Been terrible posting this week
Been a very busy week:
-Miles, nuff said
-recovering from drinks with our college friend took longer than expected
-helping out with the Bodega has tapped 90 percent of my volunteer journalism time
-work, nuff said
Anyhoo, I did want to end the week with a real post.
Last week the good folks at Powerhouse hit us off with a couple of their excellent books. (On a side note, if you are not up on them DO IT! DO IT!) One of these gems was Jamell Shabazz's 'A Time Before Crack,' a wonderful collection of photos from the dawn of the Hip-Hop area. Sheepskins, Bally's velour shirts, candids of Ricky D and Jam Master Jay, etc. While looking at it with Alma she syas 'these pictures could be from today.' And that got the old wheels a-turning...
More and more I am realizing that I am older than I think. Not so much on a boo-hoo my knees ache tip, but more on a 'wow nobody understands the reference I just made because they were 4 when that record came out' tip. And nothing illustrates that more than Alma's fashion comment.
It bugs me out that what is fashionable in '06 is strangely reminiscent of what was cool in '86 and before.
Of course, things go in cycles and fashion and music are on 20 year cycles, but when you are old enough to see things move from one cycle to another it's kind of bugged.
In '86 when the SCizzle was 13 he longed for a sheepskin like the Legendary Chris Washington, but a sensible mother and a budding sense of animal rights killed that.
A lack of funds prevented me from getting a pair of Clydes or Cazals. My father could not understand why I wanted glasses with no lenses.
My brother Rob, the 18 year old, did bag the fresh 'Raising Hell' bomber. The SC was quite jealous.
Miami Vice, four finger rings (Dannity Kane? Wtf?), straight leg jeans (didn't like them then or now), ceasars with designs (fresh), Louis Vuiton, YSL, Gucci and all that was the rage.
I suspect Dapper Dan is somehow lurking in Chicago as Kanye's stylist. (is Dapper Dan on wikipedia? There goes another old man reference). It's really Kanye and Pharell's doing.
So as Kim and Meagan walk in and make me temporarily forget what year it is I am grateful that I made it through one cycle. And I wonder what Boogie will be rocking when he is 13.
wes jackson
the room service group
www.brooklynbodega.com
www.theroomservicegroup.com
posted by Wes at 11:30 AM
2 Comments:
I keep telling people that it's the 80's, and not just in terms of fashion. Note to all of the 35 year old chicks like me, just because you rocked leggings in junior high doesn't mean you can get away with it now.
August 11, 2006 12:31 PM
think of it this way old timer
me and my fellow 80's babies (santana blam blamma ayo!) were born into that regan era scene you've described. miami vice was on the tv when i was 4 years old. i was 10 in 1992. use to go to the school my mom taught at and chill with the dudes rockin half bleached bi-level gumby's and starter jackets. that was who we looked up to. i had lightning bolts shaved into the side of my 8 year old little white boy head...
fast forward 20 years to today. we 20 somethings are driving the "current trends" and markets. all that shit we couldn't really partake in but wanted to emulate, we are doing now. we are, like many others before us, nostalgic for a past we were just-too young to embrace during it's origin. now that we are designing the clothes, directing the music videos, putting out the video games, it's all 80's and even (gasp) 90's derived.
shit, i already feel old, and i'm 24! but that's just part of the game my friend. keep putting out new shit and defining new generations, while feeding them the old recycled shit they may or may not realize never really left... got my eyes open to the trickery
August 11, 2006 4:13 PM
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