# Resolved: When Black Folks Dress Up, they do it WAY better than anyone else. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 14, 2005, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-when-black-folks-dress-up-they-do-it-way-better-than-anyone-else/316977 "2005-08-14T17:08:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2005, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-when-black-folks-dress-up-they-do-it-way-better-than-anyone-else/316977/21 "2005-08-14T23:23:41Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > Have we become so afraid of being un-PC that we can’t notice differences in our cultures anymore? Yes, actually. That is precisely what has happened. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2005, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-when-black-folks-dress-up-they-do-it-way-better-than-anyone-else/316977/22 "2005-08-14T23:29:32Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > Oh, come on. The black church ladies do dress up! It’s not a silly overgeneralization, it’s a cultural observation. I promise you if you drive past your average great big black church around noontime on Sunday you’ll see more elaborate hats than you see all week put together, and that they’ll be the exact same color as the outfit _and_ probably shoes, and that you’ll quite possibly have to look long and hard to find a pair of bare, unstockinged legs. Ditto the moms at a black college graduation. Have we become so afraid of being un-PC that we can’t notice differences in our cultures anymore? Because that’s sad. I agree. I grew up in a small town that was roughly half black and my experience mirrors yours and **Stoid’s**. Just become something is recognized as a stereotype doesn’t mean that it is automatically false. Likewise, general cultural observations don’t mean that there aren’t any exceptions. We could never have conversations about anything if we didn’t use stereotypes to some degree. ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2005, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-when-black-folks-dress-up-they-do-it-way-better-than-anyone-else/316977/23 "2005-08-15T01:07:21Z")
> [@Stoid](#): > > Anyone have an opposing opinion? 😃 No bebate here. I have a lot of black friends. The mother of one of them died and the church provided a luncheon for those attending the funeral service and burial. Every last one of them was DRESSED! I have to say that I am ashamed of some of my brethern who come to worship dressed like they were going to a ball game or ‘something.’ :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2005, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-when-black-folks-dress-up-they-do-it-way-better-than-anyone-else/316977/24 "2005-08-15T03:45:49Z")
I think that this memetic idea continues to proliferate because black casual fashion tends to be signifcantly less dressy than white casual fashion; while an average white guy’s idea of “dressing down” may involve a t-shirt, baseball cap and khaki shorts, the average black man is more likely to wear sagging, oversized gym shorts, a baggy, oversized sports jersey, and a do-rag. Short answer - you’re used to seeing black people looking sloppy and strangely-dressed, so when they dress nicely, it’s more of a difference. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2005, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-when-black-folks-dress-up-they-do-it-way-better-than-anyone-else/316977/25 "2005-08-15T04:21:36Z")
Two cites in support of OP- Cedric the Entertainer- that man is _stylin’_! The comic strip Curtis which has a whole running joke about the hats black ladies wear to church. ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2005, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-when-black-folks-dress-up-they-do-it-way-better-than-anyone-else/316977/26 "2005-08-15T04:49:45Z")
I agree with the OP to a point. It’s not that white people (or other ethic groups) cannot dress nice, it’s then when they do, it’s bland. Everyone looks the same. Where as I’m sure what the OP witnessed, didn’t involve a standard suit with a white shirt and corny tie. The suits and dresses were probably of all different attractive colors, and with everything tucked right, lint free, and everything that can shine, does. But of course, not all black people dress nice. But when they do, it’s fashionably better here in the states, IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2005, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-when-black-folks-dress-up-they-do-it-way-better-than-anyone-else/316977/27 "2005-08-15T05:17:58Z")
I’m sure there is some truth in what **ParentalAdvisory** says. Dark skinned people can wear colours that make pale people like me look cadaverous. Red headed women can also get away with lurid colours even if they are pale skinned. It makes them stand out too. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2005, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-when-black-folks-dress-up-they-do-it-way-better-than-anyone-else/316977/28 "2005-08-15T06:27:27Z")
Get off me. It’s true! When I used to go to the high school to see the kids get their awards … what stood out most was the black kids who _actually dressed up_ for the occasion. Did it matter that the boy’s suit was chartreuse? Naw. These are people who make a point that Hey! I’m in the spot light and I’m gonna be at my best! A pox on folks who don’t like that. And a pox on the stupid white kids wearing flip flops and baggy shorts to an award ceremony. And don’t get me started on the hats. I love the way the grannies and aunties wear their hats to church. More power to ya, gal. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2005, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-when-black-folks-dress-up-they-do-it-way-better-than-anyone-else/316977/29 "2005-08-15T07:02:01Z")
Fuckin’ A. In the South, church-going black folks dress to the _nines_ for church on Sunday. You should see the ladies’ hats. They’re awe-inspiring. ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2005, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-when-black-folks-dress-up-they-do-it-way-better-than-anyone-else/316977/30 "2005-08-15T07:46:34Z")
> [@VCO3](#): > > Short answer - you’re used to seeing black people looking sloppy and strangely-dressed, so when they dress nicely, it’s more of a difference. Not at all. I’m so fucking ancient I’ve been seeing black people dress casual since way before dashikis were cool, and if you don’t know what that means, then that’s proof enough right there. And it doesn’t have to do with the fashion, either, although black people certainly do tend to have much greater flair than your average white person. It’s exactly what I said in the beginning: when they DO dress up, they don’t screw around. Every square inch is flawless. I don’t even really understand how they acheive it. It’s like they are immune to forces that fell lesser beings; dust, lint, sweat, wrinkles, etc. Because they look just as sharp late at night after the party’s over as they do heading in earlier. ---
**Author:** ![I\_is\_smart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/6de8d8/32.png) [@I\_is\_smart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_is_smart)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2005, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-when-black-folks-dress-up-they-do-it-way-better-than-anyone-else/316977/31 "2005-08-15T13:27:58Z")
First of all this was originally posted in Great Debates, that’s ridiculous. I’m a new poster and even I would know better than that. Second of all Stoid basically said Gee them black people sure do clean up nice. They iron their clothes and wear clean clothes when they dress up–Wow. This is a ridiculous thing to say, it could have and should have been said in a slightly less generalized way and it belonged in MPSIMS–it’s only here because it throws in a “what do you think?” statement. It seems that Stoid has posted here for a while, Iwould think that she/he would know better than to have such a thread in GD. Plus, after reading this board for a while now it surprises me that some people seem to be giving Stoid a free pass. I am a black woman and I generally don’t take offense to statements like these if they are done without knowledge that they are asenine, but I would think someone who’s been around as long as Stoid would just know better. FTR I’m not offended, just irritated. ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2005, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-when-black-folks-dress-up-they-do-it-way-better-than-anyone-else/316977/32 "2005-08-15T13:46:48Z")
^ Love the user name. ---
**Author:** ![miss\_elizabeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@miss\_elizabeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miss_elizabeth)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2005, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-when-black-folks-dress-up-they-do-it-way-better-than-anyone-else/316977/33 "2005-08-15T14:22:34Z")
I can’t believe some people don’t get this. All I can figure is that living in Mississippi, I see a greater abundance of black church goers or something. > [@](#): > > Second of all Stoid basically said Gee them black people sure do clean up nice. They iron their clothes and wear clean clothes when they dress up–Wow. This is a ridiculous thing to say, Augh! No! Go to a white church. Look around. People look pretty nice. Now, go to a black church. WOW!!! :eek: White people never look this good! Nice hats (and good luck finding a white woman, even an old lady, wearing any hat!), matching shoes, beautiful suits; it’s like a peacock convention. > [@](#): > > I think that this memetic idea continues to proliferate because black casual fashion tends to be signifcantly less dressy than white casual fashion; while an average white guy’s idea of “dressing down” may involve a t-shirt, baseball cap and khaki shorts, the average black man is more likely to wear sagging, oversized gym shorts, a baggy, oversized sports jersey, and a do-rag. > > Short answer - you’re used to seeing black people looking sloppy and strangely-dressed, so when they dress nicely, it’s more of a difference. I don’t think it’s just cleaning up nice. Again, maybe its my location, but round these parts (as a general rule, blah blah blah) black people _always_ look better that their white counterparts. And their cars are much fancier too. My friend, who is a chef, gets teased mercilessly by the black teenagers who wash the dishes in the back. He get paid good money, and still shows up with stains on his pants! These 16 year old kids wouldn’t dream of presenting themselves in public like that. Now I know I’m generalizing, but a lot of cultural stereotypes do hold true generally. It’s okay to notice. I think we all do anyway, even if for some reason it isn’t considered polite to say so. ---
**Author:** ![miss\_elizabeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@miss\_elizabeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miss_elizabeth)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2005, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-when-black-folks-dress-up-they-do-it-way-better-than-anyone-else/316977/34 "2005-08-15T14:26:04Z")
Also, we have plays about it. So it isn’t just me. [http://www.memphisflyer.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A9875](http://www.memphisflyer.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A9875) There was a book, too, if I’m not mistaken. ---
**Author:** ![I\_is\_smart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/6de8d8/32.png) [@I\_is\_smart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_is_smart)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2005, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-when-black-folks-dress-up-they-do-it-way-better-than-anyone-else/316977/35 "2005-08-15T18:05:04Z")
Just because something is true in your experience does not make it acceptable for sweeping generalizations. This is pretty innocuous, but I would think that most individuals would be smart enough on this board to NOT extend such a sweeping generalization to an entire race. For instance, I am black. I enjoy fried chicken and watermelon. Most of my black friends enjoy fried chicken and watermelon. I would not presume to say that blacks like fried chicken and watermelon. It would sound quite racist if you didn’t know I was black (and is in a way we could discuss another time) and would be inappropriate no matter what color of skin I have. I would suggest that Stoid has made a faux pas and should realize it. I would ask of you and of Stoid, would you have felt comfortable walking up to black strangers who were part of the gospel group and saying what Stoid thinks? ---
**Author:** ![I\_is\_smart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/6de8d8/32.png) [@I\_is\_smart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_is_smart)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2005, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-when-black-folks-dress-up-they-do-it-way-better-than-anyone-else/316977/36 "2005-08-15T18:07:00Z")
And **ParentalAdvisory** thanks, it’s how I feel versus reality! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Stuffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@Stuffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuffy)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2005, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-when-black-folks-dress-up-they-do-it-way-better-than-anyone-else/316977/37 "2005-08-15T18:40:01Z")
I know what Stoid means, further I see it in action every Sunday. As it happens I live directly across the street from a large black Baptist church and next door to a Latino church, there is also not far away a church with a primarily white congregation (I’m not sure of the denomination though). I’d love to volunteer my digital camera next Sunday for comparisons sake. The difference is very noticeable. Any takers? Come to think of it there is also a Vietanmese church and a another with Pacific Islanders (maybe Tongan) within a block of here. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2005, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-when-black-folks-dress-up-they-do-it-way-better-than-anyone-else/316977/38 "2005-08-15T18:59:40Z")
Dressed up black men seem to wear more hats than dressed up white men, which gives a nice aura to it. In Baltimore, the only whites I seem to see going to church are Catholics and the blacks are predominantly African Methodist Episocopal. Out of the Catholic/AME sides, the AMEs definitely seem to dress up more. White bums and black bums seem equally shabby. Whites and blacks at the chess club and in the bars I go to seem to dress equally casually. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2005, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-when-black-folks-dress-up-they-do-it-way-better-than-anyone-else/316977/39 "2005-08-15T19:17:04Z")
I would hazard a guess that I’m not the only one irritated by any thread title that begins with “Resolved:” ---
**Author:** ![miss\_elizabeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@miss\_elizabeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miss_elizabeth)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2005, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-when-black-folks-dress-up-they-do-it-way-better-than-anyone-else/316977/40 "2005-08-15T20:06:08Z")
Yeah, “Resolved” is dumb. > [@](#): > > I would ask of you and of Stoid, would you have felt comfortable walking up to black strangers who were part of the gospel group and saying what Stoid thinks? Of course I would, and I have. I once commented to a group of black church goers waiting for a table near me at a restaurant that I wished I could dress so fancy for church. We laughed and talked about our different cultures. I have often commented on a well dressed black man’s tie or some such. I don’t suppose I would walk up to a group of gospel singers and holler out, “hey ya’ll black folks look fancy!!” but mostly because it would make me look like an ignorant hick who’d never seen well dressed people of _any_ race. I think the OP was sort of silly, and overly general, but not inappropriate, certainly not racist. As the link I provided shows, its not like he’s the first one to notice this. All that being said, I would never want to offend anyone, and I hope I haven’t. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-when-black-folks-dress-up-they-do-it-way-better-than-anyone-else/316977.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-when-black-folks-dress-up-they-do-it-way-better-than-anyone-else/316977.md?page=3)