Thursday, September 18, 2008

1999 Called....

...and they want their baggy pants and man undies back!


These cool cats were on the train this past weekend from Paris to Lille. I cropped their faces to protect the innocent and avoid a lawsuit. I love people that can walk around in something completely different than the rest of the world and not be self conscious. I don't think I could pull this look off. Maybe because I never really understood this look. The "check out how big I can wear my pants are and please also notice my underwear, they are clean" look. I don't get it, I thought men would want to show how big and manly they are. Not that they can't find pants that fit. To me it mostly says "these are my big brothers pants and someday I hope to be able to fit in them!"

NO, I don't think everyone should dress the way I do. I think that would be boring. So if any of you out there are actual wearers-of-baggy-pants-that-show-underwear, you keep sporting your style my friend. Keep the world colorful, wear some fun undies for us. I like the plaid idea...hey, maybe it's growing on me now that I think about it.

Truth be told I am probably in one of these guys' blogs wearing a brightly colored shirt. I stand alone in Lille and wear my bright colors (occasionally) while others wear their black, grays and browns. I too like to be a little different.

As I finish this post I find myself less disliking the clothes and more admiring their attitude. I should be less self conscious about what I choose to wear. Why is it that I don't dress how I did in the US? Seriously, not once have I donned a baseball cap, shorts and tennies and left the house. The times when I do wear a bright shirt I wear black boots so calm it down a bit. I wear black shoes 80% of the time just like the rest of Lille. I guess I don't want to feel like I'm sticking out in the crowd. Ewe, I sound like a lemming. Oh man, I hope everyone doesn't jump off a bridge...

Tomorrow I am wearing color. And I'm not wearing black shoes. I'm a rebel.

7 comments:

islandgirl4ever2 said...

Hi Susan,

Well said! I think "underwear" should defin. be kept "under wraps!" That's what they're for... We don't need to see them.. I thought the same thing as you when the big craze was to flash your g-string... Who thinks of these crazy trends, anyhow.. Soooo unattractive!
Take care,
Leesa

Kate said...

Hey, I'm finally commenting after lurking for a long time! What I find amazing are the SHOES on these guys. Maybe my eyes are playing tricks, but the one guy seems to be wearing white patent loafers...

BlondeInFrance said...

Good job trying to stick out!! I spend so much time trying to fit in too (darker colors, nicer shoes, extreme aversion to hats and hoods) but I must say I do like my "French" style, I feel very classy most days, even if I miss being able to run to the store in pyjama pants. Oscar De la Renta needs to have them in his next collection so all the Frechies will start wearing them so I can too!!

Unknown said...

I do love French style, but when I am in France (mostly in Lille), it seems like everyone dresses the same. Maybe the French think Americans are tacky, but I like that when you walk down the street in the states everyone is dressed different (how they want) and different colors - not just black. Last spring when we went to Lille I brought my rubber Burberry boots and wore them almost the whole time (because it rained almost the whole time) and my niece said, "oh, is that the fashion in the states now? boots like that were in style last year". I thought, ok, these are rubber boots that I will probably wear 10 years from now because they are "rubber boots" for when it rains! Also, two years ago we were in the south in the summer and my daughter and I wore a lot of bright colors (polos mostly) and we stuck out - it was 90% and everyone still wore black. We didn't care and still wore our "bright" colros!

Susan in Lille said...

Leesa - ha, thanks!

Kate - yes my new blogger friend, those would be WHITE patened leather loafers with a Gucci strap across the top. (notice I didn't say they were Gucci, we can't be sure...)

Andromeda - thanks for the kudoes! Though I don't do it often, I'm even trying to perfect the "I can ride on a train and not make eye-contact" thing. That one is so hard for me...

pchoquet - You are right on target with the fact that they do all dress very similar here. Next time you visit look for a girl in color, that could be me! And that comment about the boots...uh...I think that is just what they say when they see something different. "Pppffft...zat is sooo last season." You keep flying your colors in France!

wcs said...

I remember when I was a kid and I wore my shirts un-tucked 'cause that was the style... it really teed off my parents.

So daring! Such a rebel!

Of course, back then we didn't have pretty underwear...

Susan in Lille said...

wcs - Whew, you were really on the edge! You might have started the trend if only for the pretty man-undies, but then your un-tucked shirt would have covered them up...