a l'allure garconniere

"I have no problem with dressing in rags, or in all black, or whatever, so long as it isn’t seen as something more than it is, a personal fashion choice and subject to the same aesthetic and tactical considerations as any other fashion choice, i.e. silhouette, palate, does it conform to gender roles, is it original, is it confrontational, that sort of thing. Crusties have always been one of my fashion inspirations, their attention to details is staggering and the dedication, the sheer time spent perfecting their look, sanding their bandanas and what not, it’s a true example of demi-couture. And as amazing as they are at fashion, I think it’s hard, if not impossible, to extend their aesthetic and lifestyle choices to a genuine politic or form of radicalism. Half of anarchist culture is about genuinely scraping by since we’re all broke and trying to avoid working shit jobs, the other half seems to be posturing, and that posturing has this weirdly religious feel to it that totally undermines those good intentions. I think a lot of folks are using declasse as an excuse for getting off the hook, in terms of privilege, then sitting back and criticizing people who aren’t playing poor like them. There’s no aesthetic to poverty, and it’s cruel to think that choosing to live in squalor and dressing in a particular way somehow creates solidarity with those that genuinely struggle to make ends meet. I’m not sure I’ve actually championed decadence, but I think it’s a useful anarchist tactic that has its time and place and is an antidote for the kind of masculine/femme-phobic superficiality that I just mentioned. Decadence to me is about embracing your vanity, your artificiality and not letting morals turn you into a bore."