The Hardest Choice I Ever Made
Often I have found myself people watching for the amusement of everyday life. Not by luck or sheer investigation, I have noticed something that everyone shares in common guys and girls alike, their personal style of clothing in reflection of their choose in music. I am not talking about or brand names or “the clothes make the man”, but that of the general appearance of how the individual displays themselves to the world around them. Over the generations people have been influenced greatly by the music that they enjoy. By conscious decisions or not, people tend to dress to the type of music that they enjoy most. Dress and Music are linked by the way of how the individual walks, carries themselves, and their general attitude.
As I sit placing trying to place people with their taste in music, I have noticed that the attire of the individual somewhat perceives my notions. This notion is often accurate but not decisive. There are many instances that this does not hold true. People are defined who they are and what they are at any given moment and the music that they represent are just a rhythm away.
Country Music
The first thing that I notice about the people is the way that they are dressed. People usually wearing the tight jeans, boots and cowboy hats generally fall within the country music. This may not always be the case. Country music fans have a pride in their stride or a dip in their hip that makes the movement look like someone doing a two-step. The person is generally walking with a jovial stride. The persona, in which this individual gives off, will indicate a modest, somewhat insecure, but fun loving person. Around here, country music fans wear mostly jeans and boots, but biggest give away of all is the belt buckle that is twice their IQ size.
Just the other afternoon while waiting for Julia, my lunch date, an attractive young lady wearing the cowboy boots and the cowboy hat was just standing about thirty yards from me. Immediately, I assumed that fits into the country music category. As I watched her for a minute or to. I realized that my notion was correct. She walked with a jovial stride and appeared to have a down to earth personality. My notion was re-enforced when she started interacted with her co-workers. As I watched her demonstrate a line dance that she probably learned the night before at Cotton Eyed Joe’s. She tried to get her co-worker to join in the fun, but he seemed reluctant to stand up show off his dancing skills.
Classical
Antonio Vivaldi’s spring concerto number 22, the theme for Deburg’s Diamonds, fits this type of dress to the letter. This individual dictates the “clothes makes the man” persona. As though they are the upper crust of society. The elegant clothing, the make-up, the individual seems a bit stuffy. Look at Vanna Trump, she by far is an example of the high society. The form fitting clothing and her demure personality and the love of the ballet makes her a prime example of classical. One may envision a classical music conisoure as though dressing in a smoking jacket with an ivory cigarette holder and with a comfortable wealth.
One may perceive them wearing Gucci and wearing a Rolex on their wrist. Cause of perceived notions of clothing styles, the classical lovers are the hardest to spot. Eating lunch one afternoon at the Bistro on Gay Street, waiting for my entrée to arrive, I started people watching. I noticed that there was gentleman sitting outside by the park bench. The temperature was mild but the skies where not inviting due to a storm approaching. This gentleman has the appearance of a transit it on his last quarter. He was asking everyone for change as they walked by.
Many people didn’t give this gentleman a second thought, and others found loose change in their pockets. I watched this gentleman during my entire lunch. I knew that he had a Walkman in his jacket and was listening to classical music. After I paid for my lunch, I went out and greeted the gentleman that I found interest. I enjoyed our conversation and gave him ten dollars, then I was on my way. The reason that I knew that he was listen to his favorite classical cassette, it was me that gave him the Walkman and a Bach cassette for his birthday the week before. Josh, the homeless gentleman, and I became friends thought a volunteer program for the homeless. Sometimes its hard to see the music behind the clothes.
Heavy Metal
This type of individual has little to hide about their nature. Don’t be mistaken, often this person is backed with a lot of flash and armor. The heave metal fan has a in your face attitude and lacks the tasteful attire. Heavy Metal groups from the past like Poison, Ratt and Wasp seemed to spend their money on the finest women’s clothing for themselves. A total fashion fubar. Today’s heavy metal groups like; Disturbed, Smashing Pumpkins, Rob Zombie take they fashion to the other end of the spectrum from classical music. From ripped jeans, t-shirts and chains to well that is about it. Heavy metal individuals dress like the current rock bands. The ripped leather pants and faded torn shirts are generally the choice for this individual.
Take Julie Steim for example, she is the likeness of the character in “Heavy Metal 2000” and the show uses her voice in the voice-overs. She likes the show off as much with little clothing as possible. The flare for chains, leather and lace, and futuristic weapons makes her undeniably heavy metal. The strides of the individual are often move as though ordered by a military general. With hard stepping strides and little care for societies concerns, this individual has a straight in your face personality. Their defiant attire gives off the statement, “look at me, but don’t even tough, hell don’t even look”. Remembering back a couple of weeks ago, there was the rocker chick that entered Camelot music store at Knoxville Center. She was sporting the gothic look with chains, body art and piercing. Talking about guessing right on the first try which music that this girl liked. She walked by me to the heavy metal section.
Alternative
The alternative category is the latest in the generation of music that has inspired a sort of fashion. The person has little evidence of body shape due to the excessively baggy clothing. Where the hip pockets on the pants are at the knees. This style of dress is that of a fashion statement gone astray. The grunge population has little to do with knowing attitudes. They carry themselves with poor stature and with little care what others think about them. They are the modern day free spirit like that of hippie generation. Some of the music groups that have sprung out of this generation are Butthole Suffers, Papa Roach, Limp Bizkit, Rage Against the Machine.
The music is of anger, suffocation, and the common thread of the lack of self worth. Take Courtney Love, the lead singer for Hole for instance, her general attitude is defiant and self-centering. I know that this type posterior can swing with the best of them. Any night at Banana Joe’s in the Old City proves that grunge styles live large and enjoy life despite that of negative enforcement from the lyrics in their music. I was sitting in the outside lounge at BW3s enjoying the evening air. I happened to notice a group of college girls walking along the sidewalk. Amazed at the how baggy the clothes were on them.
There was no shape in their outfits what so ever. I began to chuckle. Suddenly, to my amazement even more so, a girl tripped over her own pants and landed smack down her behind. I let out a sudden burst of laughter that was loud enough for them to hear. I was not alone in my newfound entertainment; others were laughing with me. The girl picked herself up off the ground and started rubbing her behind to help ease the pain. Too our amazement even further, she bent down and started rolling up her pants legs. The small group, that I found myself in, was on the verge of tears for laughing so hard. I know that her butt was singing the song from Buckcherry, “No pain like fallen down”.
There are many things that influence our lives. Either by conscious or subconscious we are the products of our world. From the environment that we live or by the chooses we make, we have created our own self image. Everyday we make the decisions to effect our lives in a some way or the other. There is only one first impression, there is a life time of second impressions.
