“Hoodies”, Are they all so bad?

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“Hoodies”, Are they all so bad?

by joebangles @ 2008-06-16 – 15:42:23

“Hoodies”, Are they all so bad?

Do we tend to “tar them all with the same brush”?

To me, “Hoodies” look ridiculous in their choice of street clothes, to the older generation at the time I probably looked the same in my choice of style. Yes, some look threatening, some are bad, but the majority are certainly just normal teenagers making their own way through their early teenage years.

Since the 1940s every decade has produced its own brand of teenagers with their own style, Teddy boys, Punks, Flower people, etc, Did this make all of that generation bad?

Any “hoodies” out there with their story to tell?
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- hoodies

25 Comments to “Hoodies”, Are they all so bad?

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- jackfrost ^Pro
- 2008-06-16 @ 15:54:29
People are scared when the "hoodies" wear this sort of thing which is widely available and is why the government introduced sec 60A.(Power to remove face masks when authosised).i know "its invading my civil liberties"...what about the public who will look after them..no joe this is the sort of clothing that is seen around and people fear..not the general sweat top hoods.
- - Kibitz
  - 2008-06-17 @ 07:44:33
  You may fear this sort of clothing ...
  
  To me it simply looks cool ... x
  - - jackfrost ^Pro
    - 2008-06-17 @ 08:06:53
    because you are a young man who is not likly to be intimidated by this apperance. It is the wider more vunrablepublic that fear it ..also in a shopping centre in say lakeside not many people would care. but in the side streets of brixton or woolwich at night.. well thats a different matter.
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  - - trevor downer (Visitor)
    - http://joebangles.blog.co.uk
    - 2008-06-17 @ 22:05:56
    Hi Kibitz, yes, you have every right to your opinion and to dress in any way that you desire, but, is there not a point where extreme styles, such as Jackfrost's picture, could be seen as threatening to others?
    
    Two of my grand children do dress in "hoodies", they wish to be part of their crowd, both are at uni and both work part time to help support them selves.
    
    There are good and bad in all stratas of society and I would hope that the good speak up for them selves, we, the older generation, need to understand and listen.
    - - Kibitz
      - 2008-06-18 @ 07:20:31
      Hi Trevor Joe ..
      
      I appreciate some see hoods as threatening but to most of us who occasionally wear them they’re really no more than a passing fashion.
      
      Your suggestion to Jack they should be banned is really quite amazing.
      
      Why stop there? What comes next? Whatever some people find disturbing? Starting perhaps with Hijab?
      
      Adam.
      
      P.S. Don’t worry about Emos. They’re harmless. Except to themselves .. x
      - trevor downer (Visitor)
        
        http://joebangles.blog.co.uk
        
        2008-06-18 @ 11:24:11
        
        Hi Adam, to be honest, yes, I would ban any clothing that covered the face whilst in a public place, hijab, motorcycle helmets, hoodies, face masks, etc, except where there was a health risk without that protection.
        
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- - trevor downer (Visitor)
  - http://joebangles.blog.co.uk
  - 2008-06-17 @ 21:55:01
  That of course Jack is the ridiculous end of the spectrum and there is, in my opinion, every reason to ban them from any public place.
  
  I was rather hoping we would get comments from the younger members of this group.
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- deleted user (Visitor)
- 2008-06-16 @ 16:29:06
I wear a hoodie every day for work. and I put yer windows out, innit?
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- SeasideMan ^Pro
- 2008-06-16 @ 23:01:27
I thought Emos were the latest scare group? This is just schite to sell newspapers.

Tom.
- - trevor downer (Visitor)
  - http://joebangles.blog.co.uk
  - 2008-06-17 @ 22:08:13
  Never heard of "Emos" Tom. Maybe some thing that I have to look forward to.
  - - deleted user (Visitor)
    - 2008-06-17 @ 22:52:16
    Oh , Emo's ; apparently they delight in being 'emotional'
    - !
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- deleted user (Visitor)
- 2008-06-17 @ 21:40:08
A 'hoodie' is an item of clothing , but seems have to become a generic term for all teenagers who have the audacity to walk the streets .
It's the anti-socialness , and on occasions literally murderous behaviour of a minority which is a problem , not the 'fashion item' !
- - trevor downer (Visitor)
  - http://joebangles.blog.co.uk
  - 2008-06-17 @ 21:50:56
  Fully agree S&V, oldest grandson and oldest granddaughter both "hoodies", both at uni, both working part time, I hoped they the groups younger members would comment on their behalf, we need to listen to them some times.
  - - deleted user (Visitor)
    - 2008-06-17 @ 22:56:18
    Thanks Trevor , and although I'm very probably old enough to be your 'grandchildrens' Father I still kind of 'feel young' , and , whilst I deplore all of the worst of the 'anti-social' stuff I think we should all try to 'look for the good' and not over-generalise , best wishes , - Martin .
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- tylluanpenry
- 2008-06-18 @ 22:59:48
I've got a hoody top. It looks a bit ridiculous on me, and I keep waiting for some officious security guard to ban me from Somerfield (or better still, Tescos) but clearly I don't look threatening enough.
Maybe if I turn up in the car park doing my handbrake turn they will take some notice.
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- grumpus ^Pro
- http://bobmblack.blog.co.uk
- 2008-06-19 @ 08:02:45
Interesting question. Made me think long and hard. Many young criminals and thugs wear hoods to conceal their identity, so naturally when I see a Hoodie I suspect he just may be up to no good.
If I see a group of them slouching through the High Street, I regard them as a menace I would do well to avoid, as they might pick on me without reason, abuse me, rob me, or even kick me to death. I am sure these feelings are shared by many people.
So why would anyone in their right mind dress as a figure of hatred and fear, if not deliberately to intimidate others?
Or are they just mindless idiots, oblivious to suspicion and ridicule?
- - joebangles
  - 2008-06-19 @ 15:39:21
  I don't believe that the majority of them see themselves as being intimidating Grumpus, it's a style that has been adopted and they don't want to be the odd one out. Of course, amongst them are some trouble makers that get a bad name for the rest, but hasn't that always been that way, teddy boys, punks, etc.
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- technomist
- 2008-06-19 @ 15:27:37
Apart from when snowboarding or skiiing, there are no legitimate purposes for such a garment other than to conceal the identity of the wearer. They facilitate crime and intimidate others.

I think the wearing of such a mask other than on a ski slope should be treated as a criminal offense as much as going equipped to commit a crime is. The sale of full-facial masked hoodies should be a criminal offense other than during period of below freezing temperatures at a resort where skiing or snowboarding is actually taking place.
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- joebangles
- 2008-06-19 @ 15:44:24
I must agree with you technomist, as I did in an earlier comment, full face masks should be banned in a public place except where required to carry out a job or sport.
- - deleted user (Visitor)
  - 2008-06-24 @ 00:22:52
  Or where required as regards someone having a legitimate , medically recognised reason to want to hide their face , such as some deformity of it .
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- lostjohnny
- http://lostjohnnyparadox.blog.co.uk
- 2008-06-20 @ 15:20:38
I wear a hoodie sometimes and yes if its cold I may even put the hood up!
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- Matt (Visitor)
- http://www.aplaceformyhead.co.uk
- 2008-09-29 @ 16:48:31
I stumbled across this article and have been interested at the same shared reaction seen throughout these comments which has promoted me to write my own response.

I'm 20 (so hopefully a youngish response you were looking for), a uni student, I have a job to support myself and I own quite a few hoodies. I don't buy them to intimidate other people, nor to follow any fashion trend - I simply have found them to be very warm and comfy to wear. That's it. I invite anyone who has posted a comment on this topic and has not worn a hoody to go out and buy one and see just how comfy they are.

I would agree that yes unfortunately some individuals who do wear hoodies participate in anti-social behavior and can be very intimidating (I have found myself crossing a road to avoid such individuals from time to time) - but is this because they are wearing hoodies alone? I think not. The garment you wear does not make up the person you are, to say that a hoodie facilitates crime is very narrow minded because in my view a crime will be committed by an individual regardless of clothing - a baseball cap, a scarf or some sun glasses can be used to conceal an identity instead. So just because some individuals choose to wear a hooded garment to conceal their identity for criminal activity - does not give anyone the right to label everyone else as a criminals as well.

I think the idea of banning any form of clothing ridiculous, people should be able to wear what they like without being persecuted by others - this includes hijabs and other items of clothing.

In fact as I type this I have just realised I am in fact wearing a hoodie. Must be because I am about to commit a crime or something... *sarc*.
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- joebangles
- 2008-09-29 @ 22:28:36
Thanks for your comment Mat you do seem to prove the point that I was suggeting.

Good luck in your Uni course and please join in at any time, it cost nothing to be a member of this group blog and we do get some good questions.
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- Lee AA (Visitor)
- http://mamahomo.bravehost.com
- 2009-04-01 @ 09:55:03
I think Hoodies Are ok its hoodies with googles on (in the picture)that can be intimerdating

[Lee]
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- Adam from Hoody Clothing (Visitor)
- http://www.hoodyclothing.co.uk/
- 2009-07-28 @ 15:34:37
I don't think they are bad we do hoody with custom name for kids at school now for outdoor trips. The image is changing a lot now. Just because few bad people wear hoody that does not mean the tops are bad (bad people also wear trousers)
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