Imperial Fashions = englishmen and women in clothes of the Americas

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Inspired by a readthrough of the old trucker hat thread. Why is it thatin old England people appropriate working class styles tend to those of America?
It's not just limited to the trucker hat and sport shirt. There's the gentlewomen you see in those - pashinas, are they called? i really don't know - it's also in the black kids (many of whom are second generation Africans) in jackets that bear the name of one or every basketball team.
You seldom ever see someone with an old tshirt bearing the name of some cake company, or old football shirts.
I hope the answer isn't merely some internationalised cool. One might be that somewhere like Beyond Retro in Shoreditch buys cheap clothes from Canada. Perhaps it might be the discrepancy between English and American concepts of class. THe working ideal of America seems to be that spirit that was assimilated by the 40's Trade Union movement and which the Republicans have latched onto now. The English is loaded with more bitterness, a sense of us and them. Tony Blair cannot affect or employcolloqialisms like Bush can. There is this sense that it is not appropriate to play with class so much in England.

― matthew james (matthew james), Monday, 12 April 2004 13:53 (twenty-two years ago)

though morrissey was wearing a west ham shirt in the last NME i looked at.

― matthew james (matthew james), Monday, 12 April 2004 13:53 (twenty-two years ago)

I've never thought about this before. There was that thing last year (was it last year?) when everyone started wearing flat caps, but I can't think of another example of fashion-people appropriating the symbols of British working-classness. Are Pashminas an American thing? I didn't think they were. But then, I don't know much about clothes.

Matthew: your name is familiar. I think I used to read your diary four years ago...were you a friend of Erica's? Or was that another matthew james?

― Cathy (Cathy), Monday, 12 April 2004 16:57 (twenty-two years ago)

class...

― RJG (RJG), Monday, 12 April 2004 17:12 (twenty-two years ago)

pashminas are definitely not working-class.

― lauren (laurenp), Monday, 12 April 2004 17:35 (twenty-two years ago)

I thought this was going to be high fashion from the 18th and 19th centuries wearing fasions incorporating fur, beads and fringing. Or something.

― isadora (isadora), Monday, 12 April 2004 19:15 (twenty-two years ago)

cathy - yes, i just came back from erica's hose now. who were you? i've drunk a great deal in those four years and i don't remember very much.

I thought this was going to be high fashion from the 18th and 19th centuries wearing fasions incorporating fur, beads and fringing. Or something.
yes, that would be terrific!

― matthew james (matthew james), Monday, 12 April 2004 23:17 (twenty-two years ago)

erica m4carthur is very beautiful.

flat-caps = the gary jules hat?

― cozen (Cozen), Monday, 12 April 2004 23:21 (twenty-two years ago)

how the fuck do you all know erica? who the fuck are you all?

― matthew james (matthew james), Monday, 12 April 2004 23:26 (twenty-two years ago)

I have no idea who you are.

― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 07:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Haha, half of ILX knows Erica from Elsewhere.

My Mum got me my pashmina in Pakistan = kkkkkk-cheap. I don't really wear it much now - it is packed up in moth teabags in my bottom drawer.

Topshop used to sell Farah trousers, which are totally grandad/RE teacher. I think they're a UK brand.

― Madchen (Madchen), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 08:13 (twenty-two years ago)

well she always was the gregarious sort.

― matthew james (matthew james), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 11:52 (twenty-two years ago)

I wasn't anyone, I just read a lot of people's diaries. What is Erica doing now? Last I heard she'd moved to London and was listening to Peaches...that was a couple of years ago, maybe.

― Cathy (Cathy), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 12:33 (twenty-two years ago)

joined a band, recently signed to indipendiente. white rose movement, they're called, no internet presence to point you to but they play quite often in london. quite pleased they didn't turn out to be shit because i'm terrible at lying to my friends.

― matthew james (matthew james), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 12:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Brilliant. Does she sing? I will look out for them.

― Cathy (Cathy), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 12:50 (twenty-two years ago)

keyboards and backings.

― matthew james (matthew james), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 12:52 (twenty-two years ago)

How the bejaysus did this thread become all about Erica? Well, that's a magnetic personality for you, I suppose.

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 13:03 (twenty-two years ago)

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