To be irritated with all the USA themed clothing?

[Pihrd]

Why can’t you get a plain hoodie or tshirt any more? They’re all emblazoned with New York, Chicago, Illinois, Michigan, Arizona etc.

I can see buying one if you’re in that state on holiday, but why are they being sold everywhere in the UK? Are they selling them with Blackpool, Glasgow, Cardiff and Belfast on them in the US?

You see Paris or Milan ones too but the states dominate. Why are clothing manufacturers doing this? And why are people buying them? Let us have plain clothes please!

It’s called fashion. It’s not about whether you’ve visited the place or not!😆It sounds like you’re not the target market which is fine but don’t judge others taste!

M&S, Uniglo and heaps of online retailers sell plain items.

That’s exactly what it is, comfy clothes for popping out to the cinema (which I do a couple of times a week).

Right? You’re just demonstrating the point I made then?

Also need to start a thread about how irritating ‘not the flex you think it was’ is now it’s being used 200 times a day. Often, like in this case, wrongly.

Just looked at Next and there are lots of plain t shirts and hoodies so I’m sure there are in other stores too.

I have a few tops with US places on but haven't found it difficult to find plain T-shirts and hoodies.

Lighten up Francis… I’m just having a little fun. Carry on with your irritation and quest for a plain hoodie.

But a hint… someone got Minnesota correct-ish in the picture I posted in case you change your mind! (Thereby proving my point and correct usage of the flex phrase 😜)

🙄 Okay.

Right, here’s Primark’s website hoodies search.

They do have more plain hoodies than the local branch, but it is still easily an 80/20 split. I’d think fair enough if it was a couple, but it is everywhere.

www.primark.com/en-gb/search?q=hoody&tab=products&page=4#filters=%7B%22styleHoodies+%26+SweatshirtsHoodies+%26+Sweatshirts%22%3A494%2C%22gender+AttrWomensWomens%22%3A197%2C%22product+TypeHooded+SweatshirtsHooded+Sweatshirts%22%3A33%2C%22product+TypeGraphic+HoodiesGraphic+Hoodies%22%3A28%2C%22product+TypeGraphic+SweatshirtsGraphic+Sweatshirts%22%3A16%2C%22product+TypeSweatshirtsSweatshirts%22%3A12%2C%22product+TypeAdaptive+HoodiesAdaptive+Hoodies%22%3A1%7D

Yanbu, I found a lovely pair of pyjamas and long sleeved top in Primark in 100% cotton. It has Montana emblazoned on it. A plain top would have done. But at £8, I’m not quibbling.

That’s true. PJs I wouldn’t care but sometimes I see a lovely cozy hoodie perfect to throw on over leggings on an April day but they’ve handily suck ‘Yale’ over the front, and wearing it in a northern town in England would making me look like a dickhead who’s pretending she went to Yale 😅

Primark sent their designers to USA thrift stores to pick up trendy revival items, like 1980s 90s fashion. Those varsity pull overs were considered retro and cool, so they started making them again.

Oh yeah, the Yale and Harvard ones are the worst! I don’t mind them on others but wouldn’t wear it myself.

I bought a lovely Chicago Bulls v necked sweatshirt because of the rare v-neck, but couldn’t tell you if they play basketball or baseball or American football.

Because American cities and towns are aspirational and people who aren’t American want to look like they’re American.

I think this will change but it’ll take time. Most people don’t follow the news and don’t yet realise that America has lost a bit of street cred recently… if it even has.

Honestly I think you are overthinking this, it’s just a fast fashion thing. A few years ago there were lots of positive messages on sweatshirts, be kind and things like that. Then there were nature ones, I have lots with mountains and slogans such as adventure. Next we had Paris, Milan and New York, now there are American states etc and American universities.

Nope. I doubt anyone even makes such clothing, though I don't normally go to souvenir shops when I travel.

Walmart, Target, and other places do sometimes sell merchandise with placenames like Venice Beach, Malibu, Florida Keys, Key West, Nantucket, Cape Cod, etc, and official apparel of various local sport teams.

Elementary schools, high schools, community colleges, and universities all sell 'spirit wear' and branded merchandise (t-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, sweatpants, pajama pants, sweaters, wallets, insulated mugs, etc). I have several hoodies from universities my DCs went to. They're all nice quality items. I also have some random hoodies from a national park, a midwest state, and a farm in a neighbouring state whose main product is honey. Those three appeared over the years, probably abandoned by DCs, so they're mine now.

We don't have any commercially branded clothing - 'Pink' or 'Gap' or 'Michael Kors' stuff for instance. I think that's a bit trashy.

That’s interesting! Didn’t know they were popular in the 80s/90s but it explains the earlier photo of Diana wearing one.

Speak for yourself.

Yes, you make a good point. I hated all of these trends too. Just want the nice designs without the writing.

I don’t like plain sweatshirts, I love plain jumpers but for some reason plain sweatshirts remind of a prison uniform
and if I do try one on I know I won’t wear it.

@mathanxiety it is odd that the fashion buyers of Primark etc decided that we (the Brits) would want to wear a hoodie with the name of an American city most of us have never been too.
I'm not irritated by it like the OP - just baffled.
I actually saw a cute t-shirt that was one of those fake faded ones that was for a (pretend?) camping place in somewhere like Wyoming (I forget the actual place).
It was a cute t-shirt but it actually made me sad because I haven't actually been there and never will even though I think it sounds nice.

Yes OP! I can’t stand them, I’d happily wear a sweatshirt with ‘Surbiton’ or ‘Tooting’ on it but I detest the American ones!

I have way too many sweatshirts & hoodies. Only two have got writing on: my Adult Human Female hoodie, and a 'keep your distance' sweatshirt from the pandemic. I'm wearing that one now, as it's no longer suitable for general use - though it could be useful in some circumstances, I guess.

Yes, the only clothes I’ve got with writing on are Adult Human Female & the like - several witch tops from Wild Womyn’s Workshop, but I got all of them to make a statement with.

I have several plain sweatshirts. I absolutely hate shopping for clothes which means I don't spend much time doing it so it's honestly not that hard to find them. I get your wider point though - I would feel silly walking around with anything written on me actually.

I wonder what the place was? Camping in Wyoming isn't for the faint of heart thanks to all sorts of wildlife.

I don't think it's odd that buyers/ marketers identified a market for an 80s throwback fashion. That's what they do. One year it's American college gear, next year it's I'm With Stupid -> and the like...

I think only 1% of Brits would be able to point to Minnesota on a map, same as only 1% of Yanks would be able to point to Blackpool on a map.

I did find it funny when I went in to a New York bar and they had banners on the wall for R Whites Lemonade and Newcastle Brown like we have banners with Budweiser and Miller Lite!