mutton dressed as mod
I got a new anorak the other day. A victim of advertising. You see when was about 18 me and all my friends, well most of my friends wore anoraks and thought we were mods. We use to hang in the gloomy cafe, smoking cigarette after cigarette in lieu of lectures and construct 'sculpture' (read 'mess') from polystyrene cups. A few of the guys had scooters, and we would shuffle around in packs, drink dollar-a-drink drinks at the Palace on Tuesday nights, and hang at Clare's on Friday and Saturday night.
Mod was just one way way to be alternative. How important that word was us to then back in the eighties. Oh to be alternative. Alternative music, alternative clothes. You know, she's really alternative. How we thought this was not a label, I don't know.
So I see this chainstore/clothing label/outfit that would not ever have passed as alternative back in the day advertising these anorakky looking jackets. I am entranced. I had been thinking that I really had to stop wearing hoodies to work as it is inauthentic, lecturers masquerading as students. And I had thought that I would by some sleek sort of fitted jacket thing, in a sombre colour, but then TV ruins everything. I see anoraks, I must have anoraks.
I sneak into the shop because my alternative snobbery even though historic now still weirds me out when I got into such 'mallshops' and look at them. At first I can't find the real anoraks or at lest the most simulacrum of an anorak, all I can see is 'the updated' version made out of ski-jacket material. I am desolate, I will not be seventeen again. Then the sales assistant comes up, looking like he might be approaching eighteen himself and asked if he could help. He pointed out the black shiny version, and said great aren't they, and I told him of my dream to be seventeen again. And he laughs and shows me where the anorak coloured anoraks are and gets kinda excited for me. I make a few jokes and feel like I'm his best customer for the day.
So I now I have my anorak and a spring in my step and thanks to this mall type shop I am alternative again. I could go home and listen to the Smiths or cob my hair like Paul Weller the God of Mod might do.
People comment on said anorak all the time, a female colleague asked to try it on. Perhaps they too feel the pull of a seventeen year old fashion reminiscence.
On the downside though, at the supermarket, I see this old guy, seventy odd wearing my anorak. Hmmm...
Mod was just one way way to be alternative. How important that word was us to then back in the eighties. Oh to be alternative. Alternative music, alternative clothes. You know, she's really alternative. How we thought this was not a label, I don't know.
So I see this chainstore/clothing label/outfit that would not ever have passed as alternative back in the day advertising these anorakky looking jackets. I am entranced. I had been thinking that I really had to stop wearing hoodies to work as it is inauthentic, lecturers masquerading as students. And I had thought that I would by some sleek sort of fitted jacket thing, in a sombre colour, but then TV ruins everything. I see anoraks, I must have anoraks.
I sneak into the shop because my alternative snobbery even though historic now still weirds me out when I got into such 'mallshops' and look at them. At first I can't find the real anoraks or at lest the most simulacrum of an anorak, all I can see is 'the updated' version made out of ski-jacket material. I am desolate, I will not be seventeen again. Then the sales assistant comes up, looking like he might be approaching eighteen himself and asked if he could help. He pointed out the black shiny version, and said great aren't they, and I told him of my dream to be seventeen again. And he laughs and shows me where the anorak coloured anoraks are and gets kinda excited for me. I make a few jokes and feel like I'm his best customer for the day.
So I now I have my anorak and a spring in my step and thanks to this mall type shop I am alternative again. I could go home and listen to the Smiths or cob my hair like Paul Weller the God of Mod might do.
People comment on said anorak all the time, a female colleague asked to try it on. Perhaps they too feel the pull of a seventeen year old fashion reminiscence.
On the downside though, at the supermarket, I see this old guy, seventy odd wearing my anorak. Hmmm...
posted by Ludovic at 12:49 PM
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