I've been marveling at all of the guys I see wearing a plain white T-shirt out and about this summer. Is it mostly because it's been hotter than hell? Or has everyone also decided it's cool to wear an undershirt as your only shirt? And these are undershirt-type white T-shirts I'm talking about. Not classier-looking T-shirts with a little heft to them.
In my wanderings so far this summer, I've seen a woman wearing her (presumably) husband's or boyfriend's white T-shirt with a bra visible underneath and a guy lift up his white T-shirt to wipe the sweat from his face to reveal ... another white T-shirt underneath. Here are a couple of photos I took to document the trend.
The other annoying thing I've been seeing a lot of are boat shoes, aka Docksides.* The other day in my neighborhood, I saw a good-looking guy wearing a snazzy, matching blue-and-gray shirt-and-shorts combo—with ugly dark-brown boat shoes. I wanted to go all Mr. Blackwell on his ass and tell him he'd be better off pulling a Moe Szyslak and wearing Wonder bread bags on his feet.
***
I saw a guy on the M train wearing a T-shirt that I highly approve of, even though it makes fun of the state of my birth. It said, WHAT HAPPENS IN JERSEY SHOULD STAY IN JERSEY. Ha!
Before I go, I have one more clothing-related gripe. I thought there would be far more casual shirtlessness in the Village than there's been this summer. Come on, guys! It's hotter than the blast furnace of a gay steel mill out there. Take off your damn shirts!
*I always thought they were Docksiders, with an r. That was what I called them when I was a kid and had to wear them because my parents bought them for me. And I freely admit that that situation is probably a major contributor to my dislike of them now.
An accurate observation-post all around, Bill. The white T is reigning and the only problem I have with it is that,paired with darker shorts or jeans, it cuts a man in half making him look like the famous NYC "black and white" cookie.
ReplyDeleteI knew it would be just a matter of time before the Sperry Topsider would return. I'm so glad I kept my old ones, although the new hues are a startling twist that I don't so much like.
Regarding insufficient shirtlessness, I have an explanation. Because of the relentless body-competition on the sidewalks of Chelsea. Hell's Kitchen and W Vill, few are brave enough to bare it. In Cleveland, we'd all walk around naked to perpetual applause.
I have worn a plain white t all day today. I would like to say it is in honor of your post, but I wore a plain white tank all day yesterday, and the resultant bright red farmer-tan style sunburn needed to be therapeutically covered for my shoulders' sake, and visually covered for everyone else's sake.
ReplyDeleteI stopped in Ty's last night to get a beer. I took my shirt off to try to start the trend I was seeking. When the guy manning the door saw that I was shirtless, he came over to tell me I had to put it back on. In Ty's! What is this city coming to? I should have asked him whether I needed to hold my pinkie out while drinking my Yuengling.
ReplyDeleteThe news about Ty's is distressing. We should plan a group shirtlessness demonstration event there in late August.
ReplyDeleteYes! Power to the shirtless people!
ReplyDeleteBoat shoes are Awesome! Give in to the power of the boat shoe!
ReplyDelete