At BM, would a business suit be radically iconoclastic?

Wind_Borne · Post by **Wind_Borne** » Sat Nov 08, 2003 5:54 pm

Given the social and aestetic mileu of Burning Man what would it mean to wear a Brooks Brothers' Bag and wingtips on the Playa?

Lydia Love · Post by **Lydia Love** » Sat Nov 08, 2003 5:59 pm

I feel totally unprepared to comment on whether or not someone in a suit breaks any paradigms... because I am getting drunk.

However, those fellahs I *have* seen dressed all out in a nice suit and tie have *totally* made me hot in a way that I wouldn't get over a suit in camp reality.

Huh... so maybe the answer is **yes** it is iconoclastic because, often it's the iconoclastic that makes me hot.

Wind_Borne · Post by **Wind_Borne** » Sat Nov 08, 2003 6:02 pm

I'm reading Lydia's response while rummaging through the closet looking for an old suit... its got to be here somewhere!

How about a tux?

Lydia Love · Post by **Lydia Love** » Sat Nov 08, 2003 6:06 pm

I'm betting the more formal the better out there...

A old friend and an on again off again crush of mine wore a freakin Armani suit last year.

Made my heart go pitty pat in a big way. We've been friends for most of my adult life though without jumping eachother... so I didn't.

Wind_Borne · Post by **Wind_Borne** » Sat Nov 08, 2003 6:10 pm

Sounds like the wise choice. But I appreciate the "ooooh" factor.

rogue agent · Post by **rogue agent** » Sat Nov 08, 2003 6:11 pm

If you're gonna wear a suit on the Playa, make sure you can pull it off. I saw a couple guys who tried it in 2002; their suits were cheap, they had shaggy hair & I think they wore sneakers. Do it right or don't do it.

RA

Lydia Love · Post by **Lydia Love** » Sat Nov 08, 2003 6:12 pm

Oh I totally agree RA - it has to look *convincing* to work. Clean cut, good shoes, hair nicely coifed, decent suit and tie

and completely covered in playa dust.

mmmmmmmm....

Last Real Burner · Post by **Last Real Burner** » Sat Nov 08, 2003 7:48 pm

Yes WB, it has been done before. The guys wore button down suits, carried briefcases, and were chatting vigerously on cellphones, kind of like the "Can you hear me now, Guy." (the joke there was, there is no cell phone reception on the playa.) There no stopping you though from throwing your own spin on that ie a motorised desk that you drive around and answer the phone or type on on a computer or ?

"If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you. "
incontestabally,
mr smith

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Sat Nov 08, 2003 8:04 pm

Go to

http://images.burningman.com/

& search on [suit] or [fashion show].

Patience · Post by **Patience** » Sat Nov 08, 2003 8:18 pm

I'll be coming to BM next year straight from my brother's wedding, so I'll be bringing my Best Man tux...

And I can make a tuxedo work. Testify!

Wind_Borne · Post by **Wind_Borne** » Sat Nov 08, 2003 8:22 pm

Indeed, I seem to recall the cell phone guys.
I posed the question just to hear your thoughts and observations.
As for original custume ideas never before thought of or tried at BM, I think there might be a mass-produced-in-asia, online-sale based market opportunity there

joel the ornery · Post by **joel the ornery** » Sun Nov 09, 2003 3:32 am

Two words-"Leisure Suits"

Really bright colors or pastels... choose your weapon.

Last Real Burner · Post by **Last Real Burner** » Sun Nov 09, 2003 8:18 am

Luckily you have 7 days so you can investigate options

emphatically,
mr smith

Kinetic II · Post by **Kinetic II** » Sun Nov 09, 2003 8:27 am

Uh, I regret to inform you that thanks to the BLM's fire service communication tower expansion plans, proposals are underway to bring cellular service to remote locations including our beloved playa. They will put cell towers on the BLM towers making mini cell sites. And you can imagine the ones covering the Black Rock might be a little larger capactiy than normal?

Look for cell phones at a theme camp near you coming soon.

Last Real Burner · Post by **Last Real Burner** » Sun Nov 09, 2003 8:44 am

Cell phone service on the Playa, Oh the horror....
Now that just burns my ass

burningly,
mr smith

Flux · Post by **Flux** » Sun Nov 09, 2003 9:00 am

Lydia Love wrote:However, those fellahs I *have* seen dressed all out in a nice suit and tie have *totally* made me hot in a way that I wouldn't get over a suit in camp reality.

Note to self: Wear suit to meet-and-greet next year.

Wind_Borne · Post by **Wind_Borne** » Sun Nov 09, 2003 9:48 am

Phone service on the Playa !?!

"Ya, Domino's? I'd like to order a pizza."
"Ya, a super combo, but half vegan."
"And can you deliver it 12 miles northeast of Gerlach? ... Great!"
"Size? Shit, I better get enough for everyone... How big a pizza feeds 30,000 people?"

Kinetic II · Post by **Kinetic II** » Sun Nov 09, 2003 10:27 am

Pizza slut (hut) here in KC has a mobile 5th wheel type pizza kitchen trailer. They could just setup shop in Gerlach for a week and imagine the business they would get. Not to mention all those $20 gate readmission tickets the org would rake in? Hmmm....I'm surprised someone hasn't already tried something like it. It won't be me though.

Badger · Post by **Badger** » Sun Nov 09, 2003 12:12 pm

You'd probably be met with the same sort resistence that ensued when Black Rock Hardware set up shop in Gerlach and was reported to the local police by the Empire Store. Cut throat, Rottweiller capitalism is alive and well in rural Nevada. Make no mistake.

Angry Butterfly · Post by **Angry Butterfly** » Sun Nov 09, 2003 12:27 pm

joel the ornery wrote:Two words-"Leisure Suits"

Really bright colors or pastels... choose your weapon.

My Dad used to have this paisily velvet one complete with matching bow tie that would be the ultimate Burning Man suit. I think Mom got rid of it in the 80's though. I wore a lot of my dads old 70's duds out when I was in high school and college. My favorites were a monet print green polyseter shirt and a Black leather trench coat with suede trim and red stiching.

I saw a couple suits this year, one looked like it had been run over by a truck, that was rad, you definately have to do the whole deal, the guy I saw had shredded the suit but it was a good fit to begin with with the right shoes and a briefcase and the right hair, just messed up. A cheap suit would not have had the same effect. Besides, really good wingtips that are well broken in would make good playa shoes anyway, My dad was a traveling salesman for 15 years and would buy $300 shoes that would last for like 5 years and were really comfortable because he had to walk miles and miles from door to door every day.

III · Post by **III** » Sun Nov 09, 2003 1:46 pm

>reported to the local police

that's a new one on me. what were they charged with?

Isotopia · Post by **Isotopia** » Sun Nov 09, 2003 1:49 pm

A light crusting of playa dust on a diesel soaked, dark Armani euro-cut, single button casual suit accented with a Bulgari chrono watch, and dark, very dark rimless sunglasses---

Kinetic II · Post by **Kinetic II** » Sun Nov 09, 2003 2:03 pm

Badger wrote:You'd probably be met with the same sort resistence that ensued when Black Rock Hardware set up shop in Gerlach and was reported to the local police by the Empire Store. Cut throat, Rottweiller capitalism is alive and well in rural Nevada. Make no mistake.

Please elaborate. I almost bought something from their website.

And as for resistance? Corporate America would just steamroller local resistance. For an example, visit your nearby Walmart Supercenter.
(Having lived in the Ozarks, WalMart definitely inspires a love/hate reax)

Badger · Post by **Badger** » Sun Nov 09, 2003 2:03 pm

And how would you dress the men?

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Sun Nov 09, 2003 3:17 pm

III wrote:>reported to the local police
that's a new one on me. what were they charged with?

Nothing I heard about. I think Kimric said they got whatever business licenses in order after some initial hangups.

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Sun Nov 09, 2003 3:39 pm

References to an outright ban on cell phones seem to have been removed from the main website. Just a matter of the ridiculousness of propagating and enforcing such a rule, especially in light of not having similar official rulings for press and others on satellite and whatnot hand-held gadgets.

Post by **Eric** » Sun Nov 09, 2003 8:34 pm

Wind_Borne wrote:Given the social and aestetic mileu of Burning Man what would it mean to wear a Brooks Brothers' Bag and wingtips on the Playa?

I wore one of my vintage sharkskin suits for the Amazing Larry's secret urinal party this year, and was fine. I love suits- I own over 25 vintage ones, and rarely go out at night without one on (when a friend saw me at BM for the first time in a t-shirt he almost died- kept screaming and pointing)
I agree with the other post though- Do It Right: Dress shirt, tie, tie-tack, etc... (I even suggest a collar-bar and cuff-links if possible) I don't wear wing-tips ever, so I wore a pair of gold Doc Martins. Make sure your tie is knotted correctly (big pet peeve of mine), check : http://www.aboutneckties.com/knotting.htm if you're not sure what's appropriate.
Best tip- make sure the collar of your shirt is loose enough that it's comfortable with a tie on, not so loose that it leaves a huge ugly gap around your neck.
Already looking for my perfect playa suit for next year...

Angry Butterfly · Post by **Angry Butterfly** » Sun Nov 09, 2003 9:06 pm

I'm with you Eric, Suits are the BEST. ESP vintage ones! perfect for a man or woman I say. If I knew how to work our server i would post a shot of me in my favorite vintage number. It fit really well when I had smaller... well, lets just say I was younger and can't quite pull off the fit anymore.

Wind_Borne · Post by **Wind_Borne** » Sun Nov 09, 2003 9:21 pm

Eric,

As for tie knots I prefer the half-windsor for most ties: it looks balanced and solid. The full windsor works with very lightweight or thin ties, but not with wide or heavy ties. The four in hand just looks unbalanced to my eye.

I've never mastered the bow tie.

Post by **Eric** » Sun Nov 09, 2003 9:57 pm

Wind_Borne wrote:Eric,

As for tie knots I prefer the half-windsor for most ties: it looks balanced and solid. The full windsor works with very lightweight or thin ties, but not with wide or heavy ties. The four in hand just looks unbalanced to my eye.

I've never mastered the bow tie.

I can't tie a bowtie to save my life. I agree with you on the four in hand, but I'm a big fan of the full windsor. I prefer it on fuller ties however, and on thin ties tend to use the "prat" or "shelby" knot. Seems weird to tie the first few times, but looks great with skinny ties!

Angry Butterfly wrote:I'm with you Eric, Suits are the BEST. ESP vintage ones! perfect for a man or woman I say.

or even gender non-identifiable.
Suits suits suits suits glorious suits wonderful suits...

(or is that supposed to be spam...?)