Random Fashion Thoughts (Part 3: Style farmer strikes back) - our general discussion thread

[LonerMatt]

I don’t know anyone who objects to extending a helping hand to people who are down on their luck and could use assistance in getting back on their feet.

But that is not the majority of people who you encounter here who are “homeless.” It is a mix of abuse victims, addicts, criminals, and the mentally ill. Solutions that would work for the “down on their luck” group largely won’t work for them.

If we want to improve the situation, we can’t fool ourselves about what is going on.

1. Yes, homelessness is a multi-faceted issue that is pernicious and compounded by significant factors outside of any individual's control - almost as if it requires a social solution!
2. Abuse victims, addicts, criminals are all much more likely to be homeless - or to become those things through homelessness - especially in states like California where mental health institutions were turfed out by Regan - where do people who can't look after themselves end up?
3. Do you give money to these places, or do you just lament 'reality' while photographing someone who is suffering to post online to prove a point?

I'm not telling anyone to give or not give money to homeless people - just saying to be aware that by doing so, you can make yourself a target and a mark and that the tendency to lionize the poor or destitute is rather misguided.

Man who demonizes homeless people and conflates mental illness with violence lectures on not 'lionising' literally one of the most vulnerable group in his society.

And unfortunately, good sentiments are not going to protect anyone.

The idea that we need protection from people that don't even have the agency to buy their own food is extremely flimsy a premise and speaks more to paranoia than anything else.

I buy an ice cream on a hot day for $6.80 and I'm walking down the street some dude is begging for change, what kind of an asshole walks enjoying their stupidly lucky life and doesn't even have a tinge or sympathy or chuck $.20 to help?

Probably the same people photographing homeless people and posting it online in the same page asking for over-priced bar recommendations.

What a wank.

 

[LA Guy]

Man who demonizes homeless people and conflates mental illness with violence lectures on not 'lionising' literally one of the most vulnerable group in his society.

The idea that we need protection from people that don't even have the agency to buy their own food is extremely flimsy a premise and speaks more to paranoia than anything else.

That someone has little agency or is himself or herself vulnerable is not mutually exclusive with their being more likely to be potentially dangerous. Also, is it really paranoia when you have many, and multiple, personal experiences? It might contribute to experience bias, but it's scarcely paranoia.

re. homelessness - I'm going to bet that I've had a much closer brush with this than pretty much anyone else posting here, and for factors completely beyond my control, by any measure. I'm not going to post details publicly, but those on the board who know me personally, can probably at least guess at some of the reasons why. If you wish to know more, and are willing to get off your high horse, you are welcome to PM me. My takeaway from my experience is that social a and governmental institutions are pretty useless, and that at the end of the day, you have to rely on your personal network of friends (another good reason to choose friends who you know will have your back no matter the cost) and family, and that there isn't anyone else in the world going to help you, or will feel obligated enough to do so in a way that will truly put them out of their way. Yeah, maybe they'll throw you whatever they have left over, their $0.20, but that's just virtue signalling, and makes no difference whatsoever.

Re the term "lionizing". It's a common mistake to conflate affluence with moral culpability and poverty with virtue. Some of the language and assertions in some of @dieworkwear 's posts - that he feels that he has more in common with the homeless than with tech people - for example, show this common type of bias. That's all that I'm talking about.

 

[DLester]

do you just lament 'reality' while photographing someone who is suffering to post online to prove a point?

Hi friend. I believe you have confused me with somebody else.

 

[Riva]

That someone has little agency or is himself or herself vulnerable is not mutually exclusive with their being more likely to be potentially dangerous. Also, is it really paranoia when you have many, and multiple, personal experiences? It might contribute to experience bias, but it's scarcely paranoia.

re. homelessness - I'm going to bet that I've had a much closer brush with this than pretty much anyone else posting here, and for factors completely beyond my control, by any measure. I'm not going to post details publicly, but those on the board who know me personally, can probably at least guess at some of the reasons why. If you wish to know more, and are willing to get off your high horse, you are welcome to PM me. My takeaway from my experience is that social a and governmental institutions are pretty useless, and that at the end of the day, you have to rely on your personal network of friends (another good reason to choose friends who you know will have your back no matter the cost) and family, and that there isn't anyone else in the world going to help you, or will feel obligated enough to do so in a way that will truly put them out of their way. Yeah, maybe they'll throw you whatever they have left over, their $0.20, but that's just virtue signalling, and makes no difference whatsoever.

+1 That's your greatest country on earth

 

[DLester]

Dear Management: I move to ship this convo to CE where it can race to the bottom of the internet. I apologize for my role in stoking it. I just want to talk about fun socks now.

 

[dieworkwear]

"Homeless people are overwhelmingly dangerous!" I say, as I step over the outstretched leg of the smelly piss-vagrant on the corner, the bottom of my long Lemaire coat brushing over his pant leg.

Gesturing with my $8 latte from a coffee shop named The Hearthen Stone, I state, quite matter-of-factly, "Well you see, I'd give them money, but I know what they'd do with it. Buy needless things or worse: drugs! Can you believe it?! They don't buy food but would rather buy drugs and booze." Thankfully, I'm far enough from the vagabond that my $60 Aesop shampoo is now all that I can smell.

My wild gesticulations spills some latte onto my Japanese denim. "****! These were $500 from Japan and I didn't want to wash them yet! I'll just dab it with a paper towel and throw it in the freezer. Anyways, did you know they're most mentally ill?"

As I open the door to my Porsche, "Yeah, most homeless are also mentally ill. That's why they're so dangerous." John Mayer's song New Light starts playing. I tap to the beat with my $1,000 mud-dyed boots.

"You know, once, this homeless guy I knew in my community went completely bonkers at a community picnic. Thank God that cops were there to protect the women and kids. It's the mental illness. What can we really do about that? Think about the kids. I had read that a guy stabbed a twelve year old girl in the street the other month after she wouldn't give him a buck." We pass by a homeless man standing under the underpass and I roll up my windows.

A push notification comes onto my iPhone XE++ Ultra Edition: "The Mr. Porter Sale has now begun! 5% off your favorite designers."

"Yeah, we really have to address the mental illness..." I murmur as I stare at the discounted Saint Laurent boots on my screen going 80 down the highway.

"Stay away from homeless people," I think as I smash into the median, my car spinning wildly and taking out three other cars along with it, my skull cracking against the rough concrete and expelling the pink mush within across four lanes.

An e-mail arrives in my inbox: "Your Mr. Porter Order Confirmation: - 55820019"

This belongs in a museum.

 

[Riva]

This belongs in a museum.

Fiction vs RL. I want my finally affordable 5% off Tom Ford orphaned jacket.

 

[LA Guy]

Dear Management: I move to ship this convo to CE where it can race to the bottom of the internet. I apologize for my role in stoking it. I just want to talk about fun socks now.

I have a pair of Happy Socks somewhere. They were green and tartan - a neon green tartan. I dunno what I was thinking.

 

[Nbarbar]

There's a wool linen shirt jacket with a bomberesque shape from Camoshita over at NMWA

I have a Caruso one in wool silk that is pretty great. I think it was called a surgeon jacket. Picked it up at their short lived store on the UES

 

[gdl203]

The greenwashing and spin on what is basically a sales outlet is dizzying :
https://therake.com/stories/values-what-is-the-rake-values/

 

[sebastian mcfox]

The greenwashing and spin on what is basically a sales outlet is dizzying :
https://therake.com/stories/values-what-is-the-rake-values/

Hmm..

 

[gdl203]

Reduced margins on items on sale? You don't say!

Did you see the IG post by Barker with the shark and plastic bag? Shameless stuff, man

 

[sebastian mcfox]

You’ve got it all wrong Greg. The big brands have finally recognised the plight of the young Emerging Traditionalist (c). Having seen the light, they are simply doing their bit to help young chaps like Nevill, the struggling art student from inner (but not too inner) metropolitan London afford his first Vicuña gown.

It’s practically charity.

 

[Riva]

You’ve got it all wrong Greg. The big brands have finally recognised the plight of the young Emerging Traditionalist (c). Having seen the light, they are simply doing their bit to help young chaps like Nevill, the struggling art student from inner (but not too inner) metropolitan London afford his first Vicuña gown.

It’s practically charity.

Good karma. Thank you Wei for being such a charitable pioneer.

 

[steveoffice]

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