Homeless Chic Is An Oxymoron

They say the Italian Vogue magazine is “showcasing a homeless chic-inspired cover for its September issue.” Other designers and photographers seem to be following this ironic trend of highlighting how homeless people dress. They are impressed with their choice of colors, materials, and layering. As if these are celebrities walking the red carpet at the latest movie premier.

But they are not. These are people encountering extreme poverty, seeking safety from the harsh conditions of outdoor living. People who are running from domestic violence, overcome by mental health issues, or hit hard from unemployment.

Just imagine. You lose your job, and your home. You end up in a shelter or on the streets struggling to figure out how to get back into housing, or when and where your next meal might be. You take hand-me-down clothing from the local church or homeless agency, desperately trying to find something that matches.

Then some highfalutin, out-of-touch designer wants to highlight your looks like you’re some high society caricature. It’s a form of circuitous degradation at its worst.

Don’t they have other fashion statements to make? Like how Vice President Biden is dressed, or Sarah Palin’s latest hair style?

Why pick on people struggling on our streets?

(Pic from www.blackbookmag.com)