For those of you that have no clue about biker clubs, traditions and rules, there is a new fashion being hyped out of NY called "biker chic"- and it is going to get someone killed, ( you heard it here first) . Let me explain- in every state in the union, and in many international settings, there is this thing called the "MC coalition" or something close to that- they charter, in the US, in each state, every recognized club in that locale. It was originally started to keep the "heat" off biker clubs that WEREN'T criminal minded, and brokered truces between those that are. This has been going on for about 40 years now, and allows non-criminally minded biker clubs, they have a "one piece" type patch club- for any mom and pop sunday riders that want to join- usually just a club membership fee, a "two piece" that has the "MC" logo called out, with one patch naming the club and locale. Then there is the "three piece" used by "1%ers " such as the Outlaws, Banditoes, Hell's angels.

You will survive the experiance of a one piece wearing vest ride- the 1%ers won't pay you any attention with a one piece patch. With a two piece, they will recognize the name, and if you are chartered. You will probably suffer some humiliation or a destroyed bike for an unauthorized two piece vest.

A three piece patch vest is downright life-threatening, no foolin'. By wearing this, you basically are declaring a territory war on local biker gangs, or, as we call them "1%ers".

These guys are no joke, they are more organized and have larger followings and are smarter than groups like the crips and the bloods. Anyone that is really into bikes knows this.

But over the last few years, we have had a giant growth in the motorcycle industry, and alot of noobs that have no clue about the history of these patches. Well, that has reached a dangerous threshold recently:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/03/fashion/...amp;oref=slogin

"A decade into the infestation of the city’s hipper locales by people with M.B.A.s wearing trucker caps and wallet chains, the elements of the troglodyte biker look better than ever. They look unironic, for one thing, and sincere in their sentimental reference to a pursuit that, before it was taken over by lawyers and periodontists, attracted mainly outlaws and vagabonds. They seem authentic, in the case of biker leathers, because they have changed so little. That they are functionally appropriate is no small part of their appeal. "

As one bike site has so eloquently put it "there are some posuers out there that are about to lose thier posterior virginity"

So, considering that someone will probably die over this- one has to ask

Do you believe someone will be able to hold the fashion houses liable for this, um, careless use of pop culture fashion?

Do you believe someone will be gravely harmed over this?

Do you believe that someone WILL die from this, and will it make national news?

Bonus question-

is this all so new to you, as a AD poster, that you had no clue about all of this underground culture stuff?


edited to add: Several "dead pools" have already been started up, with Paris Hilton and co being at the top!

This is similar the Red & Blue of the Bloods and Crips. Frankly anyone evil enough to kill someone over the number of patches on their vest probably had a great propensity for violence in the first place and it is just a matter of time before they killed someone anyway.

Ultimately you can't hold anyone but the cudgel wielding psychopath responsible for any crime committed against a pop culture fashion victim. I hope no one is even hassled over this but I certainly don't believe anyone will be killed over this. (I grew up around Pagans (from Brooklyn, Queens and LI) and they were some of the worst humans I ever met and I doubt even THEY'D kill someone over this.)

Perhaps it's time for someone to tell the HAs (et al) that they and their patches are stupid and to stop being nut cases.

I happen to agree with you- except for the part that, if enough folks buy into this fashion- someone WILL die- I would bet money and lay odds on it. Just because you and I don't believe they are worth dying over doesn't mean some very evil types don't!

Well here's to hoping you're wrong. This time.

Here us where I came up with the thinking on liability: When you mentioned the Crips and Bloods, that is just blue or red clothing or bandana- it is easy to have on some blue or red and not know any better.

In this case, you have to come up a very complex pattern meant to immitate an actual biker gang "flag" if you will.

Someone should or does have a clue about the meaning of some of these patches, don't ya think?

Probably not. There have been several instances of people saying or displaying something they (truly) didn't know was racist, sexist or whateverist followed by retractions and apologies. I suspect in large part people with good "eyes" are simply mimicking what they think will look "cool" or "authentic". Just look at all the people walking around with Chinese "symbols" that mean "I am a cheap and tawdry whore who lays with mole rats"!

Yes, but this ain't a foriegn language, and it isn't a pop icon from a former age. This is here and now, and started out, uniquely America (though it has branched out into various places in the western world, and has moved on to even some of the far eastern world) -

Do you think anyone would be able to successfully sue the designer of these clothes? On one of my biker sites where 1%ers hang out, I believe the actual quote was "well, we need to thank Gaultier for cleansing the gene pool of a few more yuppies in the future"

For starters, I think that fashion is a waste of time and money. Doesn't it look silly for a skinny model to wear gangster clothing on top of a skirt? Every year, in the pursuit of selling even more useless magazines, the fashion industry parades women on stage wearing things that people would never wear on the street.

Do you believe someone will be gravely harmed over this?
With gas bound to go up because of $100/barrel oil, of course. Road rage has been a problem for quite some time and so it would be no surprise to me if a gangster beat someone at a gas station for wearing the wrong colors so to speak.

Do you believe that someone WILL die from this, and will it make national news?
I don't think it will necessarily lead to murder. Given that the motorcycle gangsters are smarter than the average criminals, they'll more likely act like school bullies than pull a gun on this one.

Do you believe someone will be able to hold the fashion houses liable for this, um, careless use of pop culture fashion?

Do you believe someone will be gravely harmed over this?

Do you believe that someone WILL die from this, and will it make national news?

Bonus question-

is this all so new to you, as a AD poster, that you had no clue about all of this underground culture stuff?


I imagine an insurance company might go after the fashion designers on this. Just what sadists want to do about it is up to them. Killing though has more to do about the turf than fashion, from what I've seen, or if you're a wise-tush gonzo journalist like Hunter S. Thompson. But then he just had the stuffing beat out of him after his book on the Hells Angels came out.

This isn't new to me, except the secrets of the patches. Seems that some insider info has leaked out.

I've never had the need to join a biker club. I hate riding in a pack, and I hate social pressures to be one way or another, go this way or that. For 1% types, it's gang mentality. The idea of riding a bike to me has always been about freedom. I don't even like riding with one other person.

Sonny Barger started out on a Cushman scooter:

Really, not just making this up

The Cushman Mystique

So for a real 1%-er there's respect for the lone wolf on a scuzzy little Honda with lots of miles on it. Then there are the ones who are not real, and there you go. Human nature is to herd, to go with the crowd, to become a member of the club.

I can see why the 1%-ers are ticked. It's like these Wild Hogs types are making fun of them, mocking them with designer duds and stock machines, strutting around like banty roosters as if they know something.

Looks like the lampoon is working, even if unintentional. The anger reactions tell me that nobody in this comedy knows doodly squat, except maybe inserting Peg A into Hole B. A two-year-old can figure that one out. I'm getting the distinct image of troops of monkeys.

um, no "two piece" patch guy will beat up someone that is "illegally" wearing the colors- groups like the "outlaws" (actual name) actually flaunt that status, but then again, they are ready to go to war, and have been a major player in the news dealing with "hits" on rival gangs, a shootout in Nevada, the execution of the "prez" of a hells angel chapter in New York and Pennsylvania.

A "one piece" like the Knights- that won't even get you a second look. But if you wear a three piece, you are just as likely to get immediately shot on sight, perhaps mistaking that you are an ACTUAL member that will be shooting at them, if they don't shoot first.

As for the ladies- this is extremely dangerous- most clubs don't allow female members as full fledged members- we call them "81 girls"- and they are, um, way outside the norm of social sexual behavior, even in a rap video - in other words, being seen in these colors, by themselves, may give the wrong impression to a group of burly guys on motorcycles, and the phrase is "excuse me miss, what time does this train leave the station"- in other words, gang rape will ensue shortly thereafter.

However, it appears that the NYT made a boo-boo here- they have pictures of actual members in thier colors on that page- I went to lagerfelds and gaultier's site, and they don't have those colors it appears- looks like they just might have used that as "biker chic" pictures, not actaully using the designs of lagerfeld or gaultier.

We call 1%ers that because they ARE NOT even 1% of hte biker population.

And AM is right- a "lone wolf" that has some design on his back that doesn't mimic a three piece patch or two piece patch club and is riding a rat bike across country will get much respect from all groups. I know, I have been that dude many times.