Tracksuits, when did so many teenagers just stop bothering with individuality?

fussyonion

LexieOnRale wrote: »

My tracksuits do promote my individuality, from the personal apliqued statements across my ass.

"Juicy"
"Angel"
"Horny"

There's one for every occasion.

Velurebabe4lyf

:D

Jonny7

club goldgrain wrote: »

would our sh1t weather play a part in what they wear??
you get up it rainning ,,ah tracksuit
you get up it cloudy,,, ah tracksuit
you get up it might be sunny ,, ah tracksuit

The only reason I wear a tracksuit is the elasticated waistband

no belts, buckles, buttons, zips.... pure unadulterated laziness

Jonny7

CrabRevolution wrote: »

Would every teenager wearing tracksuits not make tracksuits the norm, and so 'normal teenager ****e'?

Or by 'normal teenager ****e do' you mean 'what i want teenagers to wear'?

Oh I thought I was arriving back to a nation of scallies - didn't realise it was the great teenage tracksuit trend of 2013

suicide_circus

who was it who invented wearing sportswear as leisurewear.....who was it......oh yeah!

Jimmy Savile !

Son Of A Vidic

Sulla Felix wrote: »

Every generation of teenagers look the same.

Rubbish. You obviously weren't around when we had New Romantics, New Wave, Goths, Cure Heads, Metal Heads with a sprinkling of punks still hanging around. To name but a few.

theUbiq

dundalkfc10 wrote: »

Im 27 and still wear tracksuits, well tracksuit bottoms and a hoody or jumper every day apart from at work (unless its Friday) and if im going out pubs/nightclubs etc....

People who see people in tracksuits as scum, or see it as chavy looking are in my opinion ****

Luckily your opinion only matters to you then...:D

NotVeryHappy

I don't see a problem with it. I'm absolutely loaded (seriously), pure class, and the complete opposite of a scumbag.

When I'm sick of wearing a suit or tux then I love wearing a a tracksuit around the house.

gurramok

FTA69 wrote: »

. If you would term any youngfella in a tracksuit as a "skanger" then you're simply adopting a prejudice, regardless of where you're from. As for looking good? If I'm on a day off and doing the shopping or going to the cinema what defines "looking good"? Primark boot-cuts and a check-shirt?

Wearing a tracksuit outside sports outdoors is not looking good. If you like looking like an Anto from the flats, go ahead but don't get upset when people judge you for lack of clothes etiquette.

FTA69 wrote: »

As for "skangers", I don't give a f*ck what other people wear for the most part, not in any serious sense anyway. Neither am I ignorant enough to label anyone in sportswear as a layabout.

Wearing a tracksuit outdoors as part of your attire every day is indeed a sign of being a lay about up to no good just like their pyjama wearing sisters. Its unreal that you are not trying to better yourself in society by disassociating from skanger attire.

Duck's hoop

This thread has lost direction.

While I see a huge amount of teens wearing grey tracksuits and white runners, I'm not judging them. I'm not lumping them all into some 'skanger' pot, and I'm definitely not some old fogey shaking his head at the folly of today's youth. Exactly the opposite is nearer the truth.

As has already been asked, where are the sub and counter cultures? The psychobillies, punks, goths, hippies etc?

One thing about Ireland, and Dublin in particular during the eighties and nineties, there was a thriving alternative scene. Now it's just one homogenous, elasticated, grey flannel puddle of banality.

I think it's a shame.

Vicar in a tutu

Duck's hoop wrote: »

This thread has lost direction.

While I see a huge amount of teens wearing grey tracksuits and white runners, I'm not judging them. I'm not lumping them all into some 'skanger' pot, and I'm definitely not some old fogey shaking his head at the folly of today's youth. Exactly the opposite is nearer the truth.

As has already been asked, where are the sub and counter cultures? The psychobillies, punks, goths, hippies etc?

One thing about Ireland, and Dublin in particular during the eighties and nineties, there was a thriving alternative scene. Now it's just one homogenous, elasticated, grey flannel puddle of banality.

I think it's a shame.

Take a walk through temple bar on a saturday and you'll see plenty.

FTA69

gurramok wrote: »

Wearing a tracksuit outside sports outdoors is not looking good. If you like looking like an Anto from the flats, go ahead but don't get upset when people judge you for lack of clothes etiquette.

It's gas like, you say you're from a working class background yourself and then you bang on about "Anto from the flats" as if you're Ross O'Carroll Kelly or someone. Many, many working class people (and as I've said above, middle class people too) wear tracksuits while doing casual activities. Most young people in working class estates today wear some variety of sports wear. I know plenty of hard working plumbers, carpenters, factory workers, nurses etc who'll wear sports wear while popping out.

Again I'll ask you, what's "looking good" in your eyes? Most Irish people have sh*t fashion sense aside from tracksuits anyway.

Its unreal that you are not trying to better yourself in society by disassociating from skanger attire.

Not that I need to justify myself to you or anything but I got a good leaving, got a first class honours degree from university and now work in a decent, professional job in London. I don't need to be lectured on "bettering myself" considering the fact I achieved a lot for myself in my opinion. I'm far from a layabout. As I said I couldn't give a f*ck if some space-cadet starts tut-tutting about me wearing a hoody while doing my weekly shop. If attire is your only perception of being a worthy individual then I would suggest you open your mind and stop being a judgmental old biddy.

hfallada

I dont see anyone from a middle class background wearing tracksuits. They are so common and expensive. You can buy a pair of quality jeans in ZARA that makes you look slim for €20 whereas a tracksuit bottoms are €50.

fussyonion

I do wear a hoody or sporty top with trackie bottoms at home, or if I'm nipping to the shop-once I'm comfortable I don't care, and my clothes are always clean and in good condition (not tatty or stained or anything).

I wouldn't live in tracksuits, but that's not because I have anything against them-I like all sorts of clothes and like I said, comfort is paramount.
I wouldn't be wearing one to the pub, though, cos I love dressing up

I also wouldn't judge someone who wears them all the time.

I know a woman who always dressed glamourously, i.e dresses and well-cut jeans and boots, but she's had back and foot problems in the past few months and feels more comfortable in a tracksuit.

Wear what you want, I say..................once you're not showing off your breakfast, lunch and dinner :P

Miss Lockhart

hfallada wrote: »

I dont see anyone from a middle class background wearing tracksuits. They are so common and expensive. You can buy a pair of quality jeans in ZARA that makes you look slim for €20 whereas a tracksuit bottoms are €50.

What a stupidly pointless post.

You can buy tracksuit bottoms for €20 lots of places too. You can also spend €50 (or hundreds) on jeans if you like.

FTA69

hfallada wrote: »

I dont see anyone from a middle class background wearing tracksuits.

If you've ever been to UCC or UCD you'll see a rake of them, men and women alike. However they usually wear Abercrombie or rugby-themed ones.

cometogether

I'm a teenager here, think its a bit of a shame to see masses of people going around in tracksuits like clones when there's plenty of other cool options. Although having said that, maybe that's just me, and other people are happy enough wearing whatever

Vicar in a tutu

cometogether wrote: »

I'm a teenager here, think its a bit of a shame to see masses of people going around in tracksuits like clones when there's plenty of other cool options. Although having said that, maybe that's just me, and other people are happy enough wearing whatever

But what about the black masses in their generic marilyn manson hoodies? or the punks etc? they all look the same as eachother as well.

gurramok

FTA69 wrote: »

I know plenty of hard working plumbers, carpenters, factory workers, nurses etc who'll wear sports wear while popping out.

Don't think i've ever seen any, they usually have work overalls on. I've never seen a tracksuit wearer in my workplace(employs hundreds) and if they did wear a tracksuit they would be escorted off the premises promptly by security and rightly so. Business Park security would bar them too.

FTA69 wrote: »

Again I'll ask you, what's "looking good" in your eyes? Most Irish people have sh*t fashion sense aside from tracksuits anyway.

Simply, don't wear a tracksuit "to look good" as you will simply not look good. Try an alternative look.

FTA69 wrote: »

Not that I need to justify myself to you or anything but I got a good leaving, got a first class honours degree from university and now work in a decent, professional job in London. I don't need to be lectured on "bettering myself" considering the fact I achieved a lot for myself in my opinion. I'm far from a layabout. As I said I couldn't give a f*ck if some space-cadet starts tut-tutting about me wearing a hoody while doing my weekly shop. If attire is your only perception of being a worthy individual then I would suggest you open your mind and stop being a judgmental old biddy.

Never said you were a lay about, it was more aimed at the "non-working class" who wear tracksuits every day. I felt that you were letting yourself down dressing like them as you say you're a hard worker.

wicklowstevo

the defining style these days appears to be to try as hard as possible to look like you've just been released from Mount joy , there are significant sub cultures and the very best of luck from them , they should have embarrassing photos to look back on in a few years just like we did ,

some one over thirty who usually wears a track suit and isn't playing sports at that time does have a problem though


nothing wrong with hoodied at all though, its properly something to do with global warming or something

old hippy

hfallada wrote: »

I dont see anyone from a middle class background wearing tracksuits. They are so common and expensive. You can buy a pair of quality jeans in ZARA that makes you look slim for €20 whereas a tracksuit bottoms are €50.

"Common"? What is this? Enid Blyton?

old hippy

NotVeryHappy wrote: »

I'm absolutely loaded (seriously), pure class, and the complete opposite of a scumbag.

Very classy.

yoyo

gurramok wrote: »

Don't think i've ever seen any, they usually have work overalls on. I've never seen a tracksuit wearer in my workplace(employs hundreds) and if they did wear a tracksuit they would be escorted off the premises promptly by security and rightly so. Business Park security would bar them too.

I seriously hope "common" clothes like jeans and t-shirts aren't worn around there. How could people possibly be allowed lower the tone :pac: . I think some people on this thread will have a heart attack knowing that I wear tracksuits to work, and guess what, no one cares..
Plenty of skangers/scumbags in the news recently who dress smart in suits and ties, could be related to a certain bank that have cost billions to the tax payer. At least though they "dressed to impress"

Nick

Scruffles

Pumpkinseeds wrote: »

Nice attitude, and also why many people see some tracksuit wearers as scumbags

insulting others whilst trying to make a valid point against theirs removes the respect people may have had for them making it, but people who are able to so easily assume a person as belonging to a particular societal group of any kind by what they wear or behave like do not need any convincing from online comments, as there is already a closed minded view of whatever group built up in their mind.

its great if teens feel like wearing trackies,it means they arent so damn hypervigilant about how they look to other people;peer pressure is a huge problem for regular run of the mill teens and they dont need older people teaching them that they belong to a society created negative group just because they prefer comfort over how they appear to others.

another user even links low inteligence to skangerism/chavism etc, thats a pretty judgemental view as well.

as many users know; am intelectualy disabled and have never not been around others without it; none of us are or ever were like so called chavs but on clothing appearance are wrongly assumed to be because we lack the social awareness to give a sht about how we appear to others, people who truly lack regular/academic inteligence [not those in prisons who truented from school,never learnt and obviously gave skewed IQ testing] tend to be friendly to anyone due to the lack of social awareness, as opposed to having the capacity to be the antisocial stereotype of chavism,though many of us have various other issues which flavour this side anyway.

apart from when the weather is hot am personaly a jogging pants wearer all the time due to acute sensory issues with all other materials, anything else is shorts [football team type shorts],honestly coudnt care what people think, people rarely recognise the clothes though;its elsewhere theyre staring; behavior,the padded helmet,big peltor optime III ear defenders and a wheelie.... they get a good crazy eyed stare back and they look away like naughty little school children.

Pumpkinseeds

Scruffles wrote: »

insulting others whilst trying to make a valid point against theirs removes the respect people may have had for them making it, but people who are able to so easily assume a person as belonging to a particular societal group of any kind by what they wear or behave like do not need any convincing from online comments, as there is already a closed minded view of whatever group built up in their mind.

its great if teens feel like wearing trackies,it means they arent so damn hypervigilant about how they look to other people;peer pressure is a huge problem for regular run of the mill teens and they dont need older people teaching them that they belong to a society created negative group just because they prefer comfort over how they appear to others.

another user even links low inteligence to skangerism/chavism etc, thats a pretty judgemental view as well.

as many users know; am intelectualy disabled and have never not been around others without it; none of us are or ever were like so called chavs but on clothing appearance are wrongly assumed to be because we lack the social awareness to give a sht about how we appear to others, people who truly lack regular/academic inteligence [not those in prisons who truented from school,never learnt and obviously gave skewed IQ testing] tend to be friendly to anyone due to the lack of social awareness, as opposed to having the capacity to be the antisocial stereotype of chavism,though many of us have various other issues which flavour this side anyway.

apart from when the weather is hot am personaly a jogging pants wearer all the time due to acute sensory issues with all other materials, anything else is shorts [football team type shorts],honestly coudnt care what people think, people rarely recognise the clothes though;its elsewhere theyre staring; behavior,the padded helmet,big peltor optime III ear defenders and a wheelie.... they get a good crazy eyed stare back and they look away like naughty little school children.

Scruffles, you've taken my comment out of context. If you read the full post you would see that my post was in response to being called a w*nker. I also did not label all tracksuit wearers as scumbags or say that everyone perceives all tracksuit wearers as scumbags.

cometogether

Vicar in a tutu wrote: »

But what about the black masses in their generic marilyn manson hoodies? or the punks etc? they all look the same as eachother as well.

Yeah I ain't into that either, a bit of individuality is always a good thing when it comes to clothes

FTA69

gurramok wrote: »

Don't think i've ever seen any, they usually have work overalls on.

I mean outside of work obviously i.e. in their time off. Plenty of working class people I know in respectable jobs and from decent families wear sports wear. For instance many people in working class areas.

Simply, don't wear a tracksuit "to look good" as you will simply not look good. Try an alternative look.

Hold on a second, why should anyone need to "look good" (your phrase) on their day off or while doing mundane tasks or hanging out with friends? Also what in your eyes constitutes "looking good"? Most of the "going out" wear thrown on in Ireland would elicit laughter in the rest of Europe.

Never said you were a lay about, it was more aimed at the "non-working class" who wear tracksuits every day. I felt that you were letting yourself down dressing like them as you say you're a hard worker.

There are a few lumpen types who wear tracksuits (many of them also wear jeans etc). My point is that many working class people wear them on a casual basis and more the fool anyone who judges them on that basis alone.

old hippy

Personally, in this mild weather, I wear Aloha shirts.

Irish Guitarist

Duck's hoop wrote: »

This thread has lost direction.

While I see a huge amount of teens wearing grey tracksuits and white runners, I'm not judging them. I'm not lumping them all into some 'skanger' pot, and I'm definitely not some old fogey shaking his head at the folly of today's youth. Exactly the opposite is nearer the truth.

As has already been asked, where are the sub and counter cultures? The psychobillies, punks, goths, hippies etc?

One thing about Ireland, and Dublin in particular during the eighties and nineties, there was a thriving alternative scene. Now it's just one homogenous, elasticated, grey flannel puddle of banality.

I think it's a shame.

Being part of a 'subculture' is hardly being individual either. The fact that you can label someone a punk or a psychobilly (whatever that is) based on their clothes or musical taste means that there are other people that have already adopted the same look. These people might look like dozens of other people rather than hundreds or thousands of other people, but they're still not totally individual.

A group of teenagers walking around all wearing mohawks and with safety pins through their noses wouldn't like any more individual from each other than a group of teenagers all dressed in tracksuits would. One might have a different coloured mohawk than the next, but they would still all fit into the easily defined label of punk.

I once saw a group of teenagers dressed as goths hanging around outside a shopping centre. They were all wearing black clothes and black makeup. They weren't any more individual than a group of teens wearing tracksuits would be. They also started laughing at me and making fun of my clothes (I think I may have been wearing an orange t-shirt at the time). I'd say they were a typical group of loudmouthed teens.

YFlyer

Pumpkinseeds wrote: »

There used to be a crazy Gerry on a bus route I use, haven't seen him for a long while now. Angry man with a golf umbrella that had a rubber stopper on the end, didn't seem to matter what bus I caught, crazy Gerry was almost always on it. I think he spent most of his time on that bus route:D

I heard he tried to become a bus driver.

We are talking about the chap that be on the buses in Limerick over the past number of years? Always has an umbrella with him.

Pumpkinseeds

YFlyer wrote: »

I heard he tried to become a bus driver.

We are talking about the chap that be on the buses in Limerick over the past number of years? Always has an umbrella with him.

That's the chap all right, Jesus the thought of him driving a bus. I'm not sure what sort of mental health problem he has but he can be very aggressive and scary at times. He was very bad the last few times I saw him and I wondered if he'd gone to a secure unit for a while.

Duck's hoop

Irish Guitarist wrote: »

Being part of a 'subculture' is hardly being individual either. The fact that you can label someone a punk or a psychobilly (whatever that is) based on their clothes or musical taste means that there are other people that have already adopted the same look. These people might look like dozens of other people rather than hundreds or thousands of other people, but they're still not totally individual.

Of course! It's totally pretentious and vain and pointless. But it's great craic. And in some stupid ways it kind of helps you figure out some of what is pointless and pretentious.

For me it widened my social group, got me interested in different and slightly off beat topics, music, art, authors and politics. Also got me punched a few times and I did look like an idiot but we had a great fücking time pouncing about.

We may not have been individuals, or as individual as we thought, but we were aware and eager to try to be. It just seems today that it's very mundane, homogenous. Not just the clothes but the whole shooting match.

I blame Facebook.

YFlyer

Pumpkinseeds wrote: »

That's the chap all right, Jesus the thought of him driving a bus. I'm not sure what sort of mental health problem he has but he can be very aggressive and scary at times. He was very bad the last few times I saw him and I wondered if he'd gone to a secure unit for a while.

I say he be wrecking the bus drivers heads. He be telling them what other drivers be on the other bus routes

mcwinning

When I have free time or am not in work I always wear sweatpants. They are much more comfortable than any other type of trousers. I couldn't care less if other people think I am lowering the tone or am lazy.

Pumpkinseeds

YFlyer wrote: »

I say he be wrecking the bus drivers heads. He be telling them what other drivers be on the other bus routes [/QUOTE
There are a couple of drivers who won't put up with him and he knows it. There's been a few times when he's gone to board the bus, gotten 'the look' from the driver and gone off muttering.

ToddyDoody

Where does our education system foster and promote imagination? If its not encouraged, welcome to healthy profits for the tracksuit peddler.

cometogether

ToddyDoody wrote: »

Where does our education system foster and promote imagination? If its not encouraged, welcome to healthy profits for the tracksuit peddler.

When has it ever?

ToddyDoody

cometogether wrote: »

When has it ever?

The 60s, dude?

YFlyer

ToddyDoody wrote: »

The 60s, dude?

If You remember the 60s, you were not
there :P

cometogether

ToddyDoody wrote: »

The 60s, dude?

Dunno wasn't alive then, kid. But surely you don't mean the Irish education system? This was a system where rapist Christian Brothers punished with violence the sin of playing soccer, individuality indeed!

JenEffy

Pumpkinseeds wrote: »

I suppose it depends on your idea of conformity. I wouldn't describe making an effort and taking a little pride in your appearance as conformity. Conformity to me is just settling into a saggy assed unisex tracksuit with an elasticated waistband. Although there does seem to be a broad spectrum of tracksuit, ranging from the lurid neon all the way through to the cheap heavy grey cotton saggy ones.

I just don't get the appeal of wearing the same thing as everyone else. At least EMO's make a bit of an effort, you can give them that much. There used to be a lot of style diversity, you just don't really see that much of it these days among teenagers. Usually the teen years are when people experiment with style etc.

Eh, aren't Emos conforming too?

JenEffy

No matter how you dress you'll be conforming to some kind of lifestyle. I don't understand why people care so much about what other people wear. How does it affect you?

theholyghost

JenEffy wrote: »

No matter how you dress you'll be conforming to some kind of lifestyle. I don't understand why people care so much about what other people wear. How does it affect you?

Conformity! People want everybody to be the same. Teenagers want to be like their peers and people on boards want teenagers to be like them. It's a circle of conformity, man!

BNMC

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