Last edited by TheExpandingMan (2013-10-25 10:59:11)

I wish the thugs here in the US were that polite.

Here, they'll give you a 'buck-fifty'(150 stitches) without even talking to you.

My brother suffered some similar Southerner ignorance of the conditions in the North whilst at university, he had a girlfriend from some place in Essex. He went to stay with her and her family over a bank holiday weekend and said it was endless diatribe of inappropriate comments on poverty and thieving that my brother must have experienced. The sad thing was, this family was living on a rough old estate in a council house.

Of course, as I've said before, on here, and elsewhere, I blame Alan Bleasdale followed by Phil Redmond for negative portrayals of scousers that became ingrained in the national psyche that culminated in atmosphere where a corrupt police force felt they could get away with the crimes following the Hillsborough disaster. Which they did, for a long time.

^Are you sure? I remember that Lacoste was the most coveted of the sport brands, being almost not available in the UK and could only be purchased in seemingly exotic locations on the continent.

I remember the first shop in Liverpool selling Lacoste button downs in circa 1990/91 were selling them for 150 quid.

No football analogies please, I've already kicked up a right old hornet's nest over on Talk Ivy because of fitball.

Hitting my teens in the early 00s the 'big three' were undoubtedly Stone Island, Lacoste and Ralph Lauren. SI was a foreign entity to most of us. Visually arresting in style and branding, but illusive. Jackets which retail at in excess of £500 simply aren't feasible for kids from south east London and the sticks. Lacoste was pretty much ubiquitous and kids eased from tracksuited scallies into slightly more presentable reprobates. My favourite was a bright blue effort purchased at the flagship shop when I was 16/17. I wore it with matching Incontinence pants gazelles (the limited editions with a bright red sole) and stone cords, despite having the hangover of an ill-advised 'indie' haircut (longer than necessary and unkempt) I felt a million dollars. Finally Ralph Lauren. While SI and Lacoste were highly gendered, birds liked ralph too. An avid reader of American history RL seemed to have some connection to the Hamptons, the Kennedys and numerous style groups over there. I loved it then and still do now, despite the innumerous awful designs they churn out. I had two polos when I was 16 (black and white) and have gone through a rainbow selection of them....not to mention t-shirts, socks, shorts, jumpers, scarves etc etc.

There's no mention of jackets above. I couldn't afford to buy those I really craved, although when I started working full time I blew my wages on a CP Company jacket. Normally we wore windbreakers (IZOD Lacoste vintage efforts), golfing coats (mainly Aquascutum, sometimes Ralph or Daks) or tracksuit tops (Fila), which were, on reflection, awful looking things.

I've grown up a lot since then, but still hold a candle to that look. It informs everything I wear now, if only on a subconcious level.

Hmmm, I'm not convinced, I think there's some revisionist history going on here. I would like to see some evidence of photos of the casuals circa 1981 or 82 in Lacoste.

http://testpressing.org/2011/06/the-face-the-ins-and-outs-of-high-street-fashion/