Wrapping Up Politics of Fashion
January 20, 2009 • By Gabriel Henriquez, The Breeze
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Harrisonburg, VA- Winter weather accessories not a question of masculinity
World events, cold weather and fashion awareness have collided and conspired to change the significance of scarves and the men who wear them. Gone are the days when a guy could reach into his closet and dress on a whim. Unfortunately, 18-degree weather has forced JMU guys to trade in their polo shirts and khaki cargo pants for something warmer. However, the politics of scarves have made this accessory a thorny issue to undertake.
“I’ve got four scarves. I wear them on a regular basis when it’s cold. I wear them for both practicality and as a fashion statement,” senior Philip Ochs said. “I have a fifth scarf, the traditional keffiyeh. However, that I wear less for practicality and more as a fashion and political statement.”
Indeed, the keffiyeh, one of many names given to the traditional and ubiquitous scarves worn by men throughout the Middle East, has emerged as a symbol in the West — one that some JMU students are embracing.
“I wear the keffiyeh out of solidarity with Palestinians. Not with the political party, not with the religion, but with Palestinians and the Palestinian cause,” senior Sam Williams said, speaking of the current incursion into the Gaza Strip by Israeli forces, which to date has killed more than 1,000 Palestinians. “There are far too many people in the world who do not know the reality of the situation in Palestine and me wearing the scarf is an opportunity for someone to ask me why.
People have asked me if it’s part of my religion, other people have asked me where I’ve gotten it and they get upset when I tell them I bought it in Jerusalem. I guess they were expecting me to say I got it at American Eagle.”
Other guys leave politics out of the equation, finding the fashion issue too difficult to deal with on its own.
“I don’t think I have any clothes that match with a scarf, and I’m not going to wear a T-shirt with a scarf,” sophomore Matthew Ross said.
“I think there is a difference between condition and fashion. Fashionably I don’t wear them but for practicality I would. If it matches the clothes then it looks fine, but if you’re wearing a sports jersey and a scarf you’re not really matching,” the Iraqi War veteran said while in his workout attire of T-shirt and shorts.
For those who can navigate through color schemes and clothing compatibility successfully another red flag rises: the issue of masculinity.
“On a warm day a girl could pull off a scarf where a man couldn’t. But when it’s really cold out, men should wear scarves,” said senior Natanya Crumrine. “I actually knit my boyfriend a scarf. He doesn’t wear it though!”
But some guys feel more comfortable than others when it comes to fashion accessories.
“Fashion is more in the favor of women for many reasons, and so men are kind of left out in the cold when it comes to acceptable fashion in terms of what everyone can agree upon,” Ochs said. “When it comes to accessories though, the scarf is a very appropriate accessory for a man to wear.”
Contact Gabriel Henriquez at henri2gx@jmu.edu
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