Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Swedish Fashion Meets An Unwilling Man

The Swedes are a fashionable people. I am not. I like a polo shirt and a pair of jeans. And not those tight jeans that look like I had to have help getting into them but a normal halfway baggy pair of jeans. I like my freedom I guess you could say. I’ve been told that I dress big. Which is interesting considering that my pants don’t hang halfway down my ass and my shirts fit relatively well. It’s just that here in Sweden tight is the way to go. Metro for guys if you will.

Swedes though love the tight stuff. Women everywhere wear tights. The summer was filled with women in shorts… and tights. Women in skirts… and tights. Having never worn tights on a regular basis (there was this Halloween costume…) I can’t speak from experience but it seems like wearing tights in the heat of summer must be miserable. Along with the tights were the scarves that you could see all around town… in July. That’s the price you pay to look good though I suppose.

Men are no different, while you won’t see too many men wearing tights you sure do see them wearing tight jeans. Way too tight. Tight as in uncomfortably tight. The tightness doesn’t stop there though, tight shirts are huge also. Swedish men tend to be somewhat skinnier than Americans, or me at least, so I thought that maybe the tight clothing was in order to make them look a bit bigger. I was informed though by some Swedes that it I actually the opposite. The tightness is meant to show just how small they really are. I’m still not entirely sure I buy it but I suppose it’s possible.

Maybe this is all just a quick little fashion fad and normal fitting clothes will come back in style. Who knows, maybe I’ll be considered a fashion guru as I wear my baggier jeans and regular shirts. Maybe. But probably not. Either way, I’m going to stick to clothes I can move around in. Just another failed attempt at being Swedish, much like my soccer/football attempts. Oh well, I’m just not willing to sacrifice that much to fit in completely. Plus clothes are just way too expensive in this country to try to keep up with fashion, and I’m cheap. And unemployed still.

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8 comments:

  1. Very interesting a Swedish American in Swedan. Imagine the fashion sacrafice I would have to make if I were to go to Africa?

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  2. Very true... it's all about perspective I suppose.

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  3. They are very fashionable people indeed. Although, wearing tights is just a fashion faux pashoz. And besides, the 80s diead for a reason.

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  4. That's what I thought. But they seem to be making a comeback. I'll stick with my own clothes though.

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  5. Just buy a Burberry pea coat and the girls will be all over you.

    BTW, how's the weather? I hope I packed properly...

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  6. The weather is getting colder. I've even broken out the ski jacket a few times.

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  7. The last time I was in Sweden ('98), I got quite a few odd looks because of my attire. Having grown up in the midwest, I dressed very casually, or 'big' as you say. Loose jeans or cargo pants and loose hoodies or insulated flannel shirts, with maybe some Vans, ok, Van knock-offs (I'm cheap). People looked at me like I was a bum! Add a Rage Against the Machine baseball cap that had seen its fair share of abuse, and the look was complete. Sorry, my nuts like to breathe. I won't be wearing anything that tight whilst alive.

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  8. agreed. Swedes love their tight clothes. as a general rule, I do not. which makes me stick out a bit sometimes. but so it goes.

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