DCist: NY Times: D.C. Residents Haven't Worn Jeans for 8 Years

AlexinDC

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 14:39:18 -0500

I remember the fur at the Bush inauguration too - absolutely surreal (almost as surreal as how National, BWI and Dulles had become virtual parking lots for private planes). Personally, I was really glad the fur went home after the parties. I do love these faux style articles about DC - and generally I find it humorous how they are repeated with every transistion. Bless these little reporters and their efforts to do no work for a deadline (although to give them their due, most of them are probably pretty exhausted still). Part of the wonderful quirky quality to this city is how everyone outside the city sees something very different than those of us living here - like some carnival mirror.

Jaynuze

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 14:24:23 -0500

The hoops court at the White House was in pretty bad shape during the second half of Clinton administration if I remember correctly ... I believe that the hoops were eventually pulled. Not sure if they were replaced, but I remember some of the CEA staff use to go down for pickup games before the whole thing went to grass. In brighter news the OEOB still has the bowling alley!

lou

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 11:30:10 -0500

I do remember walking into the Rayburn building during Dubya's inauguration week and being overcome by fur. Fur coats. nothing about that in here I went to the Mall during Bush's first inauguration because, hey, I'd just moved to DC and never witnessed one before. I felt like I was in a petting zoo. I'd never seen so many fur coats in my life. Women were standing in the mud in their high heeled shoes, wearing pantyhose, teased hair and fur coats.

monkeyrotica

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 11:24:56 -0500

So what do non-New Yorkers complain about when they're trapped in NYC? How good looking everyone is? How they can't get a decent Chicago pizza? How polite and friendly everyone is?

IMGoph

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 11:19:39 -0500

have fun back in NYC, sper09, we won't miss you!

orangeline

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 10:59:50 -0500

Um, tagging issues with the link there. Let's try this the old-fashioned way: http://www.slate.com/id/2204096/

orangeline

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 10:58:44 -0500

Slate, who should know better, has an article claiming to understand the two Washingtons...but they still bifurcate the city into power brokers who live on the Mall and crack dealers who don't know where the White House is. The editors note that this was written fifteen years ago, but "it's still remarkable how little of the city's character has changed." Really?

blittle

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 10:47:51 -0500

I do find fault with dc quite often (those crazy tax ladies, the education system, delivery options etc.) but let me be the first to say sper09 don't let the door hit you on your way out. Tootles!

Fluxgirl

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 10:37:53 -0500

DC is always more fun with a Dem in the house. And sucky when there's not.

monkeyrotica

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 10:31:23 -0500

The thing that sucks the most about DC are the transplants. If DC could just get rid of all them, it'd be a lot cooler town, with fewer complaints about how there's no NY slices or 24-hour subways. We do dress ugly, no doubt, but at least our mayors know how to party, by which I mean with crack and hookers.

sper09

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 10:15:59 -0500

Why do you get so worked up about a style piece that (accurately) reflects the lack of style in this shit-town? I'm a proud New Yorker and I'm constantly appalled at the stuff people wear in DC. Not to mention the lack of a good Irish bar, bagels, mid-priced restaurants, diverse music venues, (until recently) Google street view, diverse private art galleries... et cetera. Get over it; this city sucks and I'm glad to say I'll be heading back home soon.

cactus jack

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 10:08:30 -0500

I haven't worn pants in 8 years. Does that count?

somegirl

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 18:32:24 -0500

Please, Obama - change the dress code at my work, too. I'm so tired of trying to figure out what "business cowboy" means every morning.

sumergocognito

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 18:17:56 -0500

Bill Clinton brought jazz... Though I didn't like it at first, I've now seen the light about putting Duke Ellington on the DC quarter.

HCE

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 17:24:01 -0500

The New York Times is stupid and so is anyone who reads it and treats it as the Bible.

badtzmaru

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 17:22:38 -0500

Well to be fair, dc is far from being a fashion capital. The adults who dress stylishly just look like brooklyn. but yeah that article was dumb.

realidealist

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 17:17:51 -0500

This begs the question: if McCain were elected, would Ben-Gay and early bird specials have come into fashion? Would the 14th Street corridor hipsters start wearing suspenders and fedoras? Would people start eating canned sardines again? and, barbershop quartets on every corner.

majapa

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 17:17:14 -0500

Canned sardines again? I guess I missed the part where that went out of fashion, shucks.

MahoganyShip

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 17:12:12 -0500

AMDCer

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 16:56:54 -0500

Who actually buys single items of clothing that cost thousands of dollars? Sheesh. Cindy McCain

amelias

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 16:55:01 -0500

"they think a tiny sliver of our city's population - namely the handful of very old, well-monied white people with deep connections to national politics - is in charge of setting the tone of the District of Columbia" To be fair, that's not dissimilar from their approach to NY fashion. Who actually buys single items of clothing that cost thousands of dollars? Sheesh.

blittle

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 16:52:24 -0500

For the sake of fairness, this is what I look like in the mornings. And what I look like after a couple of shots. Why yes, I do believe I might be wearing denim in those pics.

Bethesdaist

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 16:42:32 -0500

Oh good Lord, where did she get that matching lime-green evil, Chadwicks? Dress Barn? Now I want to riot in the streets!

Caribou Barbie

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 16:27:58 -0500

Meow, blittle. But point definitely taken. Why are the comments turned off on the NYT article? We all seem to have a thing or two to say... Although, is that how the NYT rolls? The only time I've felt compelled to comment is on Bruni's ridiculous Georgetown Cupcake piece.

Deep

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 16:24:38 -0500

Nobody. I mean nobody dictates on what I wear. Besides, I dress in the dark.

Deep

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 16:22:50 -0500

I was talking to an executive producer from 60 Minutes on the phone and when I told him that I lived in N.W. DC he replied: "Oh! You live in a war zone. All that gang activity." I was dumbstruck.

Henry Krinkle

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 16:22:50 -0500

I would wear jeans to work, but the people I work for won't let me. OBAMA! Bring CHANGE to mwy workplace and let me dress CASUAL!!!!!

AMDCer

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 16:21:48 -0500

I sent her an email too, asking her if she changes how she dresses depending on who's mayor of NYC. Interesting to hear that she's DC-based, I guess she's just writing what her editors tell her to.

blittle

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 16:19:51 -0500

Ahem. Just saying.

chrisafer

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 16:16:30 -0500

Maybe someone should send her a Duke Ellington CD.

IMGoph

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 16:14:06 -0500

it's time that we sit these people down, clockwork orange style, and beat it into their thick skulls that "white house washington" is not the same as "washington, dc"

godiva246

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 16:13:00 -0500

Sheryl Stolberg is a DC-based NY Times reporter. Therefore, she should know better about DC style. But I have seen her many times, and know her own personal style is lacking.

majapa

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 16:11:50 -0500

You know, I considered wearing my cowboy boots on Tuesday night, but a) I didn't want to be confused for a Republican cowboy-boot wearer, and b) in the event of a loss by Obama, I knew I couldn't run fast enough in my boots to get away from any craziness.

hillrat

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 16:11:23 -0500

This is yet another article that shows its authors ignorance. DC has never really been a jeans kind of city; it's cheap and/or conservative suits on the bureaucrats and chinos & blue blazers for the young staffers.

pukka13

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 16:06:13 -0500

"A big night out on the town for the Bushes is dinner at Karl Rove’s house" Now I could be wrong, but last I heard, Rove lives in Palisades. I lived there the past 6 years and never heard W's motorcade coming through. dummy

realidealist

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 16:06:10 -0500

I thought it was going to say, "DC Residents Haven't Worn Jeans in 8 Years Because Their Closets Are Too Full of Dockers® and Navy Blue Blazers at the Moment, And All Their Jeans Are Sealed Up in Space Bags®."

Wallenda

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 15:56:00 -0500

I do remember walking into the Rayburn building during Dubya's inauguration week and being overcome by fur. Fur coats. nothing about that in here

AndNone

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 15:55:59 -0500

Obama would probably beat Blatche in a one on one

Samer

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 15:54:20 -0500

It *is* the paper of record, BklyninDC.

BklyninDc

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 15:51:02 -0500

The rest of my family lives in NYC and sadly, they believe this. No matter what I say. I guess it doesn't help that the paper they read every day perpetuates this stereotype...

registeringsucks

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 15:50:28 -0500

I sent her an angry email, questioning whether she had ever been to DC, or knew how to work the google. Tripe.

AMDCer

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 15:47:15 -0500

It always amuses me when people act like DC is some magical kingdom whose culture/style/taste is dictated by whoever happens to be living in the White House - like when they move in they get to decorate the city along with the oval office. I'm betting most of the authors of these pieces have never even been to DC, and probably couldn't correctly locate it on a US map.

mrfochs

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 15:46:55 -0500

sorry link didn't work... Clinton and his Sax

mrfochs

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 15:45:24 -0500

Ah the good ol' times when Clinton gave DC Jazz and Blues

wonderwazz

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 15:43:35 -0500

i knew my cowboy boots were in!!!

loganmo

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 15:40:13 -0500

I think she should check out the NYT archives before she writes about stuff that she has no idea what she's talking about (http://travel2.nytimes.com/2006/04/14/travel/escapes/14washi.html).

Politburo

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 15:33:26 -0500

"Fingers crossed the president-elect decides to put a b-ball hoop in at 1600 Pennsylvania." It's already got one. (Link doesn't seem to be working right now) http://www.whitehousemuseum.org/grounds/basketball-court.htm