YouLookFab Forum » Topic: A sign of privilege

YouLookFab Forum » Topic: A sign of privilege https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/a-sign-of-privilege Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Sat, 11 Apr 2026 12:52:27 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 <![CDATA[Search]]> q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php Lisa on "A sign of privilege" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/a-sign-of-privilege/page/2#post-1132810 Wed, 08 Jan 2014 16:24:57 +0000 Lisa 1132810@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Very interesting.  I have camo jeans and don't give them a second thought to wear them.  But I've never added ripped clothes to my wardrobe, no matter how in style they were I just couldn't make that leap for myself. cade on "A sign of privilege" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/a-sign-of-privilege/page/2#post-1132738 Wed, 08 Jan 2014 15:36:14 +0000 cade 1132738@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I had never thought about it much why I like distressed jeans so much, but your observation is the answer. Camouflage as a fashion statement goes the same way, since I have two of my children serving in the armed forces. Sometimes things hit too close to home. Scarlet on "A sign of privilege" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/a-sign-of-privilege/page/2#post-1132526 Wed, 08 Jan 2014 08:42:00 +0000 Scarlet 1132526@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I don't mean to miss the point but I would just say that everyone can have an innate style and grace. rae on "A sign of privilege" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/a-sign-of-privilege#post-1132460 Wed, 08 Jan 2014 06:29:20 +0000 rae 1132460@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I guess I'm one who doesn't see the problem with wearing distressed denim. Maybe I'm being dense, but fashion appropriates from all kinds of cultures and subcultures all the time, and it's not always done sensitively or PC... it's not like ripped jeans romanticize and promote the homeless lifestyle and make it out to be awesome. Nor are ripped jeans exclusively associated with homeless - some may think of grizzly 49ers panning for gold or crazy rock stars or whatever. Others may find beauty in displaying the (artificial, I'll give you that) "life stages" and degradation of manmade fiber all in one place. ETA: I think Denise and I were on the same train of thought here. Then I also have no problem with camo print, and some find it highly offensive.  And well, then again I also only give charitable donations to animal rescues. So maybe I'm not the person to ask, lol. Adelfa on "A sign of privilege" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/a-sign-of-privilege#post-1132455 Wed, 08 Jan 2014 06:25:23 +0000 Adelfa 1132455@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ In my experience with those who are mentally ill (and sometimes also homeless), I've noticed, as Steph says, that some of them have a very defined (and delightful) personal style. Truly, style is not a budget. CocoLion on "A sign of privilege" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/a-sign-of-privilege#post-1132453 Wed, 08 Jan 2014 06:17:11 +0000 CocoLion 1132453@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Oh wow, Anna, your story really made me think. I have some thoughts on this but I am so tired I can't form them well but I will try.  I think designers grasp inspiration from many places including the high strata (Downton Abbey inspired looks from Ralph Lauren) and the hard working ragged masses.  We have no trouble accepting that posh things are co-opted, but isn't it also then OK to glean inspiration from a soldier or construction worker or cowboy or yes, a homeless person.  As Steph points out she knows some ladies with interesting style.  I don't think designers are trying to make fun of people or make light of their plight.  To me, they are saying, "look, there is beauty in this!"  Just as Andy Warhol thought there was beauty in a can of soup.  Anna you can look at the woman and see a moment of beauty in her, with her artful jeans, maybe it can inspire something in you.  Either from a style standpoint or thinking about her humanity, her plight. ----- On another note, regarding the culture of distressing… Does anyone else remember how it was un-cool to have brand new jeans or leather?  Yet nothing came washed or distressed back then.  When I lived in NYC in the 80s I spent a good chunk of change on a Schott NY leather biker jacket.  My boyfriend at the time, who was an artist living way Uptown (before that was fashionable), joked with me that I needed to get into a bar fight and tumble in the mud for this jacket to look right.  He lived on 125th street and there were so many rats that he had taken a big ping pong table, and constructed a bed/tent on top of it to be safe from the rats.  But I digress.  The point was, back then, you lived in your things and distressed them yourself.  A worn in pair of jeans or leather jacket was a sign that you have "lived."  Now it's so easy to buy that "lived in look."    karymk on "A sign of privilege" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/a-sign-of-privilege#post-1132423 Wed, 08 Jan 2014 05:13:05 +0000 karymk 1132423@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Denim is the great Equalizer. Eliza on "A sign of privilege" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/a-sign-of-privilege#post-1132364 Wed, 08 Jan 2014 04:19:05 +0000 Eliza 1132364@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Yes. It all comes down to the privilege of choosing. When I was in college in the 70s, it was common for students to dress in clothes that were "tired", if not worn and distressed. Again, the luxury of it being an option was palpable. Kind of like the difference between choosing to leave a job and being laid off. Thanks for posting, Anna. Very interesting to hear people's thoughts. Sveta on "A sign of privilege" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/a-sign-of-privilege#post-1132342 Wed, 08 Jan 2014 03:57:05 +0000 Sveta 1132342@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ This gives my distaste of distressed denim a new footing... Summer on "A sign of privilege" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/a-sign-of-privilege#post-1132290 Wed, 08 Jan 2014 03:09:09 +0000 Summer 1132290@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Yes...that gives one some stuff to chew on. Thanks for sharing the article, too...love that sort of thing. Catnip on "A sign of privilege" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/a-sign-of-privilege#post-1132289 Wed, 08 Jan 2014 03:08:35 +0000 Catnip 1132289@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I've always hated distressed jeans.  The very expensive ones make my skin crawl because they make me feel as though the wearer is somehow mocking people who have no other choice but to wear worn out clothes.  They also remind me of my childhood in Appalachia, where many people were very poor. Anna, thank you for bringing this up, and for being sensitive to the feelings of others. Gaylene on "A sign of privilege" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/a-sign-of-privilege#post-1132276 Wed, 08 Jan 2014 03:00:23 +0000 Gaylene 1132276@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Reminds me of the story about a homeless man who offered to exchange sweaters with a younger man, only to find that said younger male was wearing a designer distressed version costing a couple of thousand. Probably an urban myth, but it somehow seemed to make faux distressing look rather ridiculous to me from then on. marianna on "A sign of privilege" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/a-sign-of-privilege#post-1132270 Wed, 08 Jan 2014 02:55:30 +0000 marianna 1132270@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Also reminds me of this: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://racked.com/archives/2013/09/26/lanvin-sent-a-trashbag-purse-down-the-runway.php">http://racked.com/archives/201.....runway.php</a> annagybe on "A sign of privilege" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/a-sign-of-privilege#post-1132266 Wed, 08 Jan 2014 02:53:43 +0000 annagybe 1132266@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Isabel, it was heroin chic actually.  Real heroin use ain't that pretty. I see it all the time at work. Isabel on "A sign of privilege" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/a-sign-of-privilege#post-1132262 Wed, 08 Jan 2014 02:51:55 +0000 Isabel 1132262@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Diana, you made me think of that "cocaine" look from several years ago. Do you guys remember that ? Kate moss did quite a few of those ads. Diana on "A sign of privilege" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/a-sign-of-privilege#post-1132252 Wed, 08 Jan 2014 02:48:24 +0000 Diana 1132252@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Thought provoking indeed. Not so much anymore, but anthropologie used to style things in a very "homeless chic" sort of way, which I always found slightly disconcerting, especially in urban settings. lisaw on "A sign of privilege" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/a-sign-of-privilege#post-1132245 Wed, 08 Jan 2014 02:45:50 +0000 lisaw 1132245@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I was in a waiting room once with a very elderly man, who, given the usual dearth of reading  material, was looking at  an elderly copy of Vogue magazine.   He became visibly agitated, showing me a multiple-page spread of models clad in very distressed jeans and overalls. They were, of course,  hundreds of dollars per item. He slapped the pages and spluttered, finally saying,"When I was young we were so poor we HAD to dress like that, and we were ashamed!" Thistle on "A sign of privilege" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/a-sign-of-privilege#post-1132241 Wed, 08 Jan 2014 02:43:09 +0000 Thistle 1132241@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Very thought provoking, indeed. Summer on "A sign of privilege" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/a-sign-of-privilege#post-1132240 Wed, 08 Jan 2014 02:42:56 +0000 Summer 1132240@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Yes...that gives one some stuff to chew on. Thanks for sharing the article, too...love that sort of thing. krishnidoux on "A sign of privilege" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/a-sign-of-privilege#post-1132236 Wed, 08 Jan 2014 02:40:44 +0000 krishnidoux 1132236@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Anna, that is a very good post. Thanks for sharing. Indeed, what a realization.  Isabel on "A sign of privilege" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/a-sign-of-privilege#post-1132233 Wed, 08 Jan 2014 02:40:15 +0000 Isabel 1132233@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I realize that it is not the same as being homeless, but this reminds me of the camo look. I know people who have family in the military that find "war" clothing as fashion , distasteful. I find this true particularly of moms with their young adult kids overseas. I worked with the homeless a bit many years ago in Boston. I can tell you that the last thing that they thought about was how the rest of us dressed. Jaime on "A sign of privilege" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/a-sign-of-privilege#post-1132220 Wed, 08 Jan 2014 02:28:31 +0000 Jaime 1132220@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I wonder how she feels about intentional distressing. annagybe on "A sign of privilege" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/a-sign-of-privilege#post-1132215 Wed, 08 Jan 2014 02:25:53 +0000 annagybe 1132215@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Her look wasn't patched but it totally reminded me of this  <a rel="nofollow" href="http://furugistarjapan.wordpress.com/2011/02/18/boro-japanese-folk-fabric/">http://furugistarjapan.wordpre.....lk-fabric/</a> Echo on "A sign of privilege" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/a-sign-of-privilege#post-1132214 Wed, 08 Jan 2014 02:25:31 +0000 Echo 1132214@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ There was an Urban Outfitters near the University where I went to school, and we used to joke that people spent lots of money to look like they were homeless. Of course, in retrospect, being homeless isn't funny at all, but many of us had at that time the privilege of never having seen people truly in need. We were quite insulated. Suz on "A sign of privilege" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/a-sign-of-privilege#post-1132207 Wed, 08 Jan 2014 02:14:18 +0000 Suz 1132207@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Not to mention "seasonally appropriate dressing" - when many cannot afford the extra layers.  Firecracker (Sharan) on "A sign of privilege" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/a-sign-of-privilege#post-1132199 Wed, 08 Jan 2014 02:09:53 +0000 Firecracker (Sharan) 1132199@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Yes, it gives pause. Also gives a different meaning to street style, doesn't it? catgirl on "A sign of privilege" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/a-sign-of-privilege#post-1132196 Wed, 08 Jan 2014 02:08:40 +0000 catgirl 1132196@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I had a similar concern in this thread: <a href="http://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/this-look---your-opinion" rel="nofollow">http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....ur-opinion</a> Definitely thought provoking. Deborah on "A sign of privilege" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/a-sign-of-privilege#post-1132188 Wed, 08 Jan 2014 02:04:31 +0000 Deborah 1132188@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ It's very thought provoking Anna.  It highlights to me that some of us have choices, others not so much. mrseccentric on "A sign of privilege" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/a-sign-of-privilege#post-1132179 Wed, 08 Jan 2014 01:56:27 +0000 mrseccentric 1132179@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ You know, Annagybe, i've lived in and or near Berkeley, CA for decades now. Berkeley is famous for having a vibrant, large homeless population. I'm a big walker, usually walking 7-10 miles in an average week, and over the years i've been able to observe, and gotten to know, a number of homeless people in Berkeley. You post made me think about two ladies in particular. One is older, kind of toothless and wrinkled like Mother Theresa, and wears a lot of floral prints in kaftans, robes, belly dancer type pants and a head wrap, all in soft, faded colors. The other i haven't seen in a few years, she was younger and always put together a kind of twenties/retro vibe look, with warm colors. They both always looked very great and definitely unique.  I never spoke to the younger lady, but the older lady and i would catch up every now and then and, of course, talk about clothes. I'm not presuming that the lady you saw on the bus was working her own style as much as the two ladies i've described were. But your comment brought them to mind, as well as Angie's observation that: "Fashion brings us together."   Thank you for the thoughtful post.  steph Jenava on "A sign of privilege" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/a-sign-of-privilege#post-1132178 Wed, 08 Jan 2014 01:55:14 +0000 Jenava 1132178@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Hm, yes, thought provoking.