New "Black Style"

Right. All black dudes dress in Fubu and wear do-rags now. And the next decade will see them all done up in Saville Row.

While the popularity of certain modes of dress wax and wane in every community, and arguably more visibly so in the black community, the "gentleman" look is hardly a new phenomenon in the AA community. A lot of the look is borrowed from the Rudeboys, and was prevalent in communities with large Jamaican populations for a long time, especially in NYC. Take a look at photographs from the early eighties. Even in later movies like Boyz in the Hood, and you'll see evidence of this phenomenon, when one of the girls notices that one of the guys (forgot his name) looks "GQ".

But... everything old is new again, and it must have been a slow news day in LA. I just wish that the LA and NY times would stop writing fashion stories a couple of years after it had happened. Pharrell and company had the "high/low concept" down pat years ago, mixing Paul Smith shirts with jeans and sneakers, and Puffy has been visiting Saville Row for at least as long. Not to mention the spate of movies about black gangsters during the Harlem Renaissance era over the last 8 years or so.

Glover welcomes more socially acceptable clothing choices for black men but doubts society can turn back the sartorial clock. "Nothing's going to be rebuilt, but more people will have the option to do what they like to do. You won't have the pressure of only wearing Sean John or Fubu."

Adams agrees: "Elegance takes more effort than most people are willing to bother with, which is part of its charm, but I can't see it becoming a mass movement."

But perhaps widespread revolution is not the point. "Now, thanks to these young men like Fonzworth Bentley," Adams adds, "blacks have more options about how to express themselves in terms of style "” and that's a good thing."

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so blacks can only make clothing choices based on what corporate america (mtv, magazines, etc...) tells them is acceptable?

Michael Henry Adams' epiphany came in the quiet stillness of the Akron Public Library. Hanging on the wall were photographs of the Harlem Renaissance era by James Van Der Zee. "There were images of blacks who were every bit as polished and elegant as Clark Gable or Cary Grant," Adams says. "That was a revelation for me, and also a justification. Before that, I would have felt that to identify with the style of Fred Astaire would have not been something that reflected blackness."

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i hope he was 10 years old when he had this 'epiphany' because you'd have to be a clueless fool not to know that people of all races dressed better in the old days. kind of reminds me of those black guys who think guitar is for white boys. the best guitarists, besides jimmy page, have all been black or latino.

edited for bad spelling.

Am I the only one concerned about this article, it goes to great lengths to pin down "blackness" in fashion, as if because blacks don't have a visable fashion icon from the 20th century that they can't aspire to dress "traditionally". Likes kind of like saying since whites have few icons in basketball (Larry Bird and Bob Cousey) that they don't aspire to be basketball players. I happen to like basketball and have no trouble identifying and respecting the talents of MJ and Lebron, I wonder why journalists always have to point out how "troubling" it is for minorities.

whnay, yes, i agree. i found the tone of the piece to be condescending, but, hey, people can often be condescending toward themselves too.

Prince seems a sartorial peacock as well.

While the popularity of certain modes of dress wax and wane in every community, and arguably more visibly so in the black community, the "gentleman" look is hardly a new phenomenon in the AA community.  A lot of the look is borrowed from the Rudeboys, and was prevalent in communities with large Jamaican populations for a long time, especially in NYC.
or so.

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The South had a sizable black middle class and upper middle class population, who largely dressed in the same manner of most middle and upper middle class whites. Someone like like Bently could easily just be influence by his business man father, neighbor or uncle.
Jamaican influence (Clark Wallabees, Kangol hats and Bally shoes) was largly on the lower income blacks throughout the Northeast.

Jamaican influence (Clark Wallabee's, Kangol hat and Bally shoes) was largly on the lower income blacks throughout the Northeast.

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Lower income urban blacks were implicitly and explicitly the subject of the article.

the best guitarists, besides jimmy page, have all been black or latino.

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I always sort of like the Edge, and that dude who played for the Cocteau Twins.

. the best guitarists, besides jimmy page, have all been black or latino.

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And Eric Clapton, SRV, and Johnny Greenwood, among others (such as Van Halen, Slash, Jeff Beck). But I do agree, Jimmy Page is the best.

Quote:

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. the best guitarists, besides jimmy page, have all been black or latino.
And Eric Clapton, SRV, and Johnny Greenwood, among others (such as Van Halen, Slash, Jeff Beck). But I do agree, Jimmy Page is the best.
It's clearly Robert Fripp. (as we veer further off course...)