Why is the Bum Look Popular? (formally the unemployed look)

[vitanola]

Although facial hair wasn't the norm in the Golden Era it wasn't unheard of or necessarily verboten. It was simply looked down upon in certain segments of society. Plenty of academics, artists, and several first and second generation immigrants had facial hair.

Also, in your so-called "Golden Era" many of the elderly sported facial hair. In fact, in the 1920's and 1930's facial hair, with the possible exception of the thin "continental" mustache sported by the younger set, or the military "brush" mustache occasionally worn by the middle aged businessman was largely consigned to the elderly, generally those surviving members of the GAR or the UCV, save of course for some unassimilated recent immigrants.

 

[John in Covina]

You only have one opportunity to make a first impression...

 

[Solid Citizen]

AVOID Unemployed Look

2009 Economy is looking shaky fftopic:
Notice guys dressing up more often @
work to AVOID the real unemployed look!


Solid Citizen

PS "He's trying to get an edge"
Chief Dan George/Outlaw Josey Wales

 

[Archéologue]

People emulate what they see in the media. If all the films, TV, and adverts depict people in the Grunge Look, then so shall the masses follow. Everyone wants to be seen as an individual, but they ironically make themselves look exactly like everyone else when they dress this way. Its a way of becoming completely anonymous and nondescript. It also may reflect society's modern outlook of all things casual and lacking in formality or importance. Nothing is important, not even yourself.

 

[Widebrim]

You only have one opportunity to make a first impression...

And after that, it is very difficult to change that first impression...:eusa_doh:

 

[Jay]

I think the unemployed look is the ba***rd child of artful dishevelment. It went from looking like you're not trying too hard to just not trying at all. I blame Tyler Durden.

 

[bonnieprince]

There will always be the majority of people who conform to a rough cultural norm of what is acceptable, while a minority of others live on the fringe of society driving change or being labeled a fool if their experiments are not widely accepted over time. If nobody tried anything different, we'd still be wearing robes and togas. The problem I have, as MK is stating, is with people who look like they don't try anything at all. Looking like a bum is not a look. It is looking like a bum. I would rather see somebody experimenting with some new strange look than wearing sleepwear around town. Sleepwear is not an experimental new look that will drive change in fashion over time. It is simply wearing sleepwear. It is lazy, slovenly, boring, narcissistic, and pathetic. The Ewan MacGregor look is actually a cultural norm and has been since James Dean in the 50's. At least that is a look. The drones wearing PJ's and, what looks like something they found in a dumpster, look like bums. Remember, experimenting may bring change, but it more often than not will bring ridicule if for no other reason than for a good laugh at your expense. I can't say I feel bad. These are the risks you knowingly take when you act different in any way from the masses/mob. This will never change as it is human nature.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

The modern standard of jeans and a T-shirt were ridiculed as outerwear, too. T-shirts are for sleeping and under your shirt, and jeans are for yardwork. Not for walking around town.

Sounds ridiculous, yes?

bk

 

[Charlie Noodles]

If I was worried about first impressions I'd never be able to wear vintage.

 

[I'mSuzyParker]

I think the unemployed look is the ba***rd child of artful dishevelment. It went from looking like you're not trying too hard to just not trying at all. I blame Tyler Durden.

As a woman I can honestly say the only man who looks good unemployed/unwashed, etc. is Tyler Durden or any of Brad Pitt's incarnations, for that matter.
Somehow, he wears it well.

 

[bonnieprince]

The modern standard of jeans and a T-shirt were ridiculed as outerwear, too. T-shirts are for sleeping and under your shirt, and jeans are for yardwork. Not for walking around town.

Sounds ridiculous, yes?

bk

Appearing as some pungent, furry beast with halitosis that rolled out of bed in clothing not fit for mud wrestling will never be attractive to the masses. It's actually repulsive to most anything barring flies as far as I know. Do we really want to go back to looking like medieval peasants? From what I've read, they were not particularly fond of their own look, so why should I or anyone else be? Dare I say there should be any standards at all? Can I get an AMEN anyone? Do we really want fashion anarchy? That's a can of worms even the most eclectic fashionista may be warry of exploring. Food for thought. There is nothing wrong with people wanting to blend in, as long as it is with homo sapien sapiens.

 

[John in Covina]

Be a Bear.

From the post above I recall that most men at some point live like bears and the home or apartment becomes a cave. Rita Rudner had a whole disertation on this some time ago.

Perhaps it is an attempt to go thru a part of life knowing at any time you can just jump in and tackle any job no matter how filthy with out worrying about your clothes that gives them satifaction.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Do we really want to go back to looking like medieval peasants?

To be honest: Yes, that's exactly what i'd love to see. Everyone free to wear what they want, free to wear as little or as much as they wish, without fear of ridicule or arrest.

I have as many opinions as others about modes of dress, but i'm not so pretentious as to think my opinions matter very much, and nor should they.

bk

 

[MK]

.

To be honest: Yes, that's exactly what i'd love to see. Everyone free to wear what they want, free to wear as little or as much as they wish, without fear of ridicule or arrest.

For the most part people are free to wear what they want. No one is arrested for bad taste.

But as far as people not being assessed by their appearance, that will never happen. Everyone does it hundreds of times a day. In seconds you make judgment calls on people on the street. You decide if they are safe, dangerous, attractive, interesting, opportunist, obscene, ....the list goes on. All these judgment calls are made in a fraction of a second. We pigeon hole people into categories. If we learn more about them we might move them to a different pigeon hole. That is human nature....and common sense. It helps us survive.

If it looks, walks and sounds like a duck......the best course of action is to assume it is a duck.

 

[LizzieMaine]

The modern standard of jeans and a T-shirt were ridiculed as outerwear, too. T-shirts are for sleeping and under your shirt, and jeans are for yardwork. Not for walking around town.

Sounds ridiculous, yes?

bk

Sleeping in a sweaty t-shirt? Ew! Isn't that what pajamas are for?

But seriously, it wasn't really *that* long ago that the jeans-and-t shirt look would raise eyebrows if worn by anyone over the age of about twelve, even in casual circumstances. I can remember going to baseball games in the early '70s when all the men within my field of vision wore button-down shirts and dress pants, and they would no sooner have gone to a public event in a t-shirt than they would have danced naked in the streets. So it's understandable there's still folks around who look askance at such a fashion.

 

[3PcSuit]

Sleeping in a T-shirt is a lot better than sleeping in a shirt and tie because you are too lazy to change out of it!

BTW, why is this stupid thread so popular. Better to have freedom of dress than equally bad enforced dress codes.

I think mandating that someone wear dress clothes every day is equally oppressive.

People should WANT to wear nice clothes, and nice clothes should be nice, but even I think having to wear basically a uniform of shirt, necktie, slacks, and jacket is tiring at times.

Not the fault of dress codes as much as the fault of men's fashion and very narrow perceptions of what is acceptable. Hell, look at ties. There used to be four or five different ties one could wear, now we're down to one, maybe two acceeptable styles, necktie and sometimes bow. Used to be five different collar styles acceptable, now one and a half there too.

Men's style basically became a uniform. It used to be free, flowing, and evolving, but as it became separated from popular dress, in part due to WWII and the generation gap, it changed from something people wanted to wear to what they were made to wear.

And I can understand people taking stances on both sides of the casual/formal issue because of these issues.

 

[Tango Yankee]

Sleeping in a sweaty t-shirt? Ew! Isn't that what pajamas are for?

No, pajamas are for going to the mall or to college classes! Haven't you been paying attention?

Cheers,
Tom

 

[Doug C]

I have to ask: Why was the strickly buttoned up, stuffy look ever popular ?

I mean I don't go for a "bum" look per say, or for pajamas and sagging jeans etc.. but there is a flip side to that coin. What I find equally strange is how in the world anyone could possibly go around like the victorians did. That's an extreme example but even in the hollywood "golden era" we see suits and ties on folks at the park, grocery stores, etc. I mean come on, that's just rediculous IMHO. It's too freakin' hot in most of the world, atleast where I live to ever be comfortable in that attaire. I personally prefer a well dressed rogue look.

Doug C

 

[jamespowers]

For the most part people are free to wear what they want. No one is arrested for bad taste.

But as far as people not being assessed by their appearance, that will never happen. Everyone does it hundreds of times a day. In seconds you make judgment calls on people on the street. You decide if they are safe, dangerous, attractive, interesting, opportunist, obscene, ....the list goes on. All these judgment calls are made in a fraction of a second. We pigeon hole people into categories. If we learn more about them we might move them to a different pigeon hole. That is human nature....and common sense. It helps us survive.

If it looks, walks and sounds like a duck......the best course of action is to assume it is a duck.

Very true and people not being able to stop assessing appearance is hard wired into us due to thousands of years of evolution. The non-discriminating ended up dead by either animal attacks or by brigands. To say that anyone does not assess a situation or individuals in that setting is ridiculous.
I am a very formal person by nature. I just like it that way. I like please and thank yous, cleanliness and attention to appearance. "Handle" hair and a dirty appearance leads people to think that you are a bum. Its just the way it is. [huh]

 

[3PcSuit]

What I find equally strange is how in the world anyone could possibly go around like the victorians did. That's an extreme example but even in the hollywood "golden era" we see suits and ties on folks at the park, grocery stores, etc. I mean come on, that's just rediculous IMHO. It's too freakin' hot in most of the world, atleast where I live to ever be comfortable in that attaire. I personally prefer a well dressed rogue look.

Doug C

I don't know how a suit is any more uncomfortable than a pair of jeans. In fact, suit trousers are far more comfortable than all but the softest-material jeans.

Sure a t-shirt would be lighter than a dress shirt, but really what you are saying comes more from being judgemental.

I don't think dressing in this fashion is uncomfortable at all. Maybe if you were in the *desert*, where even victorians dressed down, I can see the necessity of casual wear.

It's just like I never got guys that talked about how oppressive ties were and how they cut off the circulation to your head blah blah blah. F&^%ing pansies if you ask me, trying to eliminate the only flipping article of mens' clothing that isn't entirely functional

I think, in summation, all I'm trying to say is things were just different, no better no worse. Oh, they did look better though. It's like that scene from Pulp Fiction where John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson's characters got blood and guts all over their gangster outfits and had to change into average-Joe outfits of T-shirts and shorts and everyone is making fun of them for looking so silly.