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Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 2553
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, September 13, 2005 - 08:07 pm: | 
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An odd phenomenon is sweeping the urban areas throughout America. They're there. Everywhere. Tall ones. Short ones. Skinny ones. Fat ones. School kids. Teen-agers. 20-somethings. Swaggering along. Running to catch up. Lolling around hang-outs. Draped out of car windows. In groups. By themselves. Here. There. Who? Young black males. Wearing what? The Look. What look? OVER-SIZED WHITE TEE SHIRTS - an unofficial uniform of sameness that has taken over their wardrobes. What does it mean? A brotherhood of brothas?? How did it evolve?? Is cost a factor? Is the price of 3-for-$10 a backlash against the exorbitant price of designer gear? Can it be? And what will happen next. Has the bling lost its bang? And - is the occasional sight of a paperback book sticking out the back pockets of young black men a sign of the next trend?? Who knows?? Who'd dare guess?? We can only hope. |
Libralind2
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Libralind2
Post Number: 195
Registered: 09-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, September 13, 2005 - 10:49 pm: |
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This is not new. My grandsons have been wearing this shirt called wife beaters and such for years..at least 5. I dont understand it when 2 or more teens are seen wearing the same type of clothing it has to have a lable. They wear them because they like um
LiLi |
Babygirl
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Babygirl
Post Number: 119
Registered: 04-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, September 13, 2005 - 11:06 pm: |
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Where I live over-sized white tee shirts have been deemed "gang attire" and are forbidden in our schools. Go figure... |
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 2557
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, September 13, 2005 - 11:06 pm: |
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"Wife beaters" are sleeveless undershirts, LiLi. The tops I am talking about are "T" shirts that are veeery large. And it's not about labels. It's just that me and a lot of other observers of the pop culture scene think it's interesting that young black males have adopted this garb. |
Rustang
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Rustang
Post Number: 128
Registered: 04-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, September 14, 2005 - 12:07 am: |
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The 'wife-beaters' were also made of a different material than your standard white T-shirt.I haven't heard that expression for a while. I sure hope that the youngsters start reading and developing a little unity.The door will be wide open very shortly,because the white kids would rather take a beating than read a book. |
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 2564
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, September 14, 2005 - 01:08 pm: |
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Rustang, I'm sure you know what the origin of the term "wife beater" is but I have to repeat it because I find it sooo funny! According to my kids, it comes from the TV show COPS, where when the police would be called to a trailerpark to break up a domestic quarrel, the drunken husband they'd be leading away in handcuffs for beating up his wife always had on a white sleeveless under shirt. I know black folks had to have coined that phrase, just like they nick-named McDonalds "Mickey Dees". |
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 2565
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, September 14, 2005 - 01:15 pm: |
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Babygirl and LiLi, I have heard that on the west coast these white T shirts do have something to do with gangs, with guys wearing them so they can't be identified by their gang colors in case they're caught on enemy turf...or something. Like I said, around here when I asked a kid about them, he said everybody was wearing them because they were cheap. ????? |
Yukio
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Yukio
Post Number: 770
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, September 14, 2005 - 08:16 pm: |
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i wear wife beaters and veerry large whites t-shirts...because they are cheap. In fact I purchase several packs of t-shirts during the summer and wear yesteryears underneath the new ones to pick up the sweat....I've been doing this for...almost ten yrs....south bronx baby! |
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 2569
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, September 14, 2005 - 08:54 pm: |
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I guess I'm behind the times because I just started being on the look out for these tops when a newspaper article mentioned that the big white T shirt brigade were seen scurrying around everywhere when Suge Knight was shot. |
Deebaby
Newbie Poster
Username: Deebaby
Post Number: 24
Registered: 08-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, September 15, 2005 - 01:15 am: |
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In NY,
Tne white tee thing has been on for years now
and still going strong - ere'body from junior high to high school to college students to middle aged dayum men.
(The really long nightgown-looking ones are played out/were short lived. You might see an elementary school kid wearing one every now and then.)
I never had a problem with them.
Three for $10 beats the designer and other tees by leaps and bounds.
(Hell, they oughta come up with a similar plan for some inexpensive jeans.)
I like the look too - white tees, with nice jeans and sneakers
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Tonya
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Tonya
Post Number: 347
Registered: 07-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, September 16, 2005 - 04:45 am: |
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But Deebaby, you know it's hard to get away with a cheap pair of jeans. They gotta fit right.
Tonya
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Deebaby
Newbie Poster
Username: Deebaby
Post Number: 25
Registered: 08-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, September 16, 2005 - 06:41 am: |
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Tonya,
I ain't say "cheap"
I said inexpensive...*s*
in jest however
cause the jeans and the sneakers gotta be tight
for "the look"
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Crystal
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Crystal
Post Number: 230
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, September 16, 2005 - 11:48 am: |
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Yea, they've been wearing the white T's for a while here in L.A. Especially the Hispanics. They are large but not overly so. It's true about the gang connection here. So many colors are outlawed white and black are the only colors left.
I also see more girls wearing wife beaters then boys now.
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A_womon
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: A_womon
Post Number: 1271
Registered: 05-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, September 16, 2005 - 05:04 pm: |
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HI YUKIO! |
Edenson
Regular Poster
Username: Edenson
Post Number: 33
Registered: 06-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, September 16, 2005 - 07:03 pm: |
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well, i live in Florida, and the white tee thing has been here for a minute, maybe not quite ten years like for others... i wear white tees, and so do my other friends... we wear them because they're cheap, they give you a clean look that tees with words on them, just cant deliver. They especially look good when you got on some crisp new jeans, and new sneakers... I know people who only where white and black tees... hey, its better for the parents, unless u have a kid that doesn't where the same white tee more then once... Yes, there are kids that do that... In due time you will see more guys wearing the fitted tees more, like a punk, preppy look... |
Yukio
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Yukio
Post Number: 775
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, September 18, 2005 - 12:18 pm: |
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Hi A_womon! |
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