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Poseurs and bandwagoners

Posted: Tue May 31, 2005 11:07 am
by Snakewhip_Sable
In a two page fluff piece spread in a national Canadian trying-way-too-hard-to-be-hip daily newspaper for those with no attention span (owned by Southam), it was announced that 'the fedora is making a big comback this summer'. It alluded to every durn type of fedora from teh stingy brim to the Indy one. It was VERY poorly researched, as they asked just one guy wearing a fed, and there wasn't even a photo, but a large poorly drawn illustration.

It declared that it doesn't matter what you wear a fedora with, be it shorts and a Metallica t-shirt, as long as you wear "this summer's hottest new trend".

Watch out for halfwitted bandwagoners, but I hope at least some find they way to COW and the Fedora Lounge for real enlightenment.

Posted: Tue May 31, 2005 11:54 am
by Feraud
Ugh!!
I hate the stories about hats and the latest trends. They always subject the hat to horrible statements like "fedora's looks great in lime green"... :?

The upside is that from the latest trend of fedora wearers we will get a certain number of folks who display a true affinity for the hat.

Posted: Tue May 31, 2005 1:03 pm
by Gater
what rag is it in? National Post? Globe and Mail, or one of those eXpress kinda publications?

Is it a daily? I'd like to try to get a copy for the read.

Posted: Tue May 31, 2005 1:46 pm
by Snakewhip_Sable
It's that horrible free-pamphlet-posing-as-trendy called 'Dose'. They have to employ a legion of 'unhirables' to distribute it to people attempting to commute. It's not a part of another paper, but pretends to be its own entity.

Can you tell I really don't like it? Or am I being too vague?

Posted: Tue May 31, 2005 6:44 pm
by Strider
I don't suppose I really like the term "fashion trend" when applied to a fedora, as the word trend implies that it is something that will eventually fade out. Fedoras will always look good no matter what time of year, no matter what century, if you ask me.

Though, a fair person would have to concede that Fedoras have always been "fashionable", as they were an essential part of menswear in the golden era times of the 30's and 40's. Even today, a Fedora can be used as a fashion statement, amongst women just as much as men. The wonders that working in a hat shop will do for your mind! So, I don't think it's too gauche to see Fedoras making their way into fashion columns, or other related mecca.

Regards,

Posted: Tue May 31, 2005 7:06 pm
by Snakewhip_Sable
but with sneakers and droopy drawers?!

Posted: Tue May 31, 2005 7:13 pm
by Strider
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, my friend. It all depends on the wearer, really. What is fashionable to someone else may not be fashionable to you, and vice versa. I can totally understand how you might find the sight of droopy drawers and tube socks with a fedora revolting, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't wear a fedora if they think they look good in it. :)

Regards,

Posted: Tue May 31, 2005 8:23 pm
by J_Weaver
ClintonHammond wrote:Aren't we all "bandwagoners"

Sure looks like it to me
Well, thats true. Everyone is a "bandwagoner" to an extent. But some people go to extremes to be "cool." Just take a walk through an American Eagle or another similar store. Those places are full of "bandwagoners" They would wear a bag of horse poop on their heads if someone told them it was cool. Just look at the paint covered, torn jeans. Yes, I have a few things from AE. Every now and then I'll find something I like. But 98% of the time I feel way out of place in those stores. My brain says to me: "What are you doing in here, this stuff just isn't you."

If it takes some sort of goofy fashion thing to bring fedoras back then they can stay gone for all I care.

Posted: Tue May 31, 2005 9:40 pm
by Strider
But they're never gone! :D

Regards,

Posted: Tue May 31, 2005 11:36 pm
by nicktheguy
Did you say "The Dose"? You must be in Vancouver...as am I...
After I read the article I will have to go trade in my AB for a polka-dot yellow Fed which will match my man-capris. Yikes!!

Well gentlemen, it now looks like we will be "Trendy" for a couple months. As long as they don't trivialize the noble fedora....

Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2005 3:26 am
by Luisiana Jones
But if it was sceen ac, would we like the indy movies if he carried poop along? :wink:

Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2005 9:24 am
by Havana
This "Fedora's are making a comeback" or "Fedora's are the new hot trend" is like an urban legend that surfaces every couple of years. I think all the fashion rags must keep this story in a file to be used from time to time as filler.

Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2005 9:45 am
by Gater
Snakewhip_Sable wrote:but with sneakers and droopy drawers?!
last night, I got a copy, and it actually sez it can be worn with suits or "a white t-shirt, black jeans and sandals"

Sandals????

What'r we? 80??

Miami beach will be flocking with old men in speedos, flip-flops and black knee-high socks, and a fedora perched atop their shriveled skulls!

Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2005 10:04 am
by Feraud
Indiana Gater wrote:What'r we? 80??
hahah, that has me laughing!! Wasn't there an 80's movie with Ralph Maccihio wearing a fedora and a leather biker jacket? How the 80's can make one cringe! :lol:

Willie was wrong, 'anything' does not go!

Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2005 10:43 am
by binkmeisterRick
ClintonHammond wrote:Aren't we all "bandwagoners"

Sure looks like it to me
As far as fedoras go, I do not consider myself a bandwagoner. Especially since I've been wearing fedoras and hats as long as I can remember. Shoot, years ago in high school there were days I looked like I stepped out of a Charles Dickens book. No one else was doing that.

I do think, however, that way too many people are a slave to pop fashion. I haven't seen much of anything in a long time I think looks good on most people.

bink

Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2005 11:30 am
by Feraud
I think there is a difference between good style, bad style, jumping on a bandwagon and going for a certain 'look'. No look can ever be truly original so that should not even be brought into the equation!

I think the post was trying to point out a silly trend(and it is silly) of wearing a fedora because some guy writing for a magazine says it is 'in'. The idea of jumping on a 'bangwagon' is very far away from describing folks around here. I do not remember reading on these boards any member belittling another who does not wear an Adventurebuilt, Wested or Aldens. All the recent enthusiasm regarding the AB's seems normal for a group of people looking for a specific item and the item being made available. There is also plenty of accepted talk of 'close enoughs' on this message board without the fear or purists jumping on anyone's back.

I would not lump myself into a group of 'bangwagoners'. I associate with people that share similar interests. No one here looks exactly like anyone else. Even if we intend to look 'screen accurate' is never quite works out. That fact alone should dissuade people from striving to conform too rigidly to a particular 'look'. I say take the gear and make it your look.

Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2005 12:35 am
by Snakewhip_Sable
nicktheguy wrote:Did you say "The Dose"? You must be in Vancouver...as am I...
It's a national rag.

By bandwagoners, I mean people doing something just because a magazine says that's what's in style for the moment. We're all here because we have an affinity for the fedora and other Indy gear and that is likely something that will remain part of our personal style for many years to come, not until a magazine tells us fedoras are 'so last week' and that we need to start wearing propeller beanies ...until the fall season anyway.

Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2005 11:06 am
by Michaelson
Ok....unless we can somehow swing this back to a Indy gear discussion, let's put a closer on this one. Thanks! Regards! Michaelson