# Prejudices about clothing - automatic reactions to styles and items of clothing. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 17, 2008, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prejudices-about-clothing-automatic-reactions-to-styles-and-items-of-clothing/453189 "2008-06-17T04:02:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Flutterby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prejudices-about-clothing-automatic-reactions-to-styles-and-items-of-clothing/453189/121 "2008-06-19T18:11:51Z")
**gotpasswords** : That’s exactly what I’m talking about. I’ve only seen two or three guys doing this, but I agree with your asessment of their intelligence. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prejudices-about-clothing-automatic-reactions-to-styles-and-items-of-clothing/453189/122 "2008-06-19T19:29:49Z")
I saw another one that gets to me, this morning. Those pencil-leg jeans. They seem to be popular with the local high school girls, and no matter what their actual weight is, the answer to “Do these jeans make my butt look big?” is “Yes, yes they do.” Muffin tops and pencil legs. Have they never checked out what they look like from behind? ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prejudices-about-clothing-automatic-reactions-to-styles-and-items-of-clothing/453189/123 "2008-06-19T19:40:07Z")
[QUOTE=ralph124c] I like the clothes and movies of the 1940’s 9I’m a big "film noir’ fan). Would i be considered weird if i dressed in the fashions of the '40s? man-double breasted suits and fedoras-great! [/QUOTE] You would be considered an individual of style by many, and a freak by those whose opinions aren’t worth cultivating. If you’re at all curious, I recommend you check out [The Fedora Lounge](http://www.thefedoralounge.com), an invaluable resource on this sort of thing. ---
**Author:** ![drpepper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8baadc/32.png) [@drpepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drpepper)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prejudices-about-clothing-automatic-reactions-to-styles-and-items-of-clothing/453189/124 "2008-06-19T20:15:38Z")
Wolf shirts. By which I mean, t-shirts with wolves on them. Wolf shirts. Awhile back we had what I believe was a multi-page thread on wolf shirts. I had no idea other people shared the same visceral reaction I have to people who wear wolf shirts. But there is a contingency of us out there who, I’ll admit it, look down on the wolf-shirt people. ---
**Author:** ![El\_DeLuxo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_deluxo/32/9043_2.png) [@El\_DeLuxo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_DeLuxo)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prejudices-about-clothing-automatic-reactions-to-styles-and-items-of-clothing/453189/125 "2008-06-19T22:58:25Z")
Those shirts that are like t-shirts sort of, but with collars, and necks that button. I hate them. I think guys that wear them look like they are trying too hard to look normal and respectable. Also the “old-guy pants” with the little metal-tongue-and-bracket top closures instead of buttons. Yuck. ---
**Author:** ![MadPansy64](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@MadPansy64](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadPansy64)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prejudices-about-clothing-automatic-reactions-to-styles-and-items-of-clothing/453189/126 "2008-06-19T23:42:47Z")
[QUOTE=drpepper] Wolf shirts. By which I mean, t-shirts with wolves on them. Wolf shirts. Awhile back we had what I believe was a multi-page thread on wolf shirts. I had no idea other people shared the same visceral reaction I have to people who wear wolf shirts. But there is a contingency of us out there who, I’ll admit it, look down on the wolf-shirt people. [/QUOTE] I have to chime in on this one. Wolf t-shirt people are … well, Twinkies, but I think the guy who coined the term got sued for it, so how 'bout “dipstick half-assed wannabe macho hippy goofball idiots”? BTW, I’m sure I would thoroughly enjoy a link, since I’m bitchy like that. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Soapbox\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Soapbox\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soapbox_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prejudices-about-clothing-automatic-reactions-to-styles-and-items-of-clothing/453189/127 "2008-06-19T23:49:15Z")
[QUOTE=CanvasShoes] What is a jazz hat? [/QUOTE] What I thought was a jazz hat, is apparently a [fedora](http://www.target.com/Plaid-Fedora-Hat-Screen-Print-Tan/dp/B0013TQWC2/sr=1-14/qid=1213919166/ref=sr_1_14/601-1519230-1782559?ie=UTF8&index=target&rh=k%3Ahats&page=1), but my point stands. Doooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooouche. ---
**Author:** ![nashiitashii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7c8e57/32.png) [@nashiitashii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nashiitashii)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prejudices-about-clothing-automatic-reactions-to-styles-and-items-of-clothing/453189/128 "2008-06-19T23:52:07Z")
[QUOTE=drpepper] Wolf shirts. By which I mean, t-shirts with wolves on them. Wolf shirts. Awhile back we had what I believe was a multi-page thread on wolf shirts. I had no idea other people shared the same visceral reaction I have to people who wear wolf shirts. But there is a contingency of us out there who, I’ll admit it, look down on the wolf-shirt people. [/QUOTE] I, of course, lump wolf shirts in with the “fairies and crap splattered across a semi-tie-dye t-shirt” nonsense; it all just screams “I’m unfashionable but I just _love_ Mystical Beings!!!” at me. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2008, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prejudices-about-clothing-automatic-reactions-to-styles-and-items-of-clothing/453189/129 "2008-06-20T01:12:34Z")
I can’t standing seeing guys in those really tight, tapered jeans. Especially if they’ve got a sag in the butt, as is common among the skater set. Not only do those jeans make their bodies look all wrong, but it looks like they have a load in their pants. Gouchos. I haven’t met anyone who’s legs didn’t look absolutely elephantine in them. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2008, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prejudices-about-clothing-automatic-reactions-to-styles-and-items-of-clothing/453189/130 "2008-06-20T04:28:26Z")
[QUOTE=nashiitashii] I, of course, lump wolf shirts in with the “fairies and crap splattered across a semi-tie-dye t-shirt” nonsense; it all just screams “I’m unfashionable but I just _love_ Mystical Beings!!!” at me. [/QUOTE] There’s a definite split in the wolf-shirt wearing community - the hippy/faerie/Native American-wannabe crowd, and the Harley/long haul trucker/Appalachian-American community. Go to Colorado or New Mexico, and a woman wearing a wolf shirt will be the type of person who plays music that includes whale calls while driving a Toyota Prius that bears a bumper sticker that reads “The Goddess Is Alive And Magik Is Afoot.” 'Round these parts, head out past the exurbs towards Ashtabula or West Virginia, and a woman with a wolf shirt will have a gravelly voice, a ridden-hard-put-away-wet look, and a single-wide that needs a few more tires on the roof. I’ll never tell my girlfriend this, but I’m a fan of “trad” style; the 1960s Ivy League collegiate look. There’s a clothing store in Buffalo, [O’Connell’s](http://shop.oconnellsclothing.com/), that is one of the few in the country specializing in trad clothing; it’s practically a tourist attraction. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2008, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prejudices-about-clothing-automatic-reactions-to-styles-and-items-of-clothing/453189/131 "2008-06-20T04:41:59Z")
Many of the backpackers passing through here are latter-day hippies. I don’t mean just casual wear, but tie-dyed T-shirts, fishermen’s pant, the works. The Thais are always making rude remarks about the way they look, although you’d never know it if you did not understand the language, especially since they’re so expert at maintaining their inscrutable smiles. This type of backpacker probably thinks the odd stares they get are because they’re white, but that only still happens upcountry. In Bangkok, it’s because they dress like clowns. I stand far away from them on the bus or Skytrain. ---
**Author:** ![chicken\_wire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e4f/32.png) [@chicken\_wire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chicken_wire)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2008, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prejudices-about-clothing-automatic-reactions-to-styles-and-items-of-clothing/453189/132 "2008-06-20T13:37:34Z")
I don’t know if it counts as clothing but you’ve mentioned shoes and hats so… I have an irrational hatred of ‘large’ sunglasses, especially on women. You know the ones, huge, dark and squarish, possibly graduated so they’re darker at the top, but not necessarily so. They’re all the rage, apparently. I think they make the wearer look vacuous and arrogant, instant cold hearted bimbo. Hate 'em. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2008, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prejudices-about-clothing-automatic-reactions-to-styles-and-items-of-clothing/453189/133 "2008-06-20T13:49:19Z")
[QUOTE=elmwood] There’s a clothing store in Buffalo, [O’Connell’s](http://shop.oconnellsclothing.com/), that is one of the few in the country specializing in trad clothing; it’s practically a tourist attraction. [/QUOTE] In the South, you could wind up and throw a rock in any direction and hit a store just like that. I’m not sure why that one comes across as particularly unique. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2008, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prejudices-about-clothing-automatic-reactions-to-styles-and-items-of-clothing/453189/134 "2008-06-20T14:03:21Z")
Probably 'cause white-collar gin-and-tonic sipping golf dorks are pretty thin on the ground in Buffalo. ---
**Author:** ![drpepper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8baadc/32.png) [@drpepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drpepper)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2008, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prejudices-about-clothing-automatic-reactions-to-styles-and-items-of-clothing/453189/135 "2008-06-20T14:13:48Z")
I did a search for the wolf shirt thread, but no luck. (I searched on “wolf” – didn’t know what else to use. Perhaps the thread started off as some other topic but then evolved into the wolf-shirt discussion). Does anyone else remember this? It was years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2008, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prejudices-about-clothing-automatic-reactions-to-styles-and-items-of-clothing/453189/136 "2008-06-20T14:14:23Z")
The only- and I mean _only_- people who should be wearing Camouflage are either A) In the military or B) Hunters. If you are not in the military or out hunting, then you should not be in camouflage, IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![MadPansy64](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@MadPansy64](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadPansy64)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2008, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prejudices-about-clothing-automatic-reactions-to-styles-and-items-of-clothing/453189/137 "2008-06-20T14:34:53Z")
[QUOTE=drpepper] I did a search for the wolf shirt thread, but no luck. (I searched on “wolf” – didn’t know what else to use. Perhaps the thread started off as some other topic but then evolved into the wolf-shirt discussion). Does anyone else remember this? It was years ago. [/QUOTE] If it was very long ago, it’s probably been disappeared to help save the hamsters. Thanks for trying! ---
**Author:** ![Vihaga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Vihaga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vihaga)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2008, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prejudices-about-clothing-automatic-reactions-to-styles-and-items-of-clothing/453189/138 "2008-06-20T14:41:26Z")
[QUOTE=elmwood] \*\*[Any t-shirts from this link\*\*](http://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts/): makes me hold my breath and expect the worst. [/QUOTE] Heh. 75% of my husband’s shirts come from there (and 20% probably come from webcomic sites). I’ve told him, but he doesn’t care. I eventually gave up, and now I buy them for him as gifts, so I can at least pick out the least offensive/annoying ones. I think there are a couple reasons why he wears them: he _enjoys_ being a computer geek (one of those surly telecommuting sysadmin ones), he likes black (they’re almost all black), and he gets complimented on them. All. The. Time. I’m not kidding; there’s some subset of people that, while they don’t wear these shirts, apparently secretly LOVES them. At least his hygiene is impeccable. If I showered as much as he does, my skin would fall off. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2008, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prejudices-about-clothing-automatic-reactions-to-styles-and-items-of-clothing/453189/139 "2008-06-20T15:34:00Z")
[QUOTE=DLuxN8R-13] Those shirts that are like t-shirts sort of, but with collars, and necks that button. I hate them. I think guys that wear them look like they are trying too hard to look normal and respectable. [/QUOTE] Polo shirts? ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2008, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prejudices-about-clothing-automatic-reactions-to-styles-and-items-of-clothing/453189/140 "2008-06-20T15:56:40Z")
[QUOTE=Martini Enfield] The only- and I mean _only_- people who should be wearing Camouflage are either A) In the military or B) Hunters. If you are not in the military or out hunting, then you should not be in camouflage, IMHO. [/QUOTE] Camouflage baby and children’s clothes are especially irritating. And pink camo. Yuck. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prejudices-about-clothing-automatic-reactions-to-styles-and-items-of-clothing/453189.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prejudices-about-clothing-automatic-reactions-to-styles-and-items-of-clothing/453189.md?page=8)