6.6.08

The Early Bird...




There's a saying where I come from, which is now fairly universal; The early bird cathes the worm. Where this mornings journey to work was concerned, the opposite applied. Running a tad later than normal, I exited the tube station with speed in my stride only to stop dead when this little tyke caught my eye. I proceeded to 'catch the worm', there and then. Swift and fast. And what a catch. Just take a look at the attention to detail; The rebelliouos neck tie technique where the shorter and stubbier it is, the better. Then theres the zipper on the Umbro training jacket, lowered in order to expose the neck tie with out obscuring, as if the all-boy school emblem is a flag of which to be proud. Look at the hat, a pseudo-New Era type cap pulled right down for ultimate identity concealment topped with the shower proof hood, so carefully placed. At this point I would like to say that today is one of the very few real summers mornings we are likely to see in London and such attire is way beyond necessary. This look was meticulously constructed and will be stringently stuck to regardless of the climate. This a social shield. Hailing from Stratford, London, home of the increasingly present Olympic stadium, this young man was out scouting the West End for a new pair of kicks. Although wearing black trainers to his school is an excludable offence, today he will replace his current "mash-up" pair with something in the same vein, happily running the risk of punishment, gesturing toward his baggy fit school trousers that largely conceal the make up of his chosen foot coverings. "They don't see me" he says, with a smug sense of victory in his early morning rasp.
Here's to stealth and going to school; a challenging task, increasingly comparable to an SAS mission in these knife-crime riddled times.

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3.6.08

New Jack Hustler



"H.U.S.T.L.E.R - hustler". I've seen so many whack remixed/reinterpreted/straight up rip off versions of this iconic logo lately, it makes my balls itch. Seriously. Annoying. Anyway, this is something of a valuable piece right now. For most, this would be THE Starter jacket to have, if only for it's early gangster rap association.
Following the 1992 LA riots the Raiders logo became internationally synonymous with a 'F@CK THE POLICE' type attitude. Even in the UK it scared the authorities. Here's one of the guys who fuelled that affiliation. And then there's this clip which I have no idea what to make of.

Hat Man Jim



See! And there was you, thinking that there were only two ways to wear a Trilby; your Grandads way and Trousersnakes way. But nay I say, because there's a third way. Introducing Funny man Jim who stacks on a whim. Yeah, he is SO next level... literally. Stackin 'em high never looked so fly.

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