one true saxon?

[bron82]

Dont know what to make of this brand, ive seen skateboarders to local football heads wearing it. I know an ex Paul Smith designer is behind it but whats your take on this brand, they've got some nice gear and i think im goin to pick up a pair of their jeans, they dont seem to fall under any particular 'category'

[Yakboy Equals Nurturer]

I've always regarded it as having a bit of a Northern (English) football casual vibe going on...kind of a CP Company / Paul & Shark / Henri Lloyd thing but more selfconsciously trying to fit in alongside those labels (which aren't particularly aimed at the casual crowd) in so far as they are worn on the terraces. It has always struck me as a bit out of place for One True Saxon to be stocked in the US in the kinds of places that sell mostly skateboarding derived streetwear cause I associate it with a totally different culture in the UK.

Edit: Oh yeah, before anyone asks... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casuals

Edited by Yakboy Equals Nurturer on Sep 12, 2005 at 11:12 AM

[horriblyjollyjinx]

I think this is a better link for causals

www.chavscum.co.uk

tally-hoo

[Yakboy Equals Nurturer]

'Chavs' and casuals are not the same thing at all, chav being a somewhat dodgy term of the moment that appears to be all about providing UK media types and a certain kind of middle class wanker with the opportunity to take the piss out of the poor and get away with it...casual being a bona fide subculture that grew out of British working class football culture. Casual culture is also the primary reason that the UK has any kind of a distinctive stylistic identity from the US. The only thing they might have in common is violence and Burberry and the few remaining casuals haven't worn Burberry for a long time.

[horriblyjollyjinx]

Okay sorry, thanks for clearing up 'Casual' still has a bad sound to me though, but I'm not from the UK so I guess I'm not very informed.

tally-hoo

[bron82]

90% of the sites that sell it sell the usual stussy, silas, nike, adidas, obey, spiewek kind of stuff, it looks like they are pushing for a more streetwear appeal. They also have an online link to beinghunted not that it means anything. Researching the term casual has thrown up some interesting stuff, that in a way they were first on the retro sneaker trend years ago and had a massive influence on mens fashion. I just thought they were hooligans. I also think the term 'chav' is a bit out of order, some people are dicks whether they were burberry hats or not, shouldnt generalise.

Edited by bron82 on Sep 12, 2005 at 01:00 PM

[Yakboy Equals Nurturer]

Quote: 'Casual' still has a bad sound to me though

Well, you're not wrong there...most casuals were basically just well dressed football hooligans. They did have a huge influence on UK culture though, primarily with the labels that they popularized, but also in that the early acid house and UK rave scenes were composed largely of casuals substituting Saturday afternoon football, drinking and fighting with Saturday night music, drugging and dancing.

I've been living in the US for a while now, so I might be out of touch and misreading the situation, but what I don't like about what I've seen of the whole Chavscum phenomenon is that it seems to be focusing a lot of hatred on people just because they're poor. Not everyone from a council estate is scum and, like bron82 says, not all scum wear Burberry caps.

Edited by Yakboy Equals Nurturer on Sep 12, 2005 at 01:13 PM

[teejayess]

OTS is a funny one. They were one of the brands, along with the likes of Mandarina Dunk and 6876, that the casuals moved onto after SI/CP Company. Nowadays, they get banded in with the likes of Stussy and Silas. Even in the UK.

And there's lot more to the casual scene than football violence. A lot of the companies at the forefront in the UK have their roots in terrace retro. It is/was a group of individuals from far from well-of backgrounds with impeccable taste. Each and every purchase was well thought out. When the disposable income is tight, there is no room for error.

EDIT I've just read that back and cringed. It's not supposed to sound like a romanticised tale of working class hardship. It's just a bunch of men in some tasty jackets and trainers.

Edited by teejayess on Sep 12, 2005 at 01:40 PM

Edited by teejayess on Sep 12, 2005 at 01:42 PM

[horriblyjollyjinx]

Quote:

Quote: 'Casual' still has a bad sound to me though

Well, you're not wrong there...most casuals were basically just well dressed football hooligans. They did have a huge influence on UK culture though, primarily with the labels that they popularized, but also in that the early acid house and UK rave scenes were composed largely of casuals substituting Saturday afternoon football, drinking and fighting with Saturday night music, drugging and dancing.

I've been living in the US for a while now, so I might be out of touch and misreading the situation, but what I don't like about what I've seen of the whole Chavscum phenomenon is that it seems to be focusing a lot of hatred on people just because they're poor. Not everyone from a council estate is scum and, like bron82 says, not all scum wear Burberry caps.

Edited by Yakboy Equals Nurturer on Sep 12, 2005 at 01:13 PM

--- Original message by Yakboy Equals Nurturer on Sep 12, 2005 01:12 PM

Interesting, thanks for the lecture

I don't think that a chav is just a stupid, lower class person though. There are like 20 derogatory words, other than 'chav', that all mean the same, one being 'ned'. It stands for non-educated delinquent. I talk to a couple of brits sometimes and my impression is that ned describes those people very well, they pick fights, commit crimes, are loud and foul mouthed etc. Most of them are also not that well off economically, and they seem to like everything with logos or brand patterns, like burberry etc. So, the brand fetish is what they have in common with casuals(maybe also the behavior), but the chavs mostly wear fakes.

a bit more on topic:

OTS had some nice desert boot-looking shoes a while ago, almost got myself a pair. Anyone know the shoe and if it's still available?

tally-hoo

Edited by horriblyjollyjinx on Sep 12, 2005 at 01:43 PM

Edited by horriblyjollyjinx on Sep 12, 2005 at 01:45 PM