As a fashion conscious man and perveyour of all things fresh, I am, unfortunately as brand conscious (maybe even more) than the next guy. With that being said, I feel the need to relate a little experience I had a few weeks back with a few friends. It made me re-evaluate my fashion choices but more importantly made me look at whats important in my wardrobe and how it got to be so.
As I was riding with two friends, one whom we just picked up from the airport (epic weekend), friend A says “I need to stop at Walmart” and friend B casually asks why. I think that’s a resaonable question. There’s lots of things a grown black man might pick up at Walmart: deodorant, baseball cards, gum, lucky charms cereal, a futon etc. Friend A says “Man, I gotta pick up some draws…” PAUSE…. Friend B and Myself, at the same time, no less, say “You buy yo DRAWS AT WALMART???!!!???”, half in astonishment, half in disgust. It was the running inside, and later outside joke of the weekend. We thought it was hilarious! I mean, I get my boxer briefs from Banana Republic, and friend B said he only wears Polo. You mean to tell us that Friend A gets his underwear from Michael Jordan??? Hannes without the tag? Fruit of the Loom with the grapes dancing in the commercial?? What are we, poor?
After the weekend ended, I went back and actually thought about that exchange. We crucified this man for the type of UNDERWEAR that he rocks! Not that anyone sees your boxers. Nope. Just the brand. Because nobody we roll with can wear ANYTHING out of Walmart… but why not? How ignorant is that viewpoint. I preach that Banana Republic’s underwear “fit better” in my waist and my girl likes how my butt looks in them. That 100% nonsense. Underwear are underwear. Now, granted there are certainly higher levels of couture style in every aspect of our wardrobe, but you cant tell me that Polo makes better underwear than Hanes; Hanes is an UNDERWEAR COMPANY! Our attitude towards those brands has far less to do with quality than with branding. I wear Banana Republic underwear because I wear Banana Republic everything else. I’m partial to it. That doesnt mean that every other brand sucks. It means I’m partial. Me, I’m Discriminating against something I havent tried since the last time my moms bought my draws (1994). That’s almost 20 years. I need to grow up. Friend B needs to grow up. And friend A needs to keep buying his cheap, disgusting draws from Walmart because it’s his choice. That fabric don’t have to touch these cheeks. I’m making the case of “To each his own” even if his own is below the standard you keep for yourself.
Stay #Fresh
Mr. H
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