[medwards]

At times, this Forum does get a trifle stuffy. An occasional dose of humor couldn't hurt...so here's a thread about those ridiculous fashion mistakes almost all of us make...like the time my father-in-law emerged from the sauna to attend the poolside reception at a Finnish resort wearing barely a towel while all the other guests were in evening wear. Or that turqoise and lavender coat I had made on Carnaby Street (it was 1968, after all). Anyone care to share?

 

[medwards]

A New Round of Stories

The above post started a rather long thread (since lost to cyberspace) launched in March 2005. It occurs to me that 1) we have a great many new members since then who may have interesting stories to share and to help us get to know one another better and 2) I believe we could benefit from a bit more humor...so I have resurrected it for your contributions to be added. :icon_smile:

 

[ultra]

A notched lapel tux with a white long tie to my wedding — and I even bought it beforehand. I hadn't discovered this forum yet and allowed my wife to help me choose. She has excellent taste, truly, in most things. Menswear is not one of them.

I still own it and have not replaced it because there's only been one occasion since then that required one and it was a formal night on a cruise with my inlaws. I told myself Clooney wore one to the Oscars with a bowtie and looked pretty good, although in the future it will be sold second hand and replaced with a double-breasted midnight blue number... with peaked lapels of course!

 

[dfloyd]

I wore a tuxedo to get married in....

If I had it to do over again, I would wear a Mourning jecket.

 

[Mark from Plano]

I grew up in the '60's, graduated from High School in the late '70's and went to college in the '80's. My fashion mistakes were legion.

Perhaps the worst was the banana yellow dinner jacket with black piping, yellow ruffled shirt and black butterfly bowtie that I wore to my junior prom. Though, the hunter green leisure suit I wore in high school might rank right up there. Or perhaps it was the Miami Vice phase...or perhaps...[too embarrassed to continue]

 

[Helvetia]

I remember my brown leisure suit with a drag car shooting flames on the back. It was the '70's & I was probably 8 years old. Thanks Mom!

 

[Rossini]

Hmm.... As long as the thread isn't self-defeating and just makes fun of the combinations people wore that just weren't stuffy enough?!

What might be interesting is to explore is not necessarily 'fashion mistakes' but the times that members realised that their overzealous pursuit of sartorial elegance led to the use of it in inappropriate locations (being overdressed) or where combinations just got out of control for one reason or another...

 

[cdcro]

If I had it to do over again, I would wear a Mourning jecket.

mourning, I love it :idea:

 

[Franko]

NOT wearing clothes.

Sympathy with your fathers' predicament.

I was in northern Finland many years ago, in deep, dark, midwinter, staying with my Finnish girlfriend.

Along with another couple (Finns) we had booked the sauna and adjacent lounge with panoramic windows, on a flat, open space roof, at the top of the ten story building, all to ourselves for the evening, the sky was clear, the stars were large, bright and I swear, after a few Oluts, twinkling.

After we parked the bottles in the fridge and sorted the sandwiches, I was informed the sauna was now hot enough, being a forward thinking sort of bloke, I started peeling my kit off to go into the sauna when I detected a look of deep embarssment on the faces of the others, more like Munch's, 'The Scream' really, their horrified faces saved me.

You see they don't, contrary to the myth that has grown around them, do mixed sauna - ering, you have more chance in Manchester or Brooklyn, than Helsinki.

 

[Rossini]

Very good, Franko! :icon_smile_big:

 

[Relayer]

In 1980 when I lived in Japan my mother came to visit my wife and I. We decided to go into the countryside and stay a couple of nights at a ryokan (traditional Japanese hotel).

When we arrived at our room we were very excited about being immersed in the old traditional Japan. We immediately changed into the traditional yukata (sort of a simple cotton kimono), lounged around for a few minutes and the hurried down to the dining room (if it had been a bit more of an exclusive place we would have been served in our room by our own Nakai-san).

When we got to the dining room, we were the only gai-jin (foreigners) in the place and wouldn't you know it, the ONLY people wearing the yukata (we were getting more than a few semi-discreet glances our way). Well, we felt pretty silly at first, but then decided just to act completely "unaware" and make the best of it. We were just gai-jin, after all.

(and then there was that blue leisure suit with the white stitching in the early 70s, and also the wedding with the beige "tux" with tails and brown satin trim and cumberbund... whew!)

 

[Cruiser]

I've posted this before, but I'll repeat it.

1969 Rolling Stones concert in San Diego. Striped bell bottom pants, white shirt with flared sleeves open in the front with a huge medallion around my neck on a gold chain. Topped off, or should I say bottomed off, with a pair of Beatle boots. Oh yeah, my wire rimmed John Lennon glasses otherwise known as granny glasses at the time. Yeah, I was looking good riding that city bus to the arena.

Cruiser

 

[Teacher]

I was in high school from 1988 to 1991. Now, allow your imagination to fill in the gaps....

 

[Relayer]

Oh, boy.

You just reminded me of the time ( I was 14) when I got my mother to buy me that white nehru shirt, the one with the sparkly-squiggly designs around the neck and the end of the sleeves. I was going to wear it to the Big Bam rock and roll show at the Coliseum.

When my father saw it he refused to let me even go to the show. To young he said.

 

[The Other Andy]

"Pegged" jeans, Converse All-Star hi-tops, and a "Coca Cola" rugby shirt back in 1986 . . . ugh.

Not a pic of me, but look at the bottom of the jeans and you'll get the idea:

Coca Cola rugby shirt - why were these even popular????

 

[Preu Pummel]

I can believe I wore it...

Relayer reminded me of my spring 2004 trip to a ryokan in Matsumoto.

Though this isn't strictly in line with this thread; I went there on a North to South Japan trip where I just took a small bag and went by train, plane and auto from Sapporo to Okinawa.

I wore a rather nice, tall, black cowboy hat everywhere to peg me as an American Gaijin. It was actually helpful. In an old style ryokan I took it off and immediately walked my forehead directly into a solid wood doorway. the place was so old and so solid it was made for people well under 6' and I am 6' 4" without shoes. That hat was the best early warning system and head protection for Japanese architecture, and I avoided lots of trouble in old castles, hotels, trains and visitor centers.

The true faux pas was then in Okinawa- traveling Japan requires minimal luggage. I took two sets of clothes, both for Tokyo/Sapporo around April 1st, so more for cooler climates. Ended up in a beach resort in Okinawa with 75ºF temps on a tropical beach in black pants, long sleeve shirts, and boots. The natives thought I was a murderer. One guy, the owner of a restaurant, freaked out when I drove up and asked directions (had just got off the plane wearing my black trench coat because I had no storage). Bet he thought I was a cleaner sent by the yakuza, because he was panicked to tears trying to get me out of his place.

 

[Wizard]

But the the vest and pink bow tie work for you. :icon_smile_big:

 

[eagle2250]

A powder blue, polyester liesure suit, the jacket complete with a Nehru collar, recieved as a gift, hung in my closet for years. Eventually, and mercifully I might add, it went to the thrift shop, never worn and with all tags still attached!

 

[StevenRocks]

I was in high school from 1988 to 1991. Now, allow your imagination to fill in the gaps....

'89 to '93 for me. I thought I was so cool, but I looked like the kids standing with the bunny.

 

[Teacher]

'89 to '93 for me. I thought I was so cool, but I looked like the kids standing with the bunny.

I was actually somewhat of a headbanger (not extreme, but enough), but my best friend dressed just like that. We were quite a pair.