Supernatural and the Underclass 5- Clothes
Supernatural and the Underclass 5- Clothes
[Previous Editions:
Part 1- Intro
Part 2- Dangers of Underclass
Part 3- Music
Part 4- War ]
EDITED to add a massive section on acceptability of hand-me-downs and charity.
A lot of my readership tends to be among the older demographic of SPN fans, so I'm very aware of how I may be presenting American culture through history. I'm trying my best to make sure that what I put in here for facts are actually true, but outside of listening to my parents and their cohorts, and various anecdotes from different sources, if I end up saying something off-base, do let me know. (Note: I am cool with different interpretations of the same material, but here I'm referring to facts.)
We're on to clothes, now. See, for a family that for all intents and purposes doesn't give a crap about them, the clothes of the Winchester clan are actually pretty important. Aside for being the epitome of working class wear, there are some interesting aspects that might escape viewers of the white-collar, upper class, or non-American persuasion.
A lot of the clothing style is pretty obvious- denims and flannels, heavy jackets and workboots. Anybody who's spent any time around any kind of manual laborer or other blue collar worker will recognize these and be familiar with them. It's true to form, and I grew up surrounded by people in this kind of stuff, and wearing it myself.
In general, clothes are one of the biggest informal ways that Americans distinguish classes from each other. Of course, this is pretty much an international practice, but you have to remember that for a society that likes to paint itself as classless, we still do have ways in which we set apart classes. Among them is judgement based on clothing; up until recently, America has been one of the last developed, agrarian cultures. A good portion of our country's experience was based on this, and by this, there was a much bigger gap between the rich and the poor's clothes. By the time that it was common for clothes to be produced by factories rather than shops, tailors, or seamstresses, the gap got bigger.
In general, this was the rule: those who had money bought clothes from stores, made by tailors and dressmakers, etc. To have the money to commission someone to make you clothes was a very important status symbol. By contrast, the rural poor made their own clothes, and the urban poor tended to buy cheaply made factory clothes. This has continued on until recent times; for example, my father and his brothers often wore clothes their mother made for them, given they were farm boys. This was in the 60's, mind you, probably pushing the 70's.
Here are some interesting things that might not be so obvious.
To start with, let's talk about blue jeans. These things are awesome, and if you buy the right pair, they can last you for over a decade if you're not worried about holes here and there. Blue jeans as a staple of American clothing began in the mid 1800's, when farmhands, cowboys, and ranch workers in the Western parts of the states needed a particular kind of pants that would hug the wearer's body, so that they wouldn't get snagged on things as they rode their horse, and things that could be worn inside their boots. But in general, they were worn loose, so that it didn't bind or chafe when moving about and doing heavy work. The jeans trickled back east through people who could afford to travel, and became a staple of Eastern workers, too.
One interesting thing to note: by WWII, jeans were on the list of things that were in short supply, so they were only allowed to be bought by people whose jobs essential to "defense work". Farmers, ranchers, and factory workers were the types of people permitted to buy jeans, which for the time further enforced the item as a working man's accessory.
So there's some stuff about blue jeans that might give you an idea about what they mean to Americans; it's not just the cowboys and the Wild West. They're as much a work item as anything else.
Let's get on to the show, shall we?
The Winchesters are clad in surprisingly (if erratically) expensive wear for being as impoverished as they are; likelihood is that most of their clothes have been in the family for a few decades, especially jeans and jackets. Footwear on the other hand is probably something they didn't shit around with. The one thing the military and working class will let you know is that you do not skimp on the footwear. If you do, you will be broken down under your work faster than you can heal. Hence, the footwear is probably the one indulgence the Winchesters allowed themselves. You'll similarly notice that the shoes and boots are among the only part of their wardrobes that change so often, because they break them down so much.
You'll notice that one of the jackets Sam wears for the first season or two is that big, brown, hooded, zip-up jacket. This jacket is a Carhartt. Now, my phraseology here is important. A Carhartt isn't a type of jacket, it's a brand of popular workwear, and comes in everything from jeans to overalls, to shirts, etc. But if you have an item of the Carhartt brand, it's always going to be universally known as 'the Carhartt', regardless of its form. Carhartts are something of a status symbol among working class people, and people who are studiously trying to look like them without being them. They're durable, well -made, and last forever, and very damn expensive. People don't wear Carhartts for fashion, and if they do, those people are generally regarded as morons by those who wear Carhartts for function.
Sam wearing a Carhartt is understandable: he spent his entire life using and wearing clothes as a way to protect his body from their lifestyle. If it was an addition to his wardrobe after his flight to Stanford, then this would be very interesting. Stanford is a very liberal, white-collar place, and Carhartts are generally not going to be a big staple of their clothing style. They don't need to be. If Sam bought it for himself, it was with the knowledge that it was going to stick out. But old habits die hard, and to some degree, even while Sam wants to be part of the crowd, he knows he'll never fit in. Carhartts and lattes indeed.
Dean's brown leather coat. Oh, the coat. It's so fitting that it gets passed down, and not just in the father-son aspect. It's another, small piece of the past that John Winchester settled on the shoulders of his sons, like his job and the classic rock music. In John's day and age, wearing a jacket like that pretty much pegged you as a trouble maker, a punk, and it's actually a lot more deeply rooted in post-WWII psychology than you might think. It has to do with people who would be John's parents' age, and the kind of America they shaped when they were younger.
After WWII, a lot of veterans came home and said fuck it. I'm done being G.I. Joe, you're not going to make me into one of your slave wage workers, and I'm sick to my back fucking teeth of trying to pretend everything's going to be fine. So they hit the road. They bought motorcycles and banded together with their old Army buddies, and just rode. They wore a lot of their old Army gear, plus whatever happened to be suitable for travelling, and one of the things they brought along with them was their previously issued leather Army jackets. These jackets were awesome because they were leather and cut the wind, which was important for riding bikes at high speeds.
These guys for the most part refused to reintegrate back into society; they stayed a band of brothers, and drank, fought, and sometimes caused mayhem where they went. Even if they didn't cause trouble, they were totally messing up the American dream for the content middle class, where in their mind soldiers appreciated the gravity of recognition for doing their civic duty and were supposed to settle down and live like them. They were an underclass, and instead of being helped, they were swept under the rug. Back in those days, if you couldn't get back on your own two feet, you were a lost cause.
So leather became the calling card for veterans on bikes. Gradually, the leather jackets got picked up by youths emulating them, wanting to look tough and cool. By John's age, if you were wearing a leather jacket, your parents' minds would automatically go to "punk", and you had your label. John knew exactly what he was doing.
By Sam and Dean's age, leather jackets are definitely awesome, but don't have the same rebellious connotation they used to. There's still a whiff of "punk" in there, but not in the same negative way it used to be. It's cool to be anti-authority, but by now it's nowhere near the same way it used to be. Basically, Dean is his father's son, and he's carrying a few generations of American stigma in that coat.
Footwear: this is actually one of those funny ones. For the most part, you'll see the boys wearing boots. Dean always wears boots, and it's a carry over from a.) his job and b.) his father. John is one of those guys who's not only a mechanic, but a Marine. This automatically assures you that he's going to wear boots pretty much forever. I really don't know why, but guys his age, if they're part of that generation and lower class of mechanic, farmers, repair guys, carpenters, and whatever else, they're going to wear boots. I was assured by a friend of mine, who is a few years older than me, that her own father, a carpenter and Marine, only just stopped wearing his combat boots because his back gave out. It's just something they do.
During the season 2 episode with the skinwalker, when one of the bank workers pats Dean down, you can get a good look at his boots. I'm almost 100% positive those are Cats. Cats are actually Caterpillars, a brand of work boot very popular among construction workers, heavy machine operators, carpenters, and the like. Caterpillar is also the brand of a tread-type of heavy work equipment used for things like farming, forklift operators, etc. They're expensive, but durable, so you get what you pay for. Most of the timne they're steel-toed, which is important if you're working ith heavy limb-eating machinery, large heavy animals, or flesh-eating monsters and stuff.
Occasionally some of the boy's boots look like Timberlands. Timberlands started out as another kind of work boot, not quite as expensive as Cats, but with roughly the same reputation for reliability. Since then, they've been absorbed by a variety of different American subcultures, and today you're just as likely to see them in urban areas as rural.
A few times during the first season, you'll notice Sam wearing a pair of sleek black and white sneakers- what's interesting about this, is that he's the only Winchester to do so. And honestly, this is more of a nod to his time at Stanford than anything else. He has more casual stuff that isn't all about work and making sure your feet are protected. They're fashionable, and kind of shows how Sam has set himself apart from his upbringing and the mindset of his family and the underclass.
Another thing that's been brought up consistently in the comments of these metas is the use of layers. Layers are very important for people working physical labor, because in general, these places will not be climate controlled, and as you move and pause, your body temperature will rise and drop accordingly. Generally you'll see working people wearing something like three or four layers accordingly, plus an overcoat if necessary, and they'll be dropped different places as they work.
This sounds like common sense (after all, everybody takes off their jacket when they're hot), but in this case it's a part of their daily work routine. In places that generally don't have heating or air conditioning, and when you get up before the sun rises and return after the sun sets, there's going to be a lot of external temperature differences that you have to account for. Sam and Dean, and the other hunters wearing these kinds of clothes is totally understandable.
Another good thing about layers: protection. Yeah you might get a shirt or two ripped, but it probably won't break the skin, which is important. This is also why jeans are worn, because they're less likely to rip, and in that way you're less likely to get hurt.
All in all, the clothes of Supernatural are about function, not fashion. It doesn't matter to the guys if they wear the same five sets of clothes for years on end. The fact that they're durable and comfortable during period of physical activity is what counts.
EDIT:
There were two things brought up in a comment that I thought should be brought into here.
1.) Dickies: this is another workwear brand that is immensely popular, and a good deal cheaper than some of the more expensive brands like Carhartts. Dickies is kind of the poor man's version of serviceable workwear. It breaks down more quickly than some of the other brands, but they're easily cleaned and given their low cost, easy to replace. Someone mentioned Dean wearing Dickie's overshirts, which makes sense. Serviceable, but replaceable.
2.) Thrift stores, second hand stores, Goodwill, charity, and the Salvation Army. I'm not sure if this is common around America, but where I'm from, you won't catch a working man dead in any of the above places. Here's why: pride. Women, their children, and men who can't provide for their families shop at goodwill stores. So unless you're on welfare or disabled, your clothes should be from other places. It sounds like a lot of antiquated bullshit, but I can imagine John subscribing to this undercurrent of thought that suggests that if you're buying clothes from thrift or goodwill stores, you're somehow implying you're less capable, or need charity.
However, hand-me-downs and second hand clothes gotten directly from someone is different. In particular, getting these from men of your own class and station is acceptable, and can even be seen as a mark of kinship if offered correctly. Offered face-to-face, with no implication of pity or charity, is when it's proper to accept clothes, especially when done in the line of work. (i.e. "There should be some of XYZ in the hall that'll fit you, use those.") Offering clothes to another man for his children is also acceptable; this means you're saying you're helping out your friend, as well as looking out for people more vulnerable than you. ("I have some stuff that'll fit your sons." Or, "I have some of my son's things around, they should fit your boys.") If acknowledged in the realm of work, it is totally comfortable.
Here's a lot of antiquated bullcrap: it's uncomfortable if a woman offers you clothes. It's somewhat more acceptable to take clothes if left out for you than if a man did, but still implying you are needing of charity, unless yours are ripped to shreds. Also, this woman has to be of the same station and class, too. Otherwise, it's absolutely a no-go. Women are traditionally involved in charity work (again more antiquated rural stuff), so the automatic association with accepting free things from women, is that it is charity, unless offered very discretely (not face to face in any fashion, but left out). If they are offered in the line of work, by a woman also in that line of work, it's uncomfortable to accept the clothes, but acceptable.
For example, if Ellen or Jo left out clothes for Sam or Dean if they were using the shower for example, it is okay to wear the clothes, but uncomfortable. It would be very uncomfortable if a man did the same, unless he's a close family member or like family (Bobby could get away with it). If Ellen or Jo tried to offer clothes because the boys were looking ragged, they would decline. If they offered clothes because theirs were torn to hell after a hunt, it's acceptable, but slightly uncomfortable. If Bobby or another male hunter did the same, it's acceptable. If a victim tried to offer compensation, like through clothes, it's unacceptable, unless that victim were of the same class and had similar values.
Again, this is all constructed around my area of America, from under/working class white men; there very well may be nuances from place to place and community to community.
[Previous Editions:
Part 1- Intro
Part 2- Dangers of Underclass
Part 3- Music
Part 4- War ]
EDITED to add a massive section on acceptability of hand-me-downs and charity.
A lot of my readership tends to be among the older demographic of SPN fans, so I'm very aware of how I may be presenting American culture through history. I'm trying my best to make sure that what I put in here for facts are actually true, but outside of listening to my parents and their cohorts, and various anecdotes from different sources, if I end up saying something off-base, do let me know. (Note: I am cool with different interpretations of the same material, but here I'm referring to facts.)
We're on to clothes, now. See, for a family that for all intents and purposes doesn't give a crap about them, the clothes of the Winchester clan are actually pretty important. Aside for being the epitome of working class wear, there are some interesting aspects that might escape viewers of the white-collar, upper class, or non-American persuasion.
A lot of the clothing style is pretty obvious- denims and flannels, heavy jackets and workboots. Anybody who's spent any time around any kind of manual laborer or other blue collar worker will recognize these and be familiar with them. It's true to form, and I grew up surrounded by people in this kind of stuff, and wearing it myself.
In general, clothes are one of the biggest informal ways that Americans distinguish classes from each other. Of course, this is pretty much an international practice, but you have to remember that for a society that likes to paint itself as classless, we still do have ways in which we set apart classes. Among them is judgement based on clothing; up until recently, America has been one of the last developed, agrarian cultures. A good portion of our country's experience was based on this, and by this, there was a much bigger gap between the rich and the poor's clothes. By the time that it was common for clothes to be produced by factories rather than shops, tailors, or seamstresses, the gap got bigger.
In general, this was the rule: those who had money bought clothes from stores, made by tailors and dressmakers, etc. To have the money to commission someone to make you clothes was a very important status symbol. By contrast, the rural poor made their own clothes, and the urban poor tended to buy cheaply made factory clothes. This has continued on until recent times; for example, my father and his brothers often wore clothes their mother made for them, given they were farm boys. This was in the 60's, mind you, probably pushing the 70's.
Here are some interesting things that might not be so obvious.
To start with, let's talk about blue jeans. These things are awesome, and if you buy the right pair, they can last you for over a decade if you're not worried about holes here and there. Blue jeans as a staple of American clothing began in the mid 1800's, when farmhands, cowboys, and ranch workers in the Western parts of the states needed a particular kind of pants that would hug the wearer's body, so that they wouldn't get snagged on things as they rode their horse, and things that could be worn inside their boots. But in general, they were worn loose, so that it didn't bind or chafe when moving about and doing heavy work. The jeans trickled back east through people who could afford to travel, and became a staple of Eastern workers, too.
One interesting thing to note: by WWII, jeans were on the list of things that were in short supply, so they were only allowed to be bought by people whose jobs essential to "defense work". Farmers, ranchers, and factory workers were the types of people permitted to buy jeans, which for the time further enforced the item as a working man's accessory.
So there's some stuff about blue jeans that might give you an idea about what they mean to Americans; it's not just the cowboys and the Wild West. They're as much a work item as anything else.
Let's get on to the show, shall we?
The Winchesters are clad in surprisingly (if erratically) expensive wear for being as impoverished as they are; likelihood is that most of their clothes have been in the family for a few decades, especially jeans and jackets. Footwear on the other hand is probably something they didn't shit around with. The one thing the military and working class will let you know is that you do not skimp on the footwear. If you do, you will be broken down under your work faster than you can heal. Hence, the footwear is probably the one indulgence the Winchesters allowed themselves. You'll similarly notice that the shoes and boots are among the only part of their wardrobes that change so often, because they break them down so much.
You'll notice that one of the jackets Sam wears for the first season or two is that big, brown, hooded, zip-up jacket. This jacket is a Carhartt. Now, my phraseology here is important. A Carhartt isn't a type of jacket, it's a brand of popular workwear, and comes in everything from jeans to overalls, to shirts, etc. But if you have an item of the Carhartt brand, it's always going to be universally known as 'the Carhartt', regardless of its form. Carhartts are something of a status symbol among working class people, and people who are studiously trying to look like them without being them. They're durable, well -made, and last forever, and very damn expensive. People don't wear Carhartts for fashion, and if they do, those people are generally regarded as morons by those who wear Carhartts for function.
Sam wearing a Carhartt is understandable: he spent his entire life using and wearing clothes as a way to protect his body from their lifestyle. If it was an addition to his wardrobe after his flight to Stanford, then this would be very interesting. Stanford is a very liberal, white-collar place, and Carhartts are generally not going to be a big staple of their clothing style. They don't need to be. If Sam bought it for himself, it was with the knowledge that it was going to stick out. But old habits die hard, and to some degree, even while Sam wants to be part of the crowd, he knows he'll never fit in. Carhartts and lattes indeed.
Dean's brown leather coat. Oh, the coat. It's so fitting that it gets passed down, and not just in the father-son aspect. It's another, small piece of the past that John Winchester settled on the shoulders of his sons, like his job and the classic rock music. In John's day and age, wearing a jacket like that pretty much pegged you as a trouble maker, a punk, and it's actually a lot more deeply rooted in post-WWII psychology than you might think. It has to do with people who would be John's parents' age, and the kind of America they shaped when they were younger.
After WWII, a lot of veterans came home and said fuck it. I'm done being G.I. Joe, you're not going to make me into one of your slave wage workers, and I'm sick to my back fucking teeth of trying to pretend everything's going to be fine. So they hit the road. They bought motorcycles and banded together with their old Army buddies, and just rode. They wore a lot of their old Army gear, plus whatever happened to be suitable for travelling, and one of the things they brought along with them was their previously issued leather Army jackets. These jackets were awesome because they were leather and cut the wind, which was important for riding bikes at high speeds.
These guys for the most part refused to reintegrate back into society; they stayed a band of brothers, and drank, fought, and sometimes caused mayhem where they went. Even if they didn't cause trouble, they were totally messing up the American dream for the content middle class, where in their mind soldiers appreciated the gravity of recognition for doing their civic duty and were supposed to settle down and live like them. They were an underclass, and instead of being helped, they were swept under the rug. Back in those days, if you couldn't get back on your own two feet, you were a lost cause.
So leather became the calling card for veterans on bikes. Gradually, the leather jackets got picked up by youths emulating them, wanting to look tough and cool. By John's age, if you were wearing a leather jacket, your parents' minds would automatically go to "punk", and you had your label. John knew exactly what he was doing.
By Sam and Dean's age, leather jackets are definitely awesome, but don't have the same rebellious connotation they used to. There's still a whiff of "punk" in there, but not in the same negative way it used to be. It's cool to be anti-authority, but by now it's nowhere near the same way it used to be. Basically, Dean is his father's son, and he's carrying a few generations of American stigma in that coat.
Footwear: this is actually one of those funny ones. For the most part, you'll see the boys wearing boots. Dean always wears boots, and it's a carry over from a.) his job and b.) his father. John is one of those guys who's not only a mechanic, but a Marine. This automatically assures you that he's going to wear boots pretty much forever. I really don't know why, but guys his age, if they're part of that generation and lower class of mechanic, farmers, repair guys, carpenters, and whatever else, they're going to wear boots. I was assured by a friend of mine, who is a few years older than me, that her own father, a carpenter and Marine, only just stopped wearing his combat boots because his back gave out. It's just something they do.
During the season 2 episode with the skinwalker, when one of the bank workers pats Dean down, you can get a good look at his boots. I'm almost 100% positive those are Cats. Cats are actually Caterpillars, a brand of work boot very popular among construction workers, heavy machine operators, carpenters, and the like. Caterpillar is also the brand of a tread-type of heavy work equipment used for things like farming, forklift operators, etc. They're expensive, but durable, so you get what you pay for. Most of the timne they're steel-toed, which is important if you're working ith heavy limb-eating machinery, large heavy animals, or flesh-eating monsters and stuff.
Occasionally some of the boy's boots look like Timberlands. Timberlands started out as another kind of work boot, not quite as expensive as Cats, but with roughly the same reputation for reliability. Since then, they've been absorbed by a variety of different American subcultures, and today you're just as likely to see them in urban areas as rural.
A few times during the first season, you'll notice Sam wearing a pair of sleek black and white sneakers- what's interesting about this, is that he's the only Winchester to do so. And honestly, this is more of a nod to his time at Stanford than anything else. He has more casual stuff that isn't all about work and making sure your feet are protected. They're fashionable, and kind of shows how Sam has set himself apart from his upbringing and the mindset of his family and the underclass.
Another thing that's been brought up consistently in the comments of these metas is the use of layers. Layers are very important for people working physical labor, because in general, these places will not be climate controlled, and as you move and pause, your body temperature will rise and drop accordingly. Generally you'll see working people wearing something like three or four layers accordingly, plus an overcoat if necessary, and they'll be dropped different places as they work.
This sounds like common sense (after all, everybody takes off their jacket when they're hot), but in this case it's a part of their daily work routine. In places that generally don't have heating or air conditioning, and when you get up before the sun rises and return after the sun sets, there's going to be a lot of external temperature differences that you have to account for. Sam and Dean, and the other hunters wearing these kinds of clothes is totally understandable.
Another good thing about layers: protection. Yeah you might get a shirt or two ripped, but it probably won't break the skin, which is important. This is also why jeans are worn, because they're less likely to rip, and in that way you're less likely to get hurt.
All in all, the clothes of Supernatural are about function, not fashion. It doesn't matter to the guys if they wear the same five sets of clothes for years on end. The fact that they're durable and comfortable during period of physical activity is what counts.
EDIT:
There were two things brought up in a comment that I thought should be brought into here.
1.) Dickies: this is another workwear brand that is immensely popular, and a good deal cheaper than some of the more expensive brands like Carhartts. Dickies is kind of the poor man's version of serviceable workwear. It breaks down more quickly than some of the other brands, but they're easily cleaned and given their low cost, easy to replace. Someone mentioned Dean wearing Dickie's overshirts, which makes sense. Serviceable, but replaceable.
2.) Thrift stores, second hand stores, Goodwill, charity, and the Salvation Army. I'm not sure if this is common around America, but where I'm from, you won't catch a working man dead in any of the above places. Here's why: pride. Women, their children, and men who can't provide for their families shop at goodwill stores. So unless you're on welfare or disabled, your clothes should be from other places. It sounds like a lot of antiquated bullshit, but I can imagine John subscribing to this undercurrent of thought that suggests that if you're buying clothes from thrift or goodwill stores, you're somehow implying you're less capable, or need charity.
However, hand-me-downs and second hand clothes gotten directly from someone is different. In particular, getting these from men of your own class and station is acceptable, and can even be seen as a mark of kinship if offered correctly. Offered face-to-face, with no implication of pity or charity, is when it's proper to accept clothes, especially when done in the line of work. (i.e. "There should be some of XYZ in the hall that'll fit you, use those.") Offering clothes to another man for his children is also acceptable; this means you're saying you're helping out your friend, as well as looking out for people more vulnerable than you. ("I have some stuff that'll fit your sons." Or, "I have some of my son's things around, they should fit your boys.") If acknowledged in the realm of work, it is totally comfortable.
Here's a lot of antiquated bullcrap: it's uncomfortable if a woman offers you clothes. It's somewhat more acceptable to take clothes if left out for you than if a man did, but still implying you are needing of charity, unless yours are ripped to shreds. Also, this woman has to be of the same station and class, too. Otherwise, it's absolutely a no-go. Women are traditionally involved in charity work (again more antiquated rural stuff), so the automatic association with accepting free things from women, is that it is charity, unless offered very discretely (not face to face in any fashion, but left out). If they are offered in the line of work, by a woman also in that line of work, it's uncomfortable to accept the clothes, but acceptable.
For example, if Ellen or Jo left out clothes for Sam or Dean if they were using the shower for example, it is okay to wear the clothes, but uncomfortable. It would be very uncomfortable if a man did the same, unless he's a close family member or like family (Bobby could get away with it). If Ellen or Jo tried to offer clothes because the boys were looking ragged, they would decline. If they offered clothes because theirs were torn to hell after a hunt, it's acceptable, but slightly uncomfortable. If Bobby or another male hunter did the same, it's acceptable. If a victim tried to offer compensation, like through clothes, it's unacceptable, unless that victim were of the same class and had similar values.
Again, this is all constructed around my area of America, from under/working class white men; there very well may be nuances from place to place and community to community.