British style: baseball caps, sandals and socks
November 29, 2002 11:09 PM Subscribe
That first image of whosits face, in the red Canada hat... isn't a baseball cap. It's a po' boy cap worn backwards. That fugly Roots Olympic cap. Yoikes.
As for the sox'nsandals, seems to be a Germanic thing. Very Euro.
Run.
posted by alicesshoe at 12:14 AM on November 30, 2002
As for the sox'nsandals, seems to be a Germanic thing. Very Euro.
Run.
posted by alicesshoe at 12:14 AM on November 30, 2002
Wool socks Ive seen here with sandels but it seems to make more sense in Eugene..
posted by Elim at 12:23 AM on November 30, 2002
posted by Elim at 12:23 AM on November 30, 2002
Why are socks and sandals such a fashion faux pas anyway? I've never understood that...
posted by zztzed at 1:20 AM on November 30, 2002
posted by zztzed at 1:20 AM on November 30, 2002
I haven't actually listened to Theodore Dalrymple's comments (because I once swore to never again install software from Real Networks). But, I have to say, I do think it is a bit stupid to wear, for example, a Yankees cap if you don't even know the game of baseball. This is true for about 99.9 % of the people who wear baseball caps in Europe. And wearing a cap with a visor -- designed to give shade, and to protect the eyes from the sun -- indoors is also... er, kind of dopey, isn't it? Socks and sandals, on the other hand, make perfect sense to me. It's comfy.
posted by livingdots at 2:08 AM on November 30, 2002
posted by livingdots at 2:08 AM on November 30, 2002
this things about socks + sandals - it's way out of hand. i had it drilled into me from childhood that i must never, under any circumstances, wear sandals with socks, because it's the kind of tasteless thing that, as an englishman, i naturally fall into, having no national sense of style.
yet i see people here, in south america, wearing sandals and socks and looking pretty damn good. i've seen people all over europe getting away with it too...
i suspect it's more to do with style. the english simply don't have any idea about good taste in clothes (i speak as someone who, through living with a "foreigner" has had some awareness of this problem forced into them, through systematic beatings, screaming fits, and other public and private humiliations).
yet this lack of taste is a good thing. it is bound up with a very curious - and very english - culture of tolerance.
i remember walking down a street with paulina (aforementioned (and well-dressed) partner) in edinburgh, during her first few weeks "abroad". a couple of punks crossed the road in front of us. she staggered in astonishment, stuck out her arm, pointed, and screamed into my right earhole (i was just by her side) "look at that".
it took me a short while to identify what she was pointing at. after all, what other people wear is hardly cause for concern, and pointing (with shouting) in public is either very much not called for, or indicates that some terrible disaster is about to occur, so i was both trying to lower her arm and, at the same time, scan the area for incoming missiles or crowds of french language students.
it's not that we don't care. it's exactly that we do care. we care about much more important things. like letting people do whatever they want, as long as it's not too noisy or smelly (and even then, we probably won't say anything). if that includes the need to tolerate sandals and socks, well, as they say, it's better than being a smug portugese bastard.
posted by andrew cooke at 3:20 AM on November 30, 2002
yet i see people here, in south america, wearing sandals and socks and looking pretty damn good. i've seen people all over europe getting away with it too...
i suspect it's more to do with style. the english simply don't have any idea about good taste in clothes (i speak as someone who, through living with a "foreigner" has had some awareness of this problem forced into them, through systematic beatings, screaming fits, and other public and private humiliations).
yet this lack of taste is a good thing. it is bound up with a very curious - and very english - culture of tolerance.
i remember walking down a street with paulina (aforementioned (and well-dressed) partner) in edinburgh, during her first few weeks "abroad". a couple of punks crossed the road in front of us. she staggered in astonishment, stuck out her arm, pointed, and screamed into my right earhole (i was just by her side) "look at that".
it took me a short while to identify what she was pointing at. after all, what other people wear is hardly cause for concern, and pointing (with shouting) in public is either very much not called for, or indicates that some terrible disaster is about to occur, so i was both trying to lower her arm and, at the same time, scan the area for incoming missiles or crowds of french language students.
it's not that we don't care. it's exactly that we do care. we care about much more important things. like letting people do whatever they want, as long as it's not too noisy or smelly (and even then, we probably won't say anything). if that includes the need to tolerate sandals and socks, well, as they say, it's better than being a smug portugese bastard.
posted by andrew cooke at 3:20 AM on November 30, 2002
I always thought that the no socks with sandals thing was to keep from ending up with grey socks. I don't wear socks with sandals and my socks still are not as white as these peoples'.
How do these people get their white socks so white?
posted by DBAPaul at 5:38 AM on November 30, 2002
How do these people get their white socks so white?
posted by DBAPaul at 5:38 AM on November 30, 2002
I always wear sandals with socks. Only white ankle socks though. It's hott.
posted by corpse at 5:50 AM on November 30, 2002
posted by corpse at 5:50 AM on November 30, 2002
Don't wear sandals, cant afford the scandals, do'nt wanna be a bum, you better chew gum, the pump don't work cause the vandals took the handles.
posted by jonmc at 6:45 AM on November 30, 2002
posted by jonmc at 6:45 AM on November 30, 2002
The socks with sandals aren't so bad as long as they aren't worn by chubby men in ill-fitting shorts. Or women, to be fair.
posted by elgoose at 8:05 AM on November 30, 2002
posted by elgoose at 8:05 AM on November 30, 2002
Aren't socks defeating the purpose of sandals in the first place? Sandals are open shoes to be worn in hot weather to let the tootsies get some air and be comfortable. If you're going to smother them with socks anyway, why bother with the sandals, just slap on a pair of shoes.
posted by Oriole Adams at 8:59 AM on November 30, 2002
posted by Oriole Adams at 8:59 AM on November 30, 2002
He knows there's fewer more distressing sights than that/of an Englishman with a baseball cap
- The Libertines "Time for Heroes"
posted by soundofsuburbia at 9:04 AM on November 30, 2002
- The Libertines "Time for Heroes"
posted by soundofsuburbia at 9:04 AM on November 30, 2002
...in a baseball cap...
posted by soundofsuburbia at 9:16 AM on November 30, 2002
posted by soundofsuburbia at 9:16 AM on November 30, 2002
Oriole, I think there are levels of airing the tootsies. Sandals with socks is cooler than shoes with socks, and probably more advisable than ruining your shoes by wearing them without socks. (It's also warmer than sandals without socks, and better on your socks than wearing nothing else at all.) It seems to make a lot of sense in places with an extended spring or fall. Growing up in Wisconsin, my dad used to do that all the time; my mom mentioned it occasionally to little effect. Obviously you want to choose attractive socks that match, well, something. White socks, to me, are so visible (and would require so frequent replacement), that I would never go that direction. But then I usually wear gray crew socks anyway. Any kind of fancy dress sock looks like showing off. And black socks against white, untanned skin is a bit strange. But in principle, I fail to see why it's such a problem.
posted by dhartung at 12:36 PM on November 30, 2002
posted by dhartung at 12:36 PM on November 30, 2002
Yes, dhartung, and the fact that traditionally for many people shoes are taken off upon entering someone's home as a sign of respect. Sandals (or whatever is easy to remove without bending over, unbuckling or unlacing) can provide that and are coupled with socks in colder weather. It's entirely practical.
posted by G_Ask at 3:49 PM on November 30, 2002
posted by G_Ask at 3:49 PM on November 30, 2002
You guys are truly letting your "geekiness" show. The only people that wear socks with sandals are A) old fat men with thier shorts pulled up to thier chests B) The A.V. guy in high school ...and of course C) Tourists. Living in Florida for a number of years...wearing shorts with socks and sandals is a sure fire give away that "ya'll are not from round here huh?"
posted by SweetIceT at 4:18 PM on November 30, 2002
posted by SweetIceT at 4:18 PM on November 30, 2002
I really don't have many fashion prejudices, but some things are just plain wrong! Like obese women wearing skin-tight, hot-pink latex pants, or little girls wearing street walker attire, wedding guests wearing velvet jogging suits, and anybody wearing sandals with socks. And the thought of dark socks, sandals and shorts....Jeeez Louise, I'm getting the shivers here.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 4:47 PM on November 30, 2002
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 4:47 PM on November 30, 2002
I can not believe the number of you people actually admitting to wearing socks with sandals. And making a case about it, too. I'll be locked up in my trailer...
posted by qbert72 at 4:48 PM on November 30, 2002
posted by qbert72 at 4:48 PM on November 30, 2002
My Philly Flyers Baseball cap is essential headgear when wearing glasses in the Manchester (UK) rain. It also reminds me every time of seeing the Flyers play in Philly last year. Yes I know next to nothing about Hockey but I had a damn good time!
posted by Raindog at 4:51 AM on December 2, 2002
posted by Raindog at 4:51 AM on December 2, 2002
the english simply don't have any idea about good taste in clothes
English (and Welsh, Scottish and Irish) men
posted by Summer at 5:01 AM on December 2, 2002
English (and Welsh, Scottish and Irish) men
posted by Summer at 5:01 AM on December 2, 2002
I like baseball caps, but (alas) my head is too big to wear them. I'm not kidding. Even if I remove the strap and stretch the cap out, it doesn't fit snugly on my head, it's like having my head in a vice.
Do any other 'born by caesaerian section' folks suffer with this? Hats are out of the question for me (other than beanies).
Oh, and yes, the English have awful dress sense. I attribute this to a TOTAL LACK OF SUIT WEARING in the corporate world nowadays. It disgusts me. I always wear a suit when I'm on business and I am frequently accused of overdressing. I hope all of this 'casual' crap disappears fast and people work out how to look professional.
posted by wackybrit at 6:46 AM on December 2, 2002
Do any other 'born by caesaerian section' folks suffer with this? Hats are out of the question for me (other than beanies).
Oh, and yes, the English have awful dress sense. I attribute this to a TOTAL LACK OF SUIT WEARING in the corporate world nowadays. It disgusts me. I always wear a suit when I'm on business and I am frequently accused of overdressing. I hope all of this 'casual' crap disappears fast and people work out how to look professional.
posted by wackybrit at 6:46 AM on December 2, 2002
wackybrit: Do you mean that there's a "total lack of suit weating" specifically in England, or around the world in general?
posted by abischof at 2:44 PM on December 2, 2002
posted by abischof at 2:44 PM on December 2, 2002
abischof: My experiences are 99% within England, unfortunately. Business these days is extremely biased towards 'casual wear'. Lawyers and accountants are rapidly becoming the only exceptions.
I'm no conservative, but if you claim to be a professional, I think you should look professional.. so we need to start wearing more suits in England and acting like we mean business.
Too many khaki wearing, chaps toting, twenty-somethings running about these days..
posted by wackybrit at 4:31 PM on December 2, 2002
I'm no conservative, but if you claim to be a professional, I think you should look professional.. so we need to start wearing more suits in England and acting like we mean business.
Too many khaki wearing, chaps toting, twenty-somethings running about these days..
posted by wackybrit at 4:31 PM on December 2, 2002
Let them wear socks. Please. Much less distracting and far more amusing than flashing a pair of bloodless, defoliated, alabaster suet sticks...
posted by Opus Dark at 6:56 PM on December 2, 2002
posted by Opus Dark at 6:56 PM on December 2, 2002
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posted by Elim at 12:12 AM on November 30, 2002