Am I right to be enraged at adults dressing up as Peaky Blinders

[Buelligan]

Surely, that's the point, it should never be it's all this or all that, well, not until humans lose all individuality anyway.  People should be exactly how they like, whatever that is, it's no one's business but their own.

[king_tubby]

Billy Childish has been dressed like that for the last 30 years. And good on him. Steady the buffs!

[jobotic]

He sure has, and we don't seem to have that many Peaky Blinders copyists round here, so he still stands out.

[Better Midlands]

Its a bit passe, both literally and figuratively.  That look is soooo 2012 now, never mind 1920s.  The cool kids are all now dressing like 1990s scalls.  At a recent gig I went to in a trendy bit of Glasgow it was wall-to-wall purple and teal shell suit tops, young Ryan Giggs haircuts (curly perm on top, number one to zero back and sides), pastel shirts buttoned right up, Chipie jeans and Stussy sweatshirts.

This is true, the look was pretty tryhard back then anyhow. Dressing like a Peaky Blinder is basically cosplay and pretty unoriginal.

[Buelligan]

Heheh.  Unorginal, look around you.

[bgmnts]

What is the fashion unique to this decade? I don't know nowt bout fashion.

[dr beat]

This is true, the look was pretty tryhard back then anyhow. Dressing like a Peaky Blinder is basically cosplay and pretty unoriginal.

Actually the cool kids these days are more specifically channeling 1991 scalls, I admire their attention to detail.  By 1995/96 the classic scall look was a Ralph Lauren or Ben Sherman shirt untucked under a jumper with a massive cK logo, Rockport or Caterpillar boots (not adidas gazelles, they were student shoes), maybe a Berghaus if it was raining.  Other half in a Kappa tracky. 

[marquis_de_sad]

What is the fashion unique to this decade? I don't know nowt bout fashion.

Airpods.

[SteveDave]

He fucked made love to a dog.

[Better Midlands]

Heheh.  Unorginal, look around you.

I live in Amsterdam and work in fashion so I see lots of different looks, I absolutely agree with the spirit of what you're saying though. The PB look is tired and too studied IMHO, it's one of the most popular TV shows and is the 2019 equivalent of dressing like a Kid From Fame in 1983 or Don Johnson in 1985.

[Better Midlands]

Here's a picture of DJ Andy Weatherall from 2012, a year later East London was swarming with lookalikes.

[dr beat]

The Chap magazine was pushing this look several years before even then.  Around 2012 is probably when it went mainstream, and the Chap does a page taking the piss out of the latecomers.

[Dex Sawash]

What is the fashion unique to this decade? I don't know nowt bout fashion.

Those exercise pants that go right up there

[Better Midlands]

The Chap magazine was pushing this look several years before even then.  Around 2012 is probably when it went mainstream, and the Chap does a page taking the piss out of the latecomers.

It's often in the zeigeist, Duffer/Boy's Own were referencing it early 90's too.

[Better Midlands]

Those exercise pants that go right up there

Activewear/Athleisure.

[Buelligan]

I live in Amsterdam and work in fashion so I see lots of different looks, I absolutely agree with the spirit of what you're saying though. The PB look is tired and too studied IMHO, it's one of the most popular TV shows and is the 2019 equivalent of dressing like a Kid From Fame in 1983 or Don Johnson in 1985.

I think you're missing my point or at least part of it, I don't see dressing as competitive, it's creative but, for me, at least, it's chief value, after practical issues, is allowing personal expression.  I think this is good for mental health and it increases the joy quotient in lives generally.

The importance of originality is not an issue at all for me, very few people are capable of true originality.  If we define self-expression in those terms, most of us will be consigned to the untermensch bin forever.

I think people should project whatever they like about themselves, it's no one's business but their own and the idea that one must abandon ones own embodiment because too many other people are doing similar things is frightening. 

I actually actively deplore fashion*, to me, it is the complete antithesis of what it pretends to be.  I hate the idea that someone who wants to dress like a Peaky Blinder or a centurion or whatever the fuck they like should be constrained by how many other people are doing it and whether it's still a thing or too mainstream, old, weird, all of that can really get to fuck.  Be who you are, be who you want to be and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.  You get one life, baby, don't let other people live yours.  Heheh. 

*That's not meant to be an attack of any sort on you or what you do, please don't take it as that.

[Pancake]

As a native of the west midlands I just wanted to say that I was a native of the west midlands

[Better Midlands]

I think you're missing my point or at least part of it, I don't see dressing as competitive, it's creative but, for me, at least, it's chief value, after practical issues, is allowing personal expression.  I think this is good for mental health and it increases the joy quotient in lives generally.

The importance of originality is not an issue at all for me, very few people are capable of true originality.  If we define self-expression in those terms, most of us will be consigned to the untermensch bin forever.

I think people should project whatever they like about themselves, it's no one's business but their own and the idea that one must abandon ones own embodiment because too many other people are doing similar things is frightening. 

I actually actively deplore fashion*, to me, it is the complete antithesis of what it pretends to be.  I hate the idea that someone who wants to dress like a Peaky Blinder or a centurion or whatever the fuck they like should be constrained by how many other people are doing it and whether it's still a thing or too mainstream, old, weird, all of that can really get to fuck.  Be who you are, be who you want to be and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.  You get one life, baby, don't let other people live yours.  Heheh. 

*That's not meant to be an attack of any sort on you or what you do, please don't take it as that.

No attack taken, I work in fashion - but it's strictly business for me and something I fell into, as an industry it's 99% populated by cunts.

I agree with what you're saying and would love to see someone dressed as a centurion too. That eccentric individuality is fantastic and Amsterdam used to be full of it back in the day, unfortunately it seems to be dying out. My point is that someone dressing as a Peaky Blinder in 2019 is slavishly following a fashion trend under the veil of individuality.

It is however one step up from the ubiquitous Superdry wearing barbecue dad look of the masses ;)

[Chollis]

s4c

[Voltan (Man of Steel)]

As a native of the Black Country, I can't describe how offensive it is to see someone in Birmingham

As a native of Wolverhampton, I can't describe.

[Buelligan]

No attack taken, I work in fashion - but it's strictly business for me and something I fell into, as an industry it's 99% populated by cunts.

I agree with what you're saying and would love to see someone dressed as a centurion too. That eccentric individuality is fantastic and Amsterdam used to be full of it back in the day, unfortunately it seems to be dying out. My point is that someone dressing as a Peaky Blinder in 2019 is slavishly following a fashion trend under the veil of individuality.

It is however one step up from the ubiquitous Superdry wearing barbecue dad look of the masses ;)

And this is the core of it, we can't know if they're slavishly following a trend or whether they feel the need to express that emotion, because we're on the outside and they're all individuals.

[jobotic]

I've got two Superdry shirts, that were bought for me years ago. Didn't wear them much as I was a bit embarrassed and they've been rolled up in a drawer. They're actually quite nice warm shirts for winter though. What should I do? Do I care if people think I'm a barbecue dad? I sort of do.

[Buelligan]

I'll never think of you as a barbecue dad unless you want me to.

[jobotic]

Thank you. I'll go for it.

If I attract Lib Dems though the shirt is coming off.

[Pancake]

Superdry is from Birmingham (sort of) so in a way it's the peaky blinders outfit of today

[poodlefaker]

I think Peaky Blinders is popular partly because it has fitted in with an existing trend, as others have suggested. It's not a historically accurate programme at all, it's almost steam punk territory. And I speak of a native of the West Midlands from before the West Midlands existed.

[JesusAndYourBush]

Saw one today, full costume, waxed moustache. Just going about his business. Should I have rugby tackled him, hit him about the head with his tweed cap and shouted "You might as well be dressing in a Spiderman costume" or was I correct to let him carry on about his business?

Did he have the haircut?  If he didn't - not a Peaky Blinder.

[Better Midlands]

And this is the core of it, we can't know if they're slavishly following a trend or whether they feel the need to express that emotion, because we're on the outside and they're all individuals.

That's a fair point and hard to rebut, I'd just say at this point in time it is highly likely that the majority of people dressed in that look are following a trend.

I'm not bothered what people are wearing, it bears no factor on my opinion of them as a person. I do generally like eccentric people and someone dressed eccentrically always piques my interest.

Virtually everyone dresses to fit in with their "tribe", whether consciously of unconsciously (I know I do)

Long live the centurion!

[Voltan (Man of Steel)]

And I speak of a native of the West Midlands from before the West Midlands existed.

Same here. Wolverhampton, Staffordshire is what my mom wrote on the inside of my pencil case. 28 etc...

[dmillburn]

There's even a full on themed bar further up in Dale End which needless to say I've never been in.

In it's previous life as Sara Moons that place was probably the dodgiest pub I've ever been in to. Me and a mate spent 45 minutes or so in there waiting on a ticket tout for a gig at the Academy and it was like a comedy old Western saloon bar with non-stop constant fights, arguments, dodgy deals and bottles flying everywhere.

I popped in there a couple of weeks ago and it doesn't seem to have changed much except they have a few Peaky Blinders pictures on the wall and you now get your head kicked in by someone wearing a flat cap.