The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.
As seen all over the news, Britain is being stormed by an army of hoodlums (not just kids – grown-ups too!), looting shops, burning down businesses and homes and all under the watchful eye of the media. I’m not going to delve into the depths of why these riots are taking place – of course there’s always someone else to blame, the government (although why they’re attacked all of the time bemuses me – where else in the world do people get paid NOT to work?!), the parents, those “bloody hedge-fund managers”, anyone in a suit for that matter, or the police. Apparently not the rioters themselves. It’s not their fault! The lack of sympathy I feel may be, in part, due to the fact that my father was born into an extremely deprived part of Birmingham (no silver spoon there). He worked his arse off for many, many years and founded a successful engineering company. He was his own role model. No excuses. No, “my teachers don’t empower me” (he left school at 13), no “my Dad doesn’t love me”, no dole money and certainly no credit. Just a “get on with it” attitude because there really was no other alternative. There were also repercussions if you behaved badly – you were punished. You really can only empower yourself and try your best. Hmmmm… Better I move on before I really start a rant. Going back to the original point of this post, because for those of you who were beginning to wonder, this is a style blog after all…
The Ubiquitous Hoody.
It is no coincidence that this group’s favourite item of clothing is the “hoody”. This once innocent garment has now taken the place of the the IRA’s favourite, the Balaclava, for hiding thugs’ mugs. I have a feeling some people aren’t quite sure how to use it to full effect. If you’re going to loot a shop, surely you need to pull the drawstring tighter? Otherwise, we can see you! Or maybe I am totally missing the point. Maybe the hood really is just a style statement and not a matter of practicality.
Either way, my style tip for today is: “do not wear hoodies (in public)”. Or masks for that matter. Totally inadvisable given the situation. You might find yourself caught up in the thick of it. Also, if you’re going to try and cover your face, then clearly you already know what you are doing is wrong. Scarves are also being used in the most uncreative ways…
In the Blink of an Eye.
Rightly or wrongly, first appearances count when forming our opinions of people. Kids wearing hoodies appear intimidating. Just as a woman with too much cleavage on show and blonde hair may warrant heavy eye-rolling and the assumption that she’s not the sharpest pencil in the box. Assumptions are made all the time. Of course we are told never to judge a book by its cover, but unfortunately it is how our brains are programmed to function. For now it may be wise to keep your hoody tucked safely away in your wardrobe until these riots have died down… Whoever says style doesn’t matter is wrong. First impressions are everything, and your clothing choices speak volumes, whether you like it or not.
Keep safe Britain.
Mwah! x
Alabaste Cashmere 