Oh my god. I worked at Sears the year kambuckta’s SO’s suit was made. I was 17 and worked sometimes as a floater, helping out in whatever department, relieving people for breaks and lunches. I liked working in the men’s department the best.
I knew a bunch of the guys in men’s (heh), and I am not kidding you, out of I think 12 part timers in that department, half of them were color blind. Like bats. They sold some seriously screwed up shit. Cripes, it was 1970 and lavender was a perfectly fine color for a prom tuxedo; orange was a really popular color also. These poor guys couldn’t just fake it with gray and black like you can now.
I used to laugh like a loon when I’d go down to mens and one of them was trying to put together an outfit of plaid pants (funny enough all by themselves) with a colored shirt AND a big ol’ wide tie. Customer standing there looking all WTF. Hoo boy.
In addition to his Ed Hardy styles my Mig has done strange things to his hair.
He has beautiful thick straight black hair. When we met he kept it shoulder length, usually in a neat pony tail. Then he started shaving his head, but left parts. In addition to various styles of mohawk, he’s shaved his entire head except for bangs. It’s hideous. He thinks it’s cool. I love him so I actually put up with it, as long as he wears a cap when we go to the store together. He’s just trying to grow it back out now. I hope he doesn’t give in. He is so hot with that long hair.
I’ve read that this is actually a pretty common trait for introverts.
I do it. I buy a surplus of things that I feel comfortable in and that will make me as invisible as possible when I venture out into public. I will make myself presentable, but other than that, I don’t really think about how I look or how other people will perceive me; what matters is that I don’t feel constricted by what I have on and that I have enough pockets for my wallet and phone and whatever else so I don’t have to carry around a bag. For me, this means cargo pants/shorts, a t-shirt or polo, and a sweatshirt or jacket. I do have a few pairs of custom order Vans shoes, but that’s about as crazy as I get.
I’ve got the same problem–long legs, monkey arms, most off the rack doesn’t fit. I wear JC Penney stuff almost exclusively; ultra-tall boot cut cords in different colors, tops and sweaters in coordinating colors. I did manage to find some GAP jeans at Big Lots for $8, they’re not the most stylish cut, but they are long enough and that’s all that matters.
You know what would make that suit acceptable? Even fashionable?
SEQUINS AND RHINESTONES!!!
You need to get him one of those rivet-gun-like machines to sparkle and spangle that baby up! Send a picture of him all tricked out to Oprah, and I bet she will think of a subject to get him on her show.
Of the two of us, I don’t think either of us is a fashion disaster, but I’m probably closer to it than Jim is. Jim has very good taste - he has an ability to pick out clothes for me that I wouldn’t pick out for myself, but they look awesome as soon as I put them on (and he dresses himself nicely, too). I usually buy clothes that fit comfortably in traditional styles (I think most fashion mavens will tell you that comfort is your last consideration is you want to look fashionable).
I have a bright blue and green knit cap with kitty ears on it. We should wear our animal-themed head gear together and see how many people stop and stare*.
Considering we are in NYC probably not too many. I see weirder shit than that all the time. I saw a man with no pants going to the bank at 11 p.m. in the middle of winter! I think the hats probably wouldn’t even ping people’s weird-o-meters.
At the Salvation Army, where I work, we get the cast offs of yesteryear and some from yesterday.
Someone must have died or they came back in style for a nanosecond and everyone else missed it, but we got in about 10 dickey’s, in a variety of colors and fabric.
The highlight was saying, " Ooooh, a velvet dickey!"
The look I got from one of the black twentysomething guys was AWESOME.
Then I explained what a dickey was.
I assume the boyfriend’s lack of style is tied into his lack of funds, as I know he was quite the whore back in the day, and he really wouldn’t have done too well with the ladies had he been wearing his daily uniform of denim shorts, white t-shirt that’s one size too large and black sneakers. Every. Day. The shorts I can kinda sorta live with since they at least fit and he does have awesome legs. The shirt is annoying due to it’s oversizedness, but it’s not like it’s ghetto style, just a little too large. But for the love of god, we live in Florida. Get some flip flops or sandals or something!Never mind that my feet sizzle just looking at him, only the fashion challenged wear sneakers with shorts in the middle of the Florida summer.
This reminded me of the first time I went shopping with my mom after I graduated university (needed some clothes without holes to wear to my first ‘real’ job).
Background: my mom is a bit of a goody-goody. She can’t go in the out door or talk about anything on the dirty side (not just to us kids, I have confirmation from her buddies, too).
I tried on a few things and was getting mighty frustrated that everything that fit the rest of me was too small to contain my more-than-ample busom.
My mom, being much smaller in that area than I am, asks what I am doing in the changeroom and what all the frustrated noises are about. (At this point, I am beyond frustrated.)
I come out in a shirt that looks great from boob level down but that my breasts are barely contained in to demonstrate the problem.
All she says is:
‘I wish I had those.’
In utter shock, I get back in the change room, get dressed and try to leave the store…
…when my mom buys the shirt for me and makes me promise to wear it but never in front of my dad.
Ever since then, I always bring my mom shopping if I want something on the risque side of the fence.
What a coincidence, we were just talking about dickeys the other day. A friend was in a store and a guy was trying to promote clip-on collars. Not clip-on ties, clip-on collars. So you could wear a comfortable regular t-shirt under your boat sweater, but convince your boss you had a dress shirt underneath.
That got us wondering if they still make dickeys.
As for rubbers: I inherited a pair from my dad. I really liked them too. Unfortunately, I tried wearing them in the winter too often and they kind of got killed by road salt.
