Get Your WAR On
This cute little cap looks rakishly skewed at whatever angle you wear it - and features a wee pocket with a condom so you can be sexy and prepared. Stephen Philips, the designer, has created a line of hats, bags and dog-tags to promote World Aids Research, with 40% of the sales donated to charity.
The WAR line is available at OSAFO, at 851 Queen Street West, 416 720 0738. OSAFO is hosting a little holiday party this Saturday afternoon where you can meet the designer and enjoy some wine and cheese. Besides the WAR effort, there is a customer appreciation sale from December 20 to 23 - stylish threads for men and women at 25% off.
Comments (11)
Perhaps the choice of camo and the skewed military cap style is meant to evoke a war against a disease.
If you are interested in military influences used by fashion and subcultures, I would suggest checking out this Suzy Menkes article to start; for the most part I think fashion's appropriation of military styles is aesthetic and not as overtly political as you imply.
Thanks, Danielle; that was an interesting article. If you ever write on the topic for BlogTO, I'd read it.
Dumb.
"Hey, look, it's Rambo"
It's kind of like when I see suburban kids dressing like urban kids...I'd like to take them to the innermost part of the city, drop them off and tell them to "act gangsta now".
Same with military clothing, you can get all the military-style clothing you want....just join up. It seems like all it does is ween us on the idea of a police-state somehwere in our future. I think it's funny also, how some is acceptable while some is not. The swastika is a military symbol, how long before that shows up on a $900 purse (but it's Prada, darling...Praaaaada). I'm pretty sure that if I shaved my head, wore camouflage and jack boots at a bus stop, I would not be looked on as a fashion statement.
Also, careful, different military symbols mean different things to different people. What's acceptable to one might get your kicked by another.
I think I should make it clear that in this case the WAR stands for World Aids Research.
Steve - I am surprised that you take people's choices of clothing so literally and judge so harshly on the basis of what people wear. Military clothing has influenced many modern garments from the Doc Marten boot to the pea coat, the trench coat, to the cargo pant, etc - and the appropriation of these styles have everything to do with how practical, modern and useful they are and nothing to do with creating a police state. I would suggest that you re-examine your extremely simplistic assumptions before you start kicking people.
WAR!...Huh! Whaaat is it good for? Absolutely nuthin'! Say it again. (coudln't resist)
Danielle,
I don't judge people on what they wear (except camo and "Big Johnson/Hooters" T-Shirts": - ) All in all, it's not a bad hat, at least it's not ALL camo.
I'm assuming that fashion means wearing something that makes a statement...usually about yourself. Now, I'm ok with the WAR logo with the ribbon, I think it's cool and for a good cause, but does a good cause ALWAYS innoculate someone against ANY criticism? I just think it's message gets lost putting it on camo (I associate camo with NASCAR and "Love it or Leave it" types). That logo would, I think, be much more powerful on just a plain black backround and focus on the logo/ribbon itself.
Now, if someone wants to play Army and dress up like GI Joe/Jane (especially while their country is in a REAL war,) that's fine, whatever) I just think non-military people wearing camo looks ignorant, (I tend not to like actual military walking around in camo either). But hey, to each their own, wear the camo, heck, carry around an AR-15, an ammo belt...accesorize! Some blood stains would look really bitchin, hardcore!
I just think those creative fashion minds could come up with something a little more creative than camo. Plus, this whole idea of, we have to declare "War" on every problem we need to solve..."War on Poverty" , "War on Drugs", "War on Terror"...it's ridiculous. To me, this is like creating a logo against spousal abuse and then pasting that logo on a thin, white tank-top or a wet T-shirt contest to fight breast cancer. Also, whether we like it or not, the ignorant masses (that we ALL love) think of AIDS as a problem/threat to and for only gay people to worry about...and given the discrimination gay men and women face in the military, adds a subtle twist on this idea.
Logo-cool. Hat-cool. Camo dumb/ugly (I wouldn't pack it for a vacation in Cuba or Africa, either)
Steve, your judgement of camo print is extreme, though I understand some of your criticism. To me your comments get silly when you equate wearing camo to accessorizing with guns and and supporting police states. You are welcome to your opinions, but I don't find them persuasive.
I just think wearing camo is silly...unless you're hunting (which I don't) or in the military.
As for associating it with guns, war and blood....`fraid to tell ya', but normally, where there is camo, there is someone shooting at each other.And i'm not saying it leads to a police state, but it's this "militarism" lately, this worshipping anything in a uniform...if you think that's an extreme comparison, that's fine. It's the analogy I was trying to make with rich, suburban white kids trying to act gangsta...It's fun to play dres up, but there are people out there wearing it that are playing for keeps. Look, in L.A. wearing red or blue can get you killed in some areas. I wouldn't walk around in scrubs pretending to be a doctor, so why should I wear camo pretending to be some kind of "soldier" for fashion or AIDS or anything? OK, You declare war on AIDS, you create camoflauged "Soldiers for AIDS" equipped with condoms,and "Get Your WAR on!" What do you think the other side (there IS another side...well-funded and religious) is going to declare war on? Now, how long before a couple of weak minded nut jobs (we know they're out there) takes this "army guy" stuff a little too far?
"You want a war, homo!? OK, I'll give ya a $#%@!! war!".
You may think I'm reaching too far, but I don't think you're reaching far enough.
That aside, like I said, it's a cool hat (and the girl underneath it looks cute: - )
It's pretty silly to wear camo if you're hunting. Could get shot. Better to wear bright orange.
"Now, how long before a couple of weak minded nut jobs (we know they're out there) takes this "army guy" stuff a little too far?"
I dunno Steve. You tell me.
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