Net-A-Poseur

Never Mind The Bollocks skirt from Idil Vice

Ever since my teens throughout the eighties, I have made sure that I could never be considered a poseur.  Even now, I would hate for someone to think that I was trying to be something that I’m not, just to fit in.  I’ve always prided myself on the fact that I am unique and that my tastes are that of my own and the influence was directly from the source and not because I was needing acceptance into a group or by an individual.

I had a discussion with my husband about concerts and bands that we’ve seen throughout the years.  I really like tour shirts, and my inner punk rocker enjoys mixing in these shirts with my regular wardrobe.  There is a designer named Idil Vice who does a great job of giving an alternative to the musical t-shirt by making dresses, skirts and jackets of bands and artists that I love.  I have my eye on a Depeche Mode dress, Joy Division and Sex Pistols skirt.

In my discussion with my husband, I mentioned that I just can’t wear a shirt of a band or artist I haven’t actually seen in concert.  He says that it shouldn’t matter, that if you like a band then you should be able to wear their shirt.  But when someone says “Cool shirt, have you seen them in concert?”  I would feel like a complete poseur if I said “No, but the shirt is cool…”

As justification, I’ve come up with “work-arounds” for the shirts I have of artists and bands that I’ve seen in some incarnation (solo or group).  Here is a list so far:

1.  Joy Division – I have 3 shirts that I wear proudly.  Although I was too young, not living in England during their initial rise, and had no way to see them because of Ian Curtis’ suicide, I wear them because I have seen New Order in concert.   New Order is essentially Joy Division with Bernard Sumner as the singer, right?  Yes.

2.  Sex Pistols – I have seen PiL in concert, for which Johnny Rotten is the singer.  He was in Sex Pistols, so I can wear their shirt should I choose to do so.  I don’t have one yet, but now that I have made that justification, I will now wear one.

3.  Bjork – I saw The Sugarcubes in concert, for which she was the singer for before venturing into her solo career.  Enough said.

I make these mental justifications so that I can escape being a poseur.  Now if I can just come up with a work-around for The Beatles shirt I have…