Monday, June 05, 2006

Going Haband

Last week on the PATH I was again reminded that I dress like a skateboard kid, which is where I started out in the 1960s. There were 3 friendly adolescent skateboard guys, 17 or 18 years old. They were all thin, wore old jeans, worn black sneaks, baggy teeshirts with something printed on front (one kid had Pink Floyd Dark Side, still Amazon.com top 200), & funky caps. I was wearing old loose jeans I was told were formerly owned by comic Rich Vos, black K Mart sneaks, a baggy black WFMU tee, & a well-made blue "captiv8" baseball cap I got brand new in a rummage shop for a buck. The skates changed to the 33rd St. train, urban adventurers. I envied them.

Occasionally I get an urge to totally flip & buy my wardrobe from Haband, the incomparable catalogue of cotton-polyester clothing, better generally for menswear than women("Bend Over Blazer"?). I know a guy who wears Haband, he doesn't enjoy shopping & so he's made the style part of his "old man" image, although he's hardly past 40. He's also a big man, his waistline probably changes weekly & the Haband "stretch" features accomodate the ups & downs. So if I made the Haband Makeover, here's what I'd get this week:
A couple of knit guayabera shirts (with a cheap shell necklace, great for boardwalking) & a few seersuckers, timeless alternative to this year's madras.
A watermelon blazer.
Microfiber field coat with "magic cling" pockets.
& the most must-have apparel, a wash & wear "Nano-Tex" suit; 2 actually, black & sand fancy, wish I'd had this outfit when I used to attend Christmas Eve service at my sister's church up in a section of Jersey where they prefer Land's End & Pendleton (Tipoff I'm not a true Habander is I want the Rainforest Washable Silk Shirt @ $74.00).
Add a pair of black dress loafers for 24.99
& reversible belts & the transformation is nearly complete, until I look over the closeout items. I haven't even chosen a full wardrobe, no undies, jammies, or golf shirts. I'm just a dabbler.

Labels: ,


Comments:
This blog entry was such a fun romp through the total makeover, and better yet that I know you and yet don't know you. The rainforest silk shirt is great. Just a dabbler, huh? Well, that can be overcome. Now I am wondering about that shell necklace, hmmmm hoping something along the lines of a tiki bar-inspired one might work with with the skater guy look. Haha.

Thanks for this entry it was so much fun!
 
If there's a Haband trendsetter, he's Glen Jones at WFMU.
 
I lost my Haband snobbery a year ago when I bought a bunch of really nice chenille sweaters and some boucl&eacout; acrylic sweaters for like 10 bucks apiece. More recently I got some nice Mushroom flat pumps for $14.99/pair.

Look, Bob, we ain't kids anymore. Sure, much of Haband's stuff is crap, but occasionally they have something worth buying. Just don't expect to see any of it in the Sunday coupon circular.
 
I always prefer to shop at Haband..!
 
Post a Comment

<< Home
"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be." Thomas Jefferson

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?