always been debatable.) Our very presence on this forum is a sign that we care about such matters, perhaps more than most. This is not to say that we're inordinately seeking of approval or that we look down on those less interested with such things, but only that we notice.

 

[Paisley]

Unless you are hermit, you have to care at least a little about what people think. Sometimes we need to make other people feel comfortable.

The idea that one has to either wear clothes that are 70 years out of date or dress like a slob is a false dichotomy. There are sharp-looking modern clothes, even if many people prefer workout clothes and plastic shoes.

No matter how well a person wears unusual clothes, they still risk looking like they are early for Halloween.

 

[norton]

I'm constantly struggling with this issue. I wear a suit and tie to work and when it's cool and rainy, like now, I've been wearing a brand new burberry knock off trench coat and a fedora. Both are entirely appropriate and not necessarily dated, but I know the first thing that pops into everyone's mind when they see me is an old humphrey bogart movie. It's not an affect I'm striving for, I just like those clothes.

 

[Carlisle Blues]

To return to the OP's question ... If a person doesn't wish to appear costumed, then he has to concern himself with how others are likely to perceive his choice of clothing.
Rare is the person, no matter how experienced and worldly and seemingly self-secure, who isn't at least somewhat concerned with the image he projects.

Obviously these people are very concerned.....some like to truly express themselves others are color blind still some have a fashion statement to make no matter the cost..

ouch

 

[Feraud]

I'm constantly struggling with this issue. I wear a suit and tie to work and when it's cool and rainy, like now, I've been wearing a brand new burberry knock off trench coat and a fedora. Both are entirely appropriate and not necessarily dated, but I know the first thing that pops into everyone's mind when they see me is an old humphrey bogart movie. It's not an affect I'm striving for, I just like those clothes.

If you wear a trenchocoat and fedora in the rain and anyone asks you why you are wearing this, give them the most condescending look you can muster and say, "because it's raining..."

 

[Carlisle Blues]

^
^
:arated: :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[ezrydn]

Being retired, I have a varied lifestyle. And I dress mainly for the ocassion. I have a Tux for important affairs, biker attire for when I take the Harley out, military-style stuff for when I attend my Nam reunions and have never had the instance to cross-dress them.

Most think the biker attire is all for show but it's actually all functional. The black doesn't show road dirt, the jacket reflects heat (I've worn it crossing the desert to stay cooler) and you wear a chain on your billfold so your whole life story isn't spread over the highway from it vibrating out of your pocket.

Once, after returning from a long, cool ride, some friends of mine stopped at a restaurant for a bite before getting home. As I was leaving, a table of women stopped me and asked if chaps were decorative or functional. I paused and then said, "That all depends." They asked "Depends on what?" I responded "Depends on if you're wearing jeans or not," and walked out, leaving them to figure it out.

At the reunions, I wear a khaki shirt that has everything embroidered on it, a bomber jacket with the same and my Cav Stetson. If I'm meeting some official, I dress appropriately. However, on my own, I'm a jeans and shirt guy. I dress for my comfort, not the expectations of others. I'm way past that point in my life. LOL

John

 

[Stearmen]

What Year

After I get a haircut, I can wear a gray sweatshirt, 501 jeans, cowboy boots, Ray Ban sunglasses, and my good old Navy G1. If you would take a black and white photo of me in front of a brick wall, I will ask you, what year is it? Some cloths are timeless!

 

[jimmer_5]

I don't..

 

[Ghostsoldier]

I wear an article of black clothing and a black fedora almost every day (and a black ball cap on those other days), and have been called everything from a Mafioso to the Blues Brothers....I just smile knowingly, and relish my non-conformity...and, more importantly...my confidence and comfort.
Rob

 

[tonyb]

Unless you are hermit, you have to care at least a little about what people think. Sometimes we need to make other people feel comfortable.

The idea that one has to either wear clothes that are 70 years out of date or dress like a slob is a false dichotomy. There are sharp-looking modern clothes, even if many people prefer workout clothes and plastic shoes.

No matter how well a person wears unusual clothes, they still risk looking like they are early for Halloween.

Oh, bless you, ma'am.

 

[tonyb]

Obviously these people are very concerned.....some like to truly express themselves others are color blind still some have a fashion statement to make no matter the cost..

ouch

Context, man, context. Aren't these show-business people?

 

[Fletch]

I wouldn't expect (or want) a person to fret over what I think of his way of presenting himself, including his attire.

But man oh man, in my regular comings and goings it's apparent that many people -- the majority, perhaps -- either pay very little attention to their appearance or have awful taste. I just hope, for their sake and the world's, that it's an indication of some heightened state of enlightenment, that they are somehow above such superficial concerns. (Fat chance, eh?)

I'm talkin' 'bout the real world here, not TV and the movies. You know, the people you see at the supermarket. They may well be finer human beings than I'll ever be, but sheesh!, you gotta wonder if they give any thought to the view they expose the rest of us to.

In my experience, they're much more concerned with how other people look than how they look themselves. The mote in thine own eye and all that.

We are increasingly a spectator culture. We size up others in an instant, based on what we see from our friends and coworkers and the various toobz, while thinking mostly about ourselves and how we Fit In. And most of us can't see ourselves, or would rather not. It's still vanity, basically, a guilty indulgence. And it's still a cheap kick to put other people down for their looks.

As to bringing your style on stream, though, it's all a matter of degree. As Tom found out, you can't just all of a sudden turn up in a long fur-collared coat in Portage, WI, or you'll look like a mack-daddy from Chicago. Easy steps first. Maybe an old melton topcoat, or a short shearling carcoat with your favorite hat(s).

I could get away with my black leather carcoat at the Israeli Embassy. But if I wore a felt hat, I would make sure it was a light color (such as the observant no longer wear) and that I checked it with the coat at the undoubtedly well-run security point.

 

[tonyb]

We are increasingly a spectator culture. We size up others in an instant, based on what we see from our friends and coworkers and the various toobz, while thinking mostly about ourselves and how we Fit In. And most of us can't see ourselves, or would rather not. It's still vanity, basically, a guilty indulgence. And it's still a cheap kick to put other people down for their looks.

I don't know that our culture is an increasingly "spectator" one, but I wouldn't dispute the point.

Your subsequent point doesn't depend on that, though. I don't think it's projecting too much to think that other people are sizing me up, based on their perceptions of what I'm presenting for public consumption, just as I make certain assumptions about them. Those assumptions may indeed be unfair, inaccurate, et cetera. I just hope they aren't mean.

Appearance is by definition superficial, a veneer. Being unusually attractive isn't all good (it could be a burden, I'd imagine, although I'm in no danger of learning its lessons firsthand), what with intimidated people looking for reasons to feel superior in the face of it (you know, the "dumb blond" or "pretty boy" putdowns), but I'd wager that it beats the heck out of homeliness, which is very rarely socially advantageous.

In supposing that modern media is indeed bringing to the fore whatever "spectator" impulses we've always had, I have to wonder to what degree life is imitating art, and vice-versa. We chuckle at examples of "bad" style from, say, the 1970s (will somebody please burn those photos from my brother's first wedding?), but you know, those were some stylin' duds at the time. And the unusually attractive people, the ones on TV and in the movies, still looked good in them.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Some of that stuff from the 70's isn't that bad. I mean, the way far out stuff is, but the big lapels and such I just don't see as all that big of a deal. And heck, it's a lot better than today's clothing.

I have to wonder to what degree life is imitating art, and vice-versa. We chuckle at examples of "bad" style from, say, the 1970s (will somebody please burn those photos from my brother's first wedding?), but you know, those were some stylin' duds at the time. And the unusually attractive people, the ones on TV and in the movies, still looked good in them.

 

[tonyb]

Some of that stuff from the 70's isn't that bad. I mean, the way far out stuff is, but the big lapels and such I just don't see as all that big of a deal. And heck, it's a lot better than today's clothing.

And we would have sooner crawled across broken glass than be seen in the styles popular only 15 or so years earlier, with the narrow lapels and all. Now, I almost covet that stuff.

There's was a short-lived local chain of men's stores out here a decade or so back, whose advertising campaign used the slogan (this is a close paraphrase, if not an exact quotation), "A clothing store for men who have learned from their mistakes." The ads featured a photo of a guy with bushy hair and a handlebar mustache (the kind with the unshaven strips extending from the corners of the mouth down to the chin), and, if I'm remembering correctly, a big gawdy pendant on a clunky chain.

Now I half expect to see a revival of that look.

Just a few weeks ago I actually watched "Saturday Night Fever" (most of it anyway) for the first time. John Travolta looked real good in that stuff. And so did most of the other actors. But they're actors, dressed by professional costume designers.

 

[kampkatz]

There's alot of good, philosophical discussion here, which I appreciate. These days many people have absolutely no conception of appropriate dress for certain events. I have seen people at weddings and receptions in jeans and tee shirts next to couples like the one displayed earlier. As a member of the clergy for over 25 years I can say there has been a definite decline in dress and manners among the general population. Common sense simply has no place in too many peoples' life styles. It has been said many times that clothes make the person. While I don't see that as totally true, there is some logic there. Often, people will be on better behavior when they have taken the time to dress neatly and thoughtfully.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

My dad says he dressed conservatively, except for once he started hanging at the discos. He graduated in 1978. He was a greaser until disco became popular and then went to the big collars and what not, which I still think are rather snappy here and there.

I am a big fan of "Saturday Night Fever" and they had some great clothes, men and women in that movie.

I shop for vintage clothes and have a couple big collared shirts from the 70's, that weren't too over the top. I think that it's like when people look at the whole 60's era as hippies and tye dye. My pa says that growing up in the 60's still looked like "Leave it to Beaver" to quote him. Not everyone in the 70's was dressing completely wild and some good clothes fortunately came out of that decade.

Let's just hope that none of the wild, over the top, big chains, fros, and all that stays off the popular style lists forever!

And we would have sooner crawled across broken glass than be seen in the styles popular only 15 or so years earlier, with the narrow lapels and all. Now, I almost covet that stuff.

There's was a short-lived local chain of men's stores out here a decade or so back, whose advertising campaign used the slogan (this is a close paraphrase, if not an exact quotation), "A clothing store for men who have learned from their mistakes." The ads featured a photo of a guy with bushy hair and a handlebar mustache (the kind with the unshaven strips extending from the corners of the mouth down to the chin), and, if I'm remembering correctly, a big gawdy pendant on a clunky chain.

Now I half expect to see a revival of that look.

Just a few weeks ago I actually watched "Saturday Night Fever" (most of it anyway) for the first time. John Travolta looked real good in that stuff. And so did most of the other actors. But they're actors, dressed by professional costume designers.

I beleive also That you should dress nice at all times, but especially at certain events, and particularly in a church! When I see people wearinng t-shirts, shorts, and sandals to a church, it makes me sick. I didn't think my father wearing a sweater and jeans to church was acceptable. Boy how the times have changed. Eventually it's going to hit rock bottom, and maybe that's what it will take to turn things around.

There's alot of good, philosophical discussion here, which I appreciate. These days many people have absolutely no conception of appropriate dress for certain events. I have seen people at weddings and receptions in jeans and tee shirts next to couples like the one displayed earlier. As a member of the clergy for over 25 years I can say there has been a definite decline in dress and manners among the general population. Common sense simply has no place in too many peoples' life styles. It has been said many times that clothes make the person. While I don't see that as totally true, there is some logic there. Often, people will be on better behavior when they have taken the time to dress neatly and thoughtfully.

 

[filfoster]

Life is a Cabaret-and many are dressed for it.

I am old enough to imagine what my grandparents, simple small town farmers and shopkeepers born in the 1880's, would think if they could return and spend just two minutes at the local mall: "What are all the carnival workers doing here?" Mohawks and spikey hair, tattoos and piercings on men and women, and make up too. We celebrate our diversity! I would much rather see a man or woman wearing some retro 30's-50's clothing than what I just described.
Still, it is a tad sad to see someone too obviously starring in their own mental movie. As many of the posters have opined, it's a fine line between a 'hip' (does anyone use that word now?) look and something that just seems to be trying too hard. Unless you own your own business, and are in the fashion and/or entertainment world, the 'full monty' fedora, double breasted suit and spats is probably difficult to pull off, day-in, day-out.

 

[Carlisle Blues]

Context, man, context. Aren't these show-business people?

The last one clearly appears to be performing.......perhaps that is a costume....but what a costume if the person is singing it does not appear enhance the act. The other two look like appear to be dressed for a function...........they are truly color blind....

My point is no matter how they are dressed they think they look just fine.. While that is not my style of dress, they look like they have done their best and are dressing for themselves.