Everyone agrees that all that rain over the weekend was weird, right? I mean, it was “normal” in the sense of Portland’s historic reputation as a rainy place, but considering what appear to be the absolutely lovely effects of climate change, now people who drone on about Portland ‘s “two months of summer and 10 months of constant rain” just sound like they willfully have not been paying attention. Its like, why don’t you say something about flannel next, dummy? Jesus.
Maybe the long-term result of crazy-making changes in weather on small and large scales is what reader Rebecca is talking about when she writes in about “the lack of, or confusing, zeitgeist of Portland right now”:
Agh! I’m getting fed up with the lack of, or confusing, zeitgeist of Portland right now. People don’t know how to dress, don’t know how to act. If the zeitgeist of Portland is people wearing beanies in 90 degree weather, I’m again, confused and slightly revolted. Beanies are meant to keep your head warm, and there’s no blocking of the sun. Wrong season! , and it makes you look like an idiot. I guess these same people will be wearing straw hats when it’s snowing.
Sweeping aside my concerns regarding use of the word “zeitgeist,” I will say I’m pretty sure I know what’s up with beanies in hot weather: premature balding. That’s it. It’s like a self-consciousness binky that’s easier to launder than a ball cap. More broadly, though, I’m not sure I see what she’s talking about. Have I come down with some form of inappropriate-hat blindness? Does Rebecca have a point, or is she just hanging out in confused circles?
Obviously someone didn’t watch Matt Zaffino’s weekend forecast where he predicted a high chance of moderate zeitgeists occurring through Monday morning.
People wearing beanies with giant bobbles on top were being made fun of in the hipster areas of London (Shoreditch, Hoxton) about 3 years ago. It’s not the utter pointlessness of them that bothers me but the total lack of originality.
…And summer is officially under way with the warmer weather and the yearly complaining from folks about people wearing beanies.
I remember seeing comic strips in alt-weeklies back in the early 90s discussing it. A guy I worked with at the record store ALWAYS wore a green stocking cap. One day there was an “I saw U” in the Stranger that read: “Yo, Nick at Cellophane Square, what does a poor girl have to do to get a look under that hat?” I came into work the next morning and someone had taped the personal ad up to the time clock.
The beanie thing seems new. It seems that the influx of ‘murcans are bringing that horrid mistake to our shores.
What really gets me is the beanie/sundress combination. I’ve seen it more than once.
I think it’s just that hipsterism has now spread into seasons. I’m currently wearing a down jacket and snow pants and it’s 95 outside. I refuse to do what everyone else is doing so I dress out of season. Come winter, I’ll don cutoffs and a florescent tank.
The easiest solution to taming your confusion and slight revolt at other people’s fashion choices is to realize that people do know how to dress and do know how to act, it simply doesn’t include the goal of pleasing you, sweetpea. Once you come to terms with the fact that other people might be dressing to please themselves and not to perform to your liking, you might be able to let this one go and focus your energy on more things that are more rewarding.
Great journalism here….
“Screw that hat! That is all.”