There’s a nutty old lady lives a few floors below us, she’s always chatting Emily up. A few weeks ago, I get in the elevator and she’s there. Just the two of us.
She looked up at me and said, “I hate your jacket. I hate that…thing.”
She pointed at “The North Face” logo.
I perked up, eager to know what she had against North Face. She told me that everyone wears North Face jackets. “I see them everywhere, even my grandchildren in California.”
I was happy that she felt strongly enough to give me a piece of her mind.
“The jacket itself is nice, but that–” pointing at the logo again.
The door opened and she walked out. “I just hate it,” she said. “It’s terrible.”
Interesting that both the very old and the very young speak their mind without concern or even thought about how their comments will be received! The rest of us mostly do the exact opposite.
Mostly because we have to work and all. As much as we value the freedom of speech, we're often at the mercy of whoever signs the paycheck, or whoever can influence that person directly if not yourself. The very old and the very young don't have to be concerned about that as much.
Hate is a strong word, especially for a North Face jacket. I mean, are they made by child laborers from the hides of unborn unicorns?
I guess I should've thought about that before I bought one 10 years ago. It is indeed a nice jacket.
Her resentment against the brand is: everybody has 'em, so I hate 'em. Fair enough, but I'd be interested to explore the depths of her nuttiness and enquire if she hates all popular brands, Toyotas, Levis, Apple, etcetera, or just this particular one. But that might require a terribly long elevator ride.
Right, Sliced, because most people's visceral hatreds will stand up nicely to tests of rational coherence. :-)
I was just amused that she disliked it enough to tell me. I admired how irrational it was and how she couldn't bear to keep it to herself. A few days later, my wife and I saw her in the elevator and I puffed my chest out, baiting her with the logo, but she didn't bite. However, she didn't pay attention to me at all and talked to Emily, who said, "Man, she gave you no love, huh?"
Score.
Betcha weren't expecting me to comment at 9:30 in the damn morning via my new iPhone! As far as jackets go, I prefer Columbia : )
6) I LOATHE Columbia jackets, (just kidding) but what's an iPhone?
speaking of brand aversion: The Big Puma back in NY?
http://tinyurl.com/bh5uvto
I'd look elsewhere.
another inane thought:
The most useful garment I've ever purchased is the black, zip-up REI fleece vest that picked up in December 1999. I've worn it possibly 2-thousand times, and it's still presentable.
Certainly not fashionable, but it's a comfortable, and versatile layer that can be worn three seasons, outdoors and inside.