what does a Ben Sherman shirt mean in the UK?

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Over here they just seem like shirts, over there they seem to imply something unflattering about the wearer's character.

― fritz, Sunday, 12 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

and what would naomi klein say about all this?

― fritz, Sunday, 12 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

And are nationalistic, proprietary feelings towards shirts outdated and irrelevent?

― fritz, Sunday, 12 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Hmmm, I guess it's just that a lot of drunken louts on a Saturday seem to wear them. It's a bit of a generalisation.

― jel --, Sunday, 12 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

The label has an association with the Skinhead and Suedehead cults of the late 60s and early 70s. It was *the* shirt to wear if you were on of those. The revived version is now vaguely laddish but middle of the road - they're available everywhere. Horrid checks - I wouldn't be seen dead in one. The originals in plain colours and an oxford cloth were nice though.

― David, Sunday, 12 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

According to a doc I watched tonight, Stone Island is now the number one hoolie clobber.

― Andrew L, Sunday, 12 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I adore plaids, so I started wearing BS shirts several years before I was made aware of any subcultural connotations.

― Michael Daddino, Sunday, 12 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I watched that doc too, it were scary.

― Ally C, Sunday, 12 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I'll hold my hand up to the generalisation. But I find it easiest to go straight to signifiers, gets the point across. Anyone with half an ounce of sense spots them for what they are. Though, last night, they were both wearing Ben Shermans. Handy convergence, that.

― Matt, Sunday, 12 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Stone Island?

― michael bourke, Sunday, 12 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Actually, that raises an interesting point. Being a hoolie is now middle of the road. The banality of the post-pub punch up is such that it has become something which doesn't disgust us, though it should. It has become something else, almost acceptable...like traffic jams, just an inconvenience, yet in each of these inconveniences, someone's getting badly hurt...

― Matt, Sunday, 12 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Stone island make lovely clothes, they're an offshoot of CP company I believe. Unfortunately yes they have been appropriated by hooligans, as Tim can confirm, when we saw Chesterfield a couple of months back, almost all of the hoolies were clad in Stone island jumpers and jackets, and Burberry caps.

Ben shermans are a nice shirt, as said above, in plain colours, original cut, now though, they're just pissed-up townie wear.

― chris, Sunday, 12 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

i watched that docu last night as well, and when the hoolies were all being kept in the pub by the police and they tried to burn it down, i said "the police should lock the doors and let the fuckwits burn." then i was disgusted by what a reactionary old fart i am. oh well.

― katie, Monday, 13 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I used to have to wear one for work. A slightly darker than royal blue. With a little tie with sheep on it.

― alix, Monday, 13 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Were you an unusually smart shepherd?

― RickyT, Monday, 13 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

The real scumbags wear luminous green ones with blue check designs or something. And the shirts are way too big for them. dodgy fringe, inbred face, gold ring, tight jeans.

― Ronan, Monday, 13 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

That hooligan programme last night was just vile.Thank god 24 was on straight after to get it out of my head on a sunday evening.

― Jonnie, Monday, 13 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

four months pass...

i'd love to answer this question of why the 'ben sherman' is popular among people in uk. it all started in the swinging 60's when youngsters were one of two youth movments: a 'MOD' or a 'ROCKER'; rockers wore leather and had slicked hair and drove a big loud motorbike. Mods on the other hand were dressed smart, wore parker coats, drove mopeds with mirrors, and wore the legendary ben sherman. Mods were very popular among londoners, cockneys were the true mods in the uk, i feel. there is a film which explains this called 'QUADROPHENIA'. anyway all "da boys" wore these shirts so as the generations grew older the lads, louts, da boys, cockney youngsters, whatever you want to call them wear these shirts rather than wearing extreme clothing this basic shirt is to represent a mod.

― billy, Saturday, 5 October 2002 15:35 (twenty-three years ago)

It means...... you work in a Weatherspoons

― kinski (kinski), Saturday, 5 October 2002 22:03 (twenty-three years ago)

haha i just want to add that when i first glanced at this thread i thought it said " what does a bear shit in the ........." then i re-read it.
:-)
lack of sleep.

― donna (donna), Saturday, 5 October 2002 22:06 (twenty-three years ago)

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