Okay, I'm having a little bit of writers' block concerning this week's post, but I ran across this New York Times article regarding the "it" item of this fashion season: the flannel shirt. (http://ideas.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/27/flannel-shirt-bipartisanship/ ; http://www.thesmartset.com/article/article10190901.aspx )
The article suggests that due to the economic crisis, those who can no longer afford such luxuries as Hummers to depict themselves as "rough and tough" individuals can instead indulge $500 dollar "workman" shirts and work boots to compensate. Since, as the article states, it never costs too much to look like you've just come how from work
The article also addresses how the flannel look appeals to both sides of the political spectrum, including those wild and crazy urban hipsters. What this article fails to acknowledge is the aura of "American authenticity" flannel has about it. It the fabric of the hard working, the person who is pursuing the American Dream in an age where this ideology has grown increasingly jaded.
Is this return to flannel not only a return to specific style but also an attempt to get back to one's "roots?" Or is it merely the result of the American public's desire for further commodification and kitsch?
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