On Cool

If you worry about whether or not you are cool or uncool, chances are you are probably uncool. Whether or not cool is a facade or something deeper is not the issue. Cool is the lack of the anxiety over being cool.

Green Jeans

Planet Earth Clothing has gone green and introduced an environmentally friendly clothing line, using naturally organic and sustainable materials. To ex-skaters, the name will be familiar from the monthly CCS catalog. Aside from birthday cards sent by distant relatives, CSS catalogs were the only piece of mail I received as an someteen. If I remember correctly, Planet Earth decks were a little too wide for my tastes and their artwork seemed so-hippie to my adolescent tastes. Few could compete with the Jason Lee deck for Blind that I had my eye on.

Now, Planet Earth don't seem so out of touch. Their earth-friendly name and artwork have aligned nicely with their environmental interests. A pair of their Green Jeans are almost as bad-ass as that Jason Lee deck. The jeans feature a vintage low fit and now are only available in gray. They are a 52/48 hemp cotton blend which aims to reduce the pesticides and fertilizers used to grow cotton for denim production.

Check the Planet Earth website for more Green Label styles and clothes.

Planet Earth

American Apparel Ad

I found this very early American Apparel advertisement from 1997. I thought I would share it.

Past-Rocking Redux

I'd like to piggy-back from the previous post. E. mentions sampling as the future of hip hop. In this sense, sampling accounts for the cross-section of hip hop's interests and effects, but in another sense, sampling is also hip hop's past. 

In the 1997 film Men in Black, Will Smith played a NYPD officer turned secret government agent who investigates alien activity on earth. We can see a direct link between a string of hits Smith had in the 90's made popular by obvious and easily identifiable sample material and the classic line from the film that Smith says, "I make this look good."

While Will Smith's early career can be defined by his ability to use comedy to soften hip hop's hard edge, I'd like to define his later career by his use of sampling and how he, "makes this look good." His first album, He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper, took the urban soundscapes of LL Cool J and Run DMC and catalogued them to a more relatable suburban experience. "Parents Just Don't Understand" and "Girls Ain't Nothing But Trouble" are two examples of Smith's comedic sensibility and skill at hip hop storytelling. By the time Men In Black was in theaters, Smith was a television and movie star. His comedic outlets allowed him to explore other areas of his music. This is to say, as Smith became an actor, his music became less cinematic. This shift is characterized by an emphasis on style not substance. The song "Men In Black" keeps the entire chorus of Patrice Rushen's "Forget Me Nots" in tact and "Just the Two of Us" samples the Bill Withers song and includes lyrics from the original. 

The obvious reference to sampling in the 90s as an example of hip hop's style and sophistication is Puff Daddy. From a stylistic standpoint, his use of other people's music borders on bricolage. But in the case of Will Smith, he truly does make this look good.

Like the Will Smith quote suggests, sampling, is not about music, it's a stylistic choice. That is why when we talk of sampling, we should not only discuss melodic elements in hip hop, but what designer Kanye West chooses to wear, what producer Rihanna chooses to work with, or who is going to direct OutKast's next video.

A Few Words On Hipster Hatin'

I’m tired of articles, written in hopes to defame, discredit, and respond to hipsters mucking up the world. All of those correspondents from the realm of "in the know” are repulsed by the cultural void of the world that they are privileged with the journalistic duty of guarding yet through some lapse in consciousness or better judgment you let the all encompassing title of "hipster culture" and its leaching lifestyle slip through your fingers? Taste makers, fuck off!

You made this reality a horrid nightmare. You propagated the look, sold your ad space to clever sales teams who are capitalizing off of and study decisively the next trend, and are clipping every organic we try to produce. Now through the symbiotic nature of capitalism, the artistic fulling the trends of popular culture, we are left with what you equate to uninspired mongers of society. So, please tell us what did you expect?

In a time where everyone wants to report on things that aren’t news, or important, or even interesting, this bastardization of a lifestyle that magazines and the internets helped create, how can you simply abandon it because it is vapid? You, an army of marginally educated scenesters, took hold of everything that was deemed cool, and raped it- rode it bare back until it was lifeless, dour, and trite, and then refuse to take blame for what you consider an uninspired aggregation of youth trends. If you're seriously tired, and not just jumping on the bandwagon of deadbeat artist wannabe corporate bedfellows, stop writing about hipster’s and let it fall out of favor. Then ditch your ad-riddled publication of choice for something that doesn’t propagate a look you don't feel represents the "real"; one you helped create, yet despise. And if that’s not possible, deal with the reality that with every word you write about how much you hate hipsters, you just hate on your uninspired life and want for change.

The Biggest Perpetrators:

Ad Busters

The Independent

Hip-Hop Flip Flops Past Rocking Only High Tops

The “Everybody” Video for Fonzworth Bentley is an example of the transformation of Hip-hop, and coincidently, it’s battle with maturity. And we’ve (those who care about the gene’s development, not so much it’s exploitation) been saying it for years, that its high time that hip-hop stops trying to combat certain elements of high fashion, and the result is a progression into middle age which has presented an inverted perspective on mid-life crises. If you adjust your scope to circa 1999, Outkast were the progenitors of the Southern Gent meets dough boy sophisticate look, and that has spread, interestingly enough, to Chicago.

I’ve made the claim before that the south is where hip-hop’s soul lives, but Chicago is where it’s heart and future is currently residing- so it’s only right that Mr. Fresh-to Death West help progress both the music, and it’s appeal. However, the most interesting angle at which to look at this growth, is not from its maturity, but from its second generation, where an infusion of different cultures is cluster fucking both the scene and how hip-hop is captivating our minds. Populated by a larger sampling of, well, everyone, will definitely help change what we see as street culture and create some interesting moments as well.

She Don't Believe in Shootin Stars, But She believes In Shoes & Cars

I always wondered if my sneaker obsession was birthed from my love of bight colors and abstract combinations, or a response to an unspoken jealousy for women's options with accessories. Now that I have some room to reflect, I think it was just our culture had me stuck with jumps, dunks and day glo laces, because that's all my friends knew as options.

When I became interested in couture, men's fashion was so lethargic that sneakers provided some other option. While I was at some of the "hipper" scene bars in Chicago, namely the Empty Bottle, I saw lots of people step away from just sneakers to include felt hats, "skinny" suits, interesting vest combinations, and ties galore, either with loafers or sneakers- my mind was blown, and now I need to go shopping.

In addition to this, it brought up some interesting ideas on the progression, reference, and cyclical nature of trends and their over all affect on street culture as a whole. But that's for another time.

Zomething Different

As near as I can tell, Zima Citrus is Zima. Zima was introduced first in 1992 and nationally in 1994 as a true alternative alcoholic beverage. The uncola, if you will, in a market ruled by beer and wine coolers. The brand was reintroduced in 2004 as Zima XXX. It came in 4 flavors: Cherry, Lemon-Lime, Orange and Punch.

After a slump in sales in 2005, following an increase the previous year, Zima was further retooled. The reintroduction of Zima late last year sought market and customer based research. The following changes were made:

• Three new flavors - Citrus, Pinapple Citrus, and Tangerine
• Lower calorie content
• Lower alcohol content (Original Zima had a 5.9 % alcohol content. Now it has 5%)

There is no longer original Zima, but the 90s are the new 80s and Coors can't seem to stop reintroducing it so maybe they will bring it back soon enough.

(GIRLS) NYLON AND GUYS NYLON

With the recent name change from NYLON GUYS to GUYS NYLON, the men's fashion magazine now has a more distinct branding. I often wonder about the inferiority complex that must come with men's fashion magazines that are not unique entities but just versions of those targeted at women. I guess it should only be a problem if the inferior quality is in content as opposed to just name alone.

While the GUYS NYLON website leaves a lot to be desired, The men's magazine market has yet to produce a high water mark for others to aspire. I do appreciate GUYS NYLON MAG's interest in splitting from the pack. While GQ and Esquire keep close to the old school, GUYS NYLON has a focus on sneakers and T-shirts. Call it an overinterest in casual concerns, call it playin' dress down, whatever, guys like kicks and tees. That's not sexist or essentialist, just an observation of the difference in socialization of men and women.

Hyper Color

As L.A. Times writer Erin Weinger declared earlier this month, Hypercolor is hot again. This appears to be the case, just like the colors that appear when the garment-wearer's temperature rises. A recent Google search shows over 8,000 matches for people talking about American Apparel's Hypercolor inspired Thermochromatic Sheer Jersey T-Shirt.

But there is more to this reappearance. The Hypercolor fad was a piece of clothing that was both popular and personal; its special effects allowed it not only to appear different on everyone, but appear different every time worn. American Apparel's reintroduction seeks to capture 90s nostalgia in ways that keep with their style of simple unbranded clothes. At the same time they are slowly moving away from embracing the previous generations retro styles turning them into classic.

If soon American Apparel separates itself from Urban Outfitters by selling it's customers their own youth back to them instead of the youth of their parents, then so be it.