Cars & Fashion

Members of the Red Devils Car Club dress in black t-shirts, black Dickies pants and black work boots. This is very appropriate to the car club's affinity of early American hot rods with limited adornment. Drivers have tattoos. The cars have flames.

Which came first, the car or the clothes to wear with them? The type of car these clubs seem to prefer are unfinished, but well crafted. Solid, with adornment in contrast to a rough exterior. You could easily imagine an all-black outfit being practical for working on your own car. But, in their day, did an original owner of a 40's chop-top Ford feel compelled to wear black? The modern owners do.

The photo above is a 40's Fiat, similar to American designs. Were Italians customizing Fiats in 1940? And what were they wearing?

This makes me think about appropriate outfits for any car. We drive for personal and practical reasons. People of different backgrounds and styles can drive the same car, but a certain cultural and aesthetic demographic must suit one car better than the other, regardless of price. The Audi owner can afford the same Hugo Boss Suit as the BMW owner, but I think the Audi owner prefers Jil Sander. Is it best for the Saab owner to buy vintage suits?

Reference: New York Times - No Tangerine Flake, Baby: Hot Rods Go Back to Basic Black