File spoon-archives/anarchy-list.archive/anarchy-list_2004/anarchy-list.0401, message 147


From: "Dave Coull" <coull2-AT-btinternet.com>
Subject: "anarchist fashion"
Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2004 09:39:01 -0000



Chuck0 wrote


> If lifestyle anarchists exist, they would be 
> those anarchists who dress in anarchist fashion 
> and live anarchist lifestyles.


"Dress in an anarchist fashion" ?????!!!!!

I remember reading in some magazine which Keri had
bought about a fashion designer who claimed "I'm
a bit of an anarchist". Apparently all that this 
mindless oaf meant by this statement was that 
he dressed in an "outrageous" fashion. Well, 
such ignorant statements regarding anarchism
are only to be expected from such a source, 
but it is (just a little bit) surprising 
to come across such confusion from yourself. 

Anarchism has absolutely nothing at all
to do with how a person dresses. There is 
no such thing as "dressing in an anarchist 
fashion". I can remember the punk style of 
the 1970s, and how young punks would imagine
that they were being "anarchistic" simply
by dressing outrageously. A few of those young
punks went on to discover what anarchism was
really about, but many of them never did find
out, and many of them are today solid respectable
citizens with pretty conventional views.
Fashion changes, even supposedly "anarchist"
fashion. Fashion is a fickle jade, and attempting
to keep up with fashion is a futile exercise.
Anarchists dress how they happen to feel like 
dressing. For me, this means how I happen
to feel comfortable. This may happen to be 
considered fashionable, or, more likely, not. 
But there is nothing worse than having a whole 
bunch of people attempting to show by their dress 
how individual they are, and yet all ending up 
looking as if they are wearing some sort of uniform.

Dave C


   

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