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Is it not seen as societally acceptable in the States to wear colorful clothes as a male teenager/adolescent? I know I grew up in the ‘90s (in Europe) and as a

Is it not seen as societally acceptable in the States to wear colorful clothes as a male teenager/adolescent? I know I grew up in the ‘90s (in Europe) and as a kid I knew I liked colorful shirts (red, yellow) well into my mid-teens, I didn’t see them as male or non-male. The only comment I received about the color of a thing I own happened relatively recently (I’m almost 40 now), as one of my aunts remarked that my car is “girlish” because of its color (red). I found that strange and an interesting sociological input, but nothing more.

Garlef 6y ago
> Is it not seen as societally acceptable in the States to wear colorful clothes as a male teenager/adolescent? Anecdote: I visited the US last year and happened to be invited by a friend to a climbing gym in the bay area. Said friend wore a shirt that was pink/purple. I was there for two hours or so. In this time he got two comments about the color, jokingly painting a picture of him as being gay.
alchemism 6y ago
In New York City you can literally wear anything and no one will say a word or acknowledge your existence as a human being. But I also knew a boy from rural Texas who was regularly harassed and beaten growing up because he wore athletic clothes (Adidas track suits) instead of cowboy boots and 10-gallon hats.
- throwaway20148 6y ago
  I grew up in the 90s in rural Texas and never owned western attire and was just fine. Your friend is overstating the role of clothing in his experience I suspect.
  - alchemism 6y ago
    He was college age by the 90s. I’m fairly confident you grew up in different towns, also. It is a big country, which is the point of the retelling. (Not intending to throw shade on Texas)
gherkinnn 6y ago
Anecdotally speaking, not just in their teens. (Certain coastal pockets excluded). I once overheard an American (M, 30s) visiting Europe commenting on European men wearing coloured trousers (red, orange, turquoise, etc). You’ll also find colours of outdoor clothing in the US to be more muted, or the overly garish ones in fewer numbers. On that note, men in tights without over-shorts is increasingly common in my parts of Europe. And nobody here gives me shit for wearing pink.

Garlef 6y ago

> Is it not seen as societally acceptable in the States to wear colorful clothes as a male teenager/adolescent? Anecdote: I visited the US last year and happened to be invited by a friend to a climbing gym in the bay area. Said friend wore a shirt that was pink/purple. I was there for two hours or so. In this time he got two comments about the color, jokingly painting a picture of him as being gay.

alchemism 6y ago

In New York City you can literally wear anything and no one will say a word or acknowledge your existence as a human being. But I also knew a boy from rural Texas who was regularly harassed and beaten growing up because he wore athletic clothes (Adidas track suits) instead of cowboy boots and 10-gallon hats.

throwaway20148 6y ago
I grew up in the 90s in rural Texas and never owned western attire and was just fine. Your friend is overstating the role of clothing in his experience I suspect.
- alchemism 6y ago
  He was college age by the 90s. I’m fairly confident you grew up in different towns, also. It is a big country, which is the point of the retelling. (Not intending to throw shade on Texas)

gherkinnn 6y ago

Anecdotally speaking, not just in their teens. (Certain coastal pockets excluded). I once overheard an American (M, 30s) visiting Europe commenting on European men wearing coloured trousers (red, orange, turquoise, etc). You’ll also find colours of outdoor clothing in the US to be more muted, or the overly garish ones in fewer numbers. On that note, men in tights without over-shorts is increasingly common in my parts of Europe. And nobody here gives me shit for wearing pink.