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stranger compliments

bmulford

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Spending a considerable amount of time in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York, I've have many odd/funny encounters with strangers. I've seriously started cateloguing all the strange experiences for a book that I'll write when I retire.

I've had everything from black ladies running up along side me saying "I love those shoes so much, I should knock you on the head and take them" (!!!), to the typical "looking sharp/good/nice".

The comments are always appreciated. And I usually will engage in a little conversation with anyone who was so inclinded to say something nice to me unsolicited. The best conversations are with ladies who are in fashion. They always have interesting insights.

I Agree with Holdfast that white men will look, but won't say anything, for fear of being perceived as homosexual. That may be due to the fact that being in LA or SF, they probably presume I'm gay by not having a goatee, "dad" shorts, k-swiss shoes, and a T-shirt on.
 

clarity

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I don't have too many super nice clothes yet, as I am young and just barely done with school. Work is very casual and only a few even bother with dress pants/shirts and a tie. But I do have one suit I went the extra mile with that gets attention. Most of the time it's just honest compliments from older people. Last week on foot making my way to lunch I was looking at an 'older' woman (probably mid 30s) in the eyes because I thought she looked very pretty. And just before she passed me she mumbled 'sexy' under her voice but loud enough for me to hear. Was not quite sure how to react to that so I just smiled.

A black co-worker compliments a lot of my casual shoes. As I do his.

And viewing the fragrance Appreciation thread inevitably caused me to get creed samples which led me to buying the silver mtn water. I am always asked what it is but I never tell, my secret!
devil.gif
It annoyed me yesterday though, a very young girl around 16 was stalking me at a small record store. Should have just walked up to her and held my wrist under her nose so she would stop being so creepy.
 

discostu004

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in the Dickey's gas station 1 block from korshak after their 21st anniversary party a young guy, maybe 22 with tattoos and one of those hideous spiky hairdos said my jacket was "sick", then kept going on about how he loved it. my wife had to axe me if sick was good or bad
 

Gus

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I was wearing a cotton Isaia jacket in a hardware store the other day. An elderly lady (80"s-90's?) bee lined over to me and nailed every detail of it as in, "Look and the elbow details", "that is a very nice lining", "the buttons on the sleeves work, how nice", "love the fabric", etc. You would have thought she was a SF member dissecting my outfit. I hope I am still that observant at her age.
smile.gif
 

Holdfast

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Originally Posted by discostu004
in the Dickey's gas station 1 block from korshak after their 21st anniversary party a young guy, maybe 22 with tattoos and one of those hideous spiky hairdos said my jacket was "sick", then kept going on about how he loved it. my wife had to axe me if sick was good or bad

It's good you're getting into the young peoples lingo.
tounge.gif


Originally Posted by bmulford
I've had everything from black ladies running up along side me saying "I love those shoes so much, I should knock you on the head and take them"...

Sometimes, some places, I'd be worried they might carry out the promise...
smile.gif


I Agree with Holdfast that white men will look, but won't say anything, for fear of being perceived as homosexual. That may be due to the fact that being in LA or SF, they probably presume I'm gay by not having a goatee, "dad" shorts, k-swiss shoes, and a T-shirt on.
OMG, you don't fit the stereotype - damn your ability to dress nicely and confuse people...
laugh.gif



Originally Posted by pocketsquareguy
I was wearing a cotton Isaia jacket in a hardware store the other day. An elderly lady (80"s-90's?) bee lined over to me and nailed every detail of it as in, "Look and the elbow details", "that is a very nice lining", "the buttons on the sleeves work, how nice", "love the fabric", etc. You would have thought she was a SF member dissecting my outfit. I hope I am still that observant at her age.
smile.gif


When you get to her age, with all that more time on SF, you'll just be bitchy about the sleeve length not showing enough cuff or something.
smile.gif
 

bmulford

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Originally Posted by Holdfast


Sometimes, some places, I'd be worried they might carry out the promise...
smile.gif


OMG, you don't fit the stereotype - damn your ability to dress nicely and confuse people...
laugh.gif



Yes- I was in a sketchy area when that comment came up. My response of "how much is it worth to you? For instance, would you be willing to lose an ear?" Then produced my knife and gave her a big grin. Her response: "ooooo! I like dis white boy!"

On the presumed gay thing. I've been told I don't fit the mold, yet probably have men approach me as often or more than women. I've heard there's some thing out there with gay men who like straight guys, perhaps that's it. Dunno. But a compliment is a compliment, from whence it came doesn't bother me any.
 

PandArts

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Originally Posted by bmulford

On the presumed gay thing. I've been told I don't fit the mold, yet probably have men approach me as often or more than women. I've heard there's some thing out there with gay men who like straight guys, perhaps that's it. Dunno. But a compliment is a compliment, from whence it comes doesn't bother me any.


+2
 

Gus

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Originally Posted by Holdfast
When you get to her age, with all that more time on SF, you'll just be bitchy about the sleeve length not showing enough cuff or something.
smile.gif

Hey, aren't we there now?
smile.gif
(being bitchy that is...)
 

highball

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For me it's glasses and shoes that draw the compliments (and I'm not even that well dressed since I only recently discovered this whole SF thing) It's usually while riding or waiting for some form of public transit (subway, bus, etc.) and always by women. I think I recall a thread a while back that was something to the tune of "what shoes do women love/hate" and loafers seemed to be the consensus for most-complimented shoes. I didn't put much weight in this, but sure enough last week the first day I had my new AE Dover's out of the box this woman on the bus goes "I love your suede loafers." (Ironically, I just now walked by one of the secretaries in our office and was complimented again on the very same shoes.)

I will often compliment other guys on their shoes, but there's usually an element of self-interest there (i.e. "Hey, those are nice, where did you get them?") In Baltimore I once asked a European guy who his boots were made by. His response: "Made? They're not made, I buy them." When pressed further I discovered he procured them while in Amsterdam. To this day I still wonder how those boots came into being if they were never "made"...
 

Holdfast

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Originally Posted by bmulford
But a compliment is a compliment, from whence it came doesn't bother me any.

Sure, totally.


Originally Posted by pocketsquareguy
Hey, aren't we there now?
smile.gif
(being bitchy that is...)


Yeah, probably.
laugh.gif


We'll get worse with age, then. Something to look forward to!
 

yachtie

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Not so much verbal compliments ( I get those too occasionally) as getting eyeballed by the young women.
icon_gu_b_slayer[1].gif
Top to bottom and then back.- they don't look at the shoes first.
 

Thurston

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Originally Posted by PandArts
Then there was the other day while paying for an order at FedEx Kinkos when the girl behind the counter said "damn you smell good!"
blush.gif


Well, what were you wearing?

Originally Posted by bmulford
I've had everything from black ladies running up along side me saying "I love those shoes so much, I should knock you on the head and take them"

What shoes were they?
 

PandArts

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Originally Posted by Thurston
Well, what were you wearing?

Tumulte by Christian Lacroix.
 

ADH

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I have a faux straw fedora that I receive compliments on all the time. For some reason it's only ever men, both young and old. I wear it all the time, in the warmer months, but every so often I get at least 3-4 compliments a day. It slightly boosts my confidence, wish there were other items in my wardrobe that I received as much commentary on.
 

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