Hey, you, with the jeans! Did you know?

POIDOG

So, what kind of symbol is your butt in jeans?

TECHNOKID

The irony is I have to check on our technicians on the road to make sure they do not wear such attire as it miss (poorly) represents the company. My saying is simple, you are working in public and are NOT on a/your ROCKERS RIGG! While I have a few pairs and definitely will not judge people by their clothing, there is still a place for different clothing (appropriate) just like anything else. I personally don't wear jeans for work even if staying at the office and not meeting clients on a specific day. Jeans were originally created as rugged/tough typical working clothes but were adopted by the baby boomers in the 1960. For many years afterward they were still banned in the work force especially if worn in public. Times have changed and some fashion and expensive jeans may compete against dress pants however, many respectable firms will still disallow them for work in public related jobs. I personally think jeans are slack attire and people will usually act accordingly (psychological).

The Story:
The first jeans came in two styles, indigo blue and brown cotton "duck." Unlike denim, the duck material never became soft and comfortable so it was eventually dropped from the line. Although denim pants had been around as work wear for many years, historically dating back to England in the 1600s with a fabric there called denim, it was the first use of rivets that created what we now call jeans. "Waist overalls" was the traditional name for work pants, which is what these first jeans were called. The word jeans became more popular around 1960 when the baby-boom generation adopted the term for its favorite type of pants. How were blue jeans invented is a simple story.

The denim for the riveted work pants came from the Amoskeag Mill in Manchester, New Hampshire, a company known for the quality of its fabrics. Within a very short time, all types of working men were buying the innovative new pants and spreading the word about their unrivaled durability. Hard to imagine that back in 1885, when denim first established itself as a reliable work wear cloth for a working man's garment — that a pair of Levi overalls cost $1.25. Brand new.

In the 1950s, high school kids put them on as a radical way of defining themselves, of wanting to look and be more adult — and dangerous and rebellious against adults because adults didn't wear jeans. A decade later, blue jeans became a symbol of egalitarianism, a uniform for young adult baby boomers waging a generational war. In the 1970s Me Decade and the beginnings of celebrity culture surfaced, jeans were definitely about being sexy and all about fashion.

The 1990s took denim onto country-western dance floors, onto the red carpet and created puzzling fashion styles from born-to-be-torn grunge jeans to baggy hip-hop jeans to rock star appeal — all adding to the confusion of casual Fridays.

http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/bluejeans.htm

While jeans are very popular today, there is no piece of clothing that is that much more impersonnal, eveyone wears them and everyones look alike... NO personality what so ever (however, very rugged and confortable for the off duties and casual personal gatters). It is very unfortunate that most people today wears them for even the few formal events they may have (each and everyone now look alike, no show of one's personality in his dress code anymore).

TECHNOKID

POIDOG wrote: »

So, what kind of symbol is your butt in jeans?

...or you could say what kind of symbol is half of your body in jeans? Same as anybody elses around you! Surely an advantage for one with no taste in clothing (nobody would ever notice as everyone wears the same attire = jeans + "T" shirt)

cnh

TECHNOKID wrote: »

Well, aren't also teachers part of the "self-respecting rebel without a cause" he was taliking about?

I suppose we are; the only problem is that this Professor WAS an authentic member of the working class. His father was a steel worker, his mother a seamstress in a sweat shop. He, himself, worked summers, in his father's plant as a steel worker. Rebel without a cause...Just what Exactly is Will trying to tell us? Because this certainly seems like a wonderful piece of 'nonsense'. Steve Jobs wears jeans...geee I NEVER noticed? So we all look alike..do we...our jeans are really MAO suits and we're all commies I suppose....well I think we've been there done that Mr. Will!

What's the matter, are we violating your sense of 'individuality'! Is personality really NOTHING more than 'appearance'?

If you're a TRUE columnist perhaps you should contemplate weightier issues.

cnh

TECHNOKID

Originally Posted by TECHNOKID
Well, aren't also teachers part of the "self-respecting rebel without a cause" he was taliking about?

By the way, this was a simple joke for you (nothing offensive that should be taken to heart). I simply couldn't resist your comment combined with his own (notice here is the wink again)

As for the rest (different post which isn't aimed at you but more likely generally speaking), I too wear jeans but like I mentioned some type of work is not the best place for jeans (sales, representing a company etc...). While wearing jeans on our day to day whereabouts such as shopping and most daily business is fine) I simply deplore many people making it their standard attire for the more formal gathering such as wedding, family gatters such as Xmas, New Years and so on. Dressing a little out of the ordinary use to be part of the fun of those special occasions. For some it may be fine to wear the good old pair of jeans 365 days a year but I feel that even without going to the extreme, a little change for the special occasions is kind of a good thing... don't you?

Cheers

POIDOG

At least the conversation has elevated beyond name calling, George Will is a right wing elitist, (yes there is such a thing), but his issue on conformity is well thought out and bluejeans are used as a flashpoint. One can argue against or for, but all good men can agree to disagree. This is a basis for our republic (ie. John Adams v. Thomas Jefferson). One issue we can collectively agree, Polk speakers rock!

cnh

TECHNOKID wrote: »

By the way, this was a simple joke for you (nothing offensive that should be taken to heart). I simply couldn't resist your comment combined with his own (notice here is the wink again)

As for the rest (different post which isn't aimed at you but more likely generally speaking), I too wear jeans but like I mentioned some type of work is not the best place for jeans (sales, representing a company etc...). While wearing jeans on our day to day whereabouts such as shopping and most daily business is fine) I simply deplore many people making it their standard attire for the more formal gathering such as wedding, family gatters such as Xmas, New Years and so on. Dressing a little out of the ordinary use to be part of the fun of those special occasions. For some it may be fine to wear the good old pair of jeans 365 days a year but I feel that even without going to the extreme, a little change for the special occasions is kind of a good thing... don't you?

Cheers

No offense taken Techno...I knew you were kidding. It's just that I finally read the articles and was pretty amused by them. If only I could get paid that kind of 'money' to write what I write? No chance.

cnh

TECHNOKID

cnh wrote: »

No offense taken Techno...I knew you were kidding. It's just that I finally read the articles and was pretty amused by them. If only I could get paid that kind of 'money' to write what I write? No chance.

cnh

Hey, big difference when one does his work out of passion while others do for the money! Often what is done for the money is trash and simply to get attention.

Cheers

lightman1

I would look pretty silly wearing a three-piece Armani and a silk tie in the bucket truck.
Fire resistant shirt and a rugged pair of Levis is how I roll. And I deal with the public daily.

dragon1952

I got my first pair of Levi's blue jeans in 1967, before they were very common in our school. I actually got teased a bit. Back then, they had one kind. If I remember correctly, they were around $4 a pair. They were stiff as a board, and you had to buy them 3 sizes too long and 2 sizes too large in the waist, and then wait 6 months until they fit correctly, comfortably and faded out a bit. So you basically had to walk around looking like a dork for six months, listening to the legs scrape against each other when you walked, unless you could talk your Mom into washing them 3 times a day for a month before you wore them. But they lasted forever. The denim they use now days sucks.

POIDOG

Yes Dragon I remember those jeans. They were a pain, but man, you could walk thru hell and back in them.:cool:

Jstas

I'm sorry but my clothes have never defined me.

I own probably 30 pairs of jeans. I don't wear them to work because of the dress code at the firm I work for. But if I could, I'd wear jeans instead. Although even my CEO wears jeans and a flannel on Casual Fridays. That doesn't make me think he's a douchebag or anything. In fact, his jeans are usually worn from working around the house and it makes me feel better about his position. A guy that does work himself understands the value of hard work and even more importantly, the value of a dollar. Even though he makes many dollars and can afford to pay someone to do it for him, he gets the whole "do for yourself" idea. Probably a big reason why he's managed to guide this company through a very rough spot and still be doing well when so many other companies are going belly up.

All of my friends wear jeans too. Is it an individualistic statement? Hell no. If any of us want to make a statement we open our mouths and say something. It means that I get my hands dirty whether I'm working or playing and my jeans compliment that. From fishing, racing and messin' around with dune buggies and dirt bikes to working in dusty server rooms, jeans just work better. I don't wear designer names. Most of my jeans are Wrangler jeans that cost me $9 a pair on sale at various stores. Even my khaki pants that I wear to work are from Cabela's because they are a heavier gauge fabric than the crap you get at the department stores or Old Navy and they just last longer and work better. I don't have a fortune to spend on clothes so if I am buying something, it damn well better hold up!

So go ahead, judge people by the clothes they wear. Yeah, appearance matters but you can't judge a book by it's cover either. But if you're gonna judge me and everyone else negatively for wearing a pair of jeans then I'm glad I DON'T know you and content that I likely never will. I wouldn't want to be associated with such shallowness.

As for me, blue jeans and t-shirts walkin' around in beat up Nikeys 'til I die. If that makes me and my friends slovenly then fine. I guess I'm an uneducated, know-nothing slob and you should probably stay away from me if you think that 'cause you won't like my company.

Jstas

TECHNOKID, why do you think anyone here would wear jeans to an event or occasion not warranting them? Are there people out there that do? Yeah, sure there are. But they are in a minority. A very small minority.

As for making a statement with your clothes that you keep bringing up, is your life so devoid of meaning to you that you have to use something with the simplistic job of hiding your nudity as a statement to mean something? Furthermore, if your life is in such desperate need of making a difference in some small way, why do you assume that others have the same M.O.?

Yes, clothes can mean a difference. If I'm going to go and say, meet the President at the White House Christmas Party, you can be damn sure I'll at least rent a tux for that event. But if the same President comes down to the drag strip to check out the action and press the flesh, I'm still wearing my jeans because that's what my purpose there calls for. Going by your standards, I'm a shining star of a person in my tux but the very same person in a pair of blue jeans, steel toe boots and a t-shirt that says "Funkin' Gonuts at Atco Raceway, Atco NJ" is a model of a slovenly, toothless hick with no class, education or manners.

What statements are actually being made in both instances? The tux says I respect the office and the privilege to be invited to such an event by a person of such stature. The T-shirt and jeans say I'm here to compete. If I want to win, I gotta work hard so I'm wearin' my workin' clothes. Your statements above tell me you would have gotten it all wrong and judge me completely oppositely in each instance and been sorely mistaken in your judgments.

You make many assumptions about behavior, character and fortitude based on clothing and it's actually kind of back-handed because it comes off as lecturing and talking down to your audience. I think that your attitude hurts you in life without you even realizing it. Because I know there are many people in my life that are great people and I'm glad I know them. They have opened doors for me that wouldn't have been opened otherwise. But if I had followed your standards for judging people based on their clothes, I never would have met those people.

George Grand

The Ignore List is a wonderful thing John.

Jstas

George Grand wrote: »

The Ignore List is a wonderful thing John.

Not nearly as therapeutic though.

Willow

Jstas wrote: »

Not nearly as therapeutic though.

I buy jeans as my therapy!

George Grand

John, I can't tell you what a great conversationalist and Polk member C3PO became as soon as I put him there. Him and a bunch of others. Now I look forward to their posts.

jflail2

And no one has touched on 2/3rds of the trust fund babies in college that wouldn't be caught dead without their fresh from the dry cleaners khakis and popped collar polo shirt on...

Those are the douchebags I'd steer well clear of if I had to make a broad judgement based on someone's clothing...