Crusty by Choice or Consequence

[AlwaysLost]

"All things that come from the earth must return to the Earth"

I was talking to a homebum acquaintance of mine. He'd just gotten out of jail again, (his only crime was being homeless) and was tired of Police harassment.

He's literally been out there so long that all his clothing has formed this weird-faded-dirty-orangish brown color that happens to all clothing that has been worn too long.

That and the unkept Santa beard has made him a celebrity up and down the strip.

And, I admit that my own camo shirts are rapidly approaching the same color. I lost my urban camo in the desperate haste of my departure and people are starting to treat me like scum again.

Part of me feels sorry for him because he's a decent guy. Another part of me thinks that if he'd spend a few dollars at the goodwill (instead of on steelies) and bought a more incognito wardrobe that he might fair a little better.

I'm not gonna lie, I literally look like Pigpen right now; complete with circling flies.

But, I also dropped 2$ on a Vale fleece-yuppie jacket that will help enable me to upgrade my wardrobe back into the grey man status. I also commandeered a really nice silken-nautica tie and a hooligan hat.

Once I finish making some alterations to my jeans, I will go back and commandeer the rest of my urban camo.

So my question to you is why do u dress crusty. Is it out of love for punk, just don't give any fucks, dirty from trains?

I love some of the stuff you guys come up with. I've seen some amazing amalgamations of rivets, floss, leather and canvas on some of these train kids. I just don't have a strong enough personality to rock them myself. So my crustiness is just out of poor life choices and unpreparedness.

My primary secret to avoid being hassled by PD is to shave my head so I can clean up quick in bathrooms, wear clothes that match my AO, always keep moving, avoid lifestyle patterns and get out of sight by dark (unless there's something rad happening).

Do any of you have grey man strategies or are you rugged individualists?

How do you all feel about being typecasted by your appearance?

I think it's terrible we can't even be free to wear what we want without judgment.

Personally, I conform. But id love to get your opinions and strategies.

 

[THE REAL SCAVENGER]

when i lived in a house, i tried to look as dirty as possible. granted, i was pretty dirty, i am no matter what i do. I'm outdoors no matter what.

now that i am homeless, i try to look as clean as i can, and i try to pass for a house dweller. sadly, i still look pretty fucking homeless no matter what i do

 

[AlwaysLost]

when i lived in a house, i tried to look as dirty as possible. granted, i was pretty dirty, i am no matter what i do. I'm outdoors no matter what.

now that i am homeless, i try to look as clean as i can, and i try to pass for a house dweller. sadly, i still look pretty fucking homeless no matter what i do

Clothes degrade quickly under stress. Nicer clothes degrade faster. I'm always chasing. And if the shoes go that's a big problem.

 

[Satanic Botanic]

When I lived in a house, I was already thrifty and looked a lil homeless. When I left, I took my nice thrift clothes with me to avoid immediate judgement and police. Honestly, if you look good, you can get away with so much shit. People trust you more and are more willing to engage with you as well. Shitty, but that's just how it is.

Over time, my clothes just got fucked up. I was still pretty hygienic n shit, but so much shit happens when you're traveling 24/7. You learn the true durability of clothes. Thrifted shit has already degraded quite a bit. You just don't realize it when you're not traveling. I didn't bring much clothes either, so those bitches got worn to hell. I leave most of my rips n shit as they are, but patch up some of the bigger ones. I totally dig it though. It really fits me. People's clothes really do tell you a lot about that person. I bet yuppies would pay high dollar for my clothes now if I just washed them.

It's funny. When I was younger, I used to make artificial tears in my clothes and bleach/distress them to look cool. Didn't really see how it was possible to have clothes fade and tear so much. If I ever got a real tear, I'd be like fuck yeah this looks cool. Now, I genuinely get pissed off cause I'm like, these are my only fucking pair of shorts god damn it.

 

[Hobo Mud]

I try to stay as clean as possible when traveling. I shave my face and head once a week and use alot of baby wipes and shower when ever possible. I work from city to city so having a grungy look for me does not sit well when trying to gain temporary employment.

Sometimes its hard to stay clean and when your train hopping, clothes will get very dirty and dinghy and lets not forget the wear and tear from ducking in and out of brush.

I try to wash my clothes every few weeks either by the zip lock method or a laundry mat. Staying clean certainly has its challenges as far as travling the way most of us do. Great topic.....

 

[Escaper]

I try to stay as clean as possible when traveling. I shave my face and head once a week and use alot of baby wipes and shower when ever possible. I work from city to city so having a grungy look for me does not sit well when trying to gain temporary employment.

Sometimes its hard to stay clean and when your train hopping, clothes will get very dirty and dinghy and lets not forget the wear and tear from ducking in and out of brush.

I try to wash my clothes every few weeks either by the zip lock method or a laundry mat. Staying clean certainly has its challenges as far as travling the way most of us do. Great topic.....

Can you explain the zip lock method of washing? Keeping clothes clean on the road is something im yet to perfect so a new method is appreciated. Im guessing you put clothes soap and water into a zip lock bag and... shake it around?

My favourite method so far for washing is to find a creek and put rocks on my clothes to pin them under water, in a fashion that has most of each garment swirling and tumbling in a faster flowing section of water. Its like a natural washing machine! Just have to make sure you really pin the clothes down its pretty easy to loss everything otherwise!

 

[Hobo Mud]

The method you just suggested is unbeatable compared to what I have suggested and it is certainly a great way to clean clothes. The zip lock method is as you suspected.

I have washed my clothes many times using a zip lock bag. I am not suggesting that this is the best method but it is one that works for me and I have gotten very good at it. Basically you take a big zip lock bag fill it with water. Place two drops of bleach inside the zip lock bag. Shake repeatedly and let the clothes sit around 15 to 30 mintues depending on the temperature outside.

I let the bag sit in the sun for a spell before I rinse they clothes. It is very vital that you do not use no more than a few tiny drops of bleach. To much and you bleach your clothes do it just right and you will not have those issues. The clothes come out smelling fresh and clean. I don't like using detergents pertaining to this method because you have to do alot more rinsing than is required with the few drops of bleach.

You can also use a bucket, trash bag. Not sure if this helped or not. Everyone has there own methods of cleaning there clothes this is just one method I prefer. I keep a little tiny bottle of bleach in my bag, the container I keep it in is about the size of my thumb however it goes a long way. Hope this helped. Safe travles friend.

 

[Notmyname]

I personally embrace the filth on my clothes. I've found that it helps my spange game in soooo many ways. When you look interesting, people wanna stop and talk to you. Conversations lead to rides, kickdows, and places to crash. You make friends and find out about cool shit in town.

 

[Anagor]

Thrifted shit has already degraded quite a bit. You just don't realize it when you're not traveling. I didn't bring much clothes either, so those bitches got worn to hell. I leave most of my rips n shit as they are, but patch up some of the bigger ones.

One of my jeans before I finally decided to threw them away:

It was not cause of the holes, to be honest. They just got wet and I had no place to dry them and left them in the backpack a few days and they became moldy, unfortunately. And they were a bit wide and my belt broke. So they went to the bin.

 

[Satanic Botanic]

One of my jeans before I finally decided to threw them away:

View attachment 38869

It was not cause of the holes, to be honest. They just got wet and I had no place to dry them and left them in the backpack a few days and they became moldy, unfortunately. And they were a bit wide and my belt broke. So they went to the bin.

Lol, damn dude. Yeah, mine are pretty bad right now. I have such a huge rip in the front that I'm genuinely concerned that my dick might pop out sometimes. I also have the ass rips like you did in that pic. You're basically just in your underwear at that point.

 

[Anagor]

You're basically just in your underwear at that point.

Yep. In the end I just wore my hoodie wrapped around the hips to cover the holes a bit (and to keep my jeans up after my belt broke).

 

[Anagor]

So my question to you is why do u dress crusty. Is it out of love for punk, just don't give any fucks, dirty from trains?

I think a few reasons. First of all, while not considering myself being a "punk" (whatever exactly this means, anyway), I always liked old, worn out clothes more than new. Don't know why, but it's like that. Even as I was still in a job, I wore my t-shirts and jeans at least until the first holes or rips developed. And was always pissed off when I had to buy something new.

Now, living this lifestyle, I just can't afford to buy new clothes or shoes. So I get my stuff from foodruns or I just use what I find or what someone gives to me. My "best" jeans for example I found in the trash in Bristol. Black jeans, a bit skinny and holes at the knees (by "fashion" I guess) but otherwise totally okay. They were even freshly washed - ready to wear. My other remaining pair of jeans (that I wear right now) I got at a foodrun over a year ago. They are fairly ragged and held together with a few safety pins - still my favourite pair of pants.

To be honest I don't have many clothes ... at the moment two pairs of pants, three t-shirts, one torn hoodie jacket, an army style vest (bought years ago cause it has many pockets, most of them are now useless, ripped open) and a lined vest which is still quite okay. A pair of leather vans I got from a friend and a pair of flip-flops. That's basically it.

Hope to get a warmer jacket for winter but that's all what I wanna add right now.

Of course many people are judgemental. But I don't give a fuck about what people think who judge the book by the cover. I'm not looking for work at the moment and don't have any responsibilities of any kind, so I have the freedom to wear what I want.

Granted, I would not even try to shoplift or jump the trains (not paying for a ticket) looking like that. But I can live with that.

 

[Anagor]

I personally embrace the filth on my clothes. I've found that it helps my spange game in soooo many ways. When you look interesting, people wanna stop and talk to you. Conversations lead to rides, kickdows, and places to crash. You make friends and find out about cool shit in town.

True. I got more than a few and sometimes quite big drops (from a few quid to a fiver or even tenner) while just walking somewhere or sitting on a bench or little wall, not obviously begging or alike. Would never had those looking like a backpacker waiting for the bus to a hostel or alike, obviously.

 

[Hillbilly Castro]

I personally try to stay somewhat clean. Hotel breakfast buffets are nice, as well as work offers, getting laid, getting away with shoplifting, and getting rides much faster when hitching. Having a clean polo in your pack is the way to go. Lately I've been wearing a lot of neon yellow safety clothing. Then when I'm dirty I just look like a worker or a hunter, and people often give "the working man" the benefit of the doubt. Being able to simultaneously be dirty and respectable is a good way to go - dirty people don't get robbed, but if you look respectable enough, you'll have a much easier time.

I think a lot of folks are dirty because that's what happens when hopping trains. That's fine, but once the dirty-ness extends into some kind of pride issue, that's pretty fucking dumb to me. That's a lot of the reason that I don't like the whole "dirty kid" thing. I'm an adult, thanks, and would take a shower if you gave it to me.

My two cents, I guess.

 

[AlwaysLost]

I personally try to stay somewhat clean. Hotel breakfast buffets are nice, as well as work offers, getting laid, getting away with shoplifting, and getting rides much faster when hitching. Having a clean polo in your pack is the way to go. Lately I've been wearing a lot of neon yellow safety clothing. Then when I'm dirty I just look like a worker or a hunter, and people often give "the working man" the benefit of the doubt. Being able to simultaneously be dirty and respectable is a good way to go - dirty people don't get robbed, but if you look respectable enough, you'll have a much easier time.

I think a lot of folks are dirty because that's what happens when hopping trains. That's fine, but once the dirty-ness extends into some kind of pride issue, that's pretty fucking dumb to me. That's a lot of the reason that I don't like the whole "dirty kid" thing. I'm an adult, thanks, and would take a shower if you gave it to me.

My two cents, I guess.

100% agree on the fluorescents. I've been tempted to even buy a hard hat. It goes against reason but florescent green seems to make you invisible to everyone.

 

[MamaSow]

Since I want to be left alone most of the time and live my life without bringing attention to myself, I'm half dirty from the road and half ok looking. Too dirty and I get too many looks. Too clean and respectable can have the same effect. So, somewhere half way between. I also try to stay decently clean for the sake of vag health. Healthy vag = happy time on the road.

I got nothing against folks being who they are, crusty, clean, or somewhere in between. I think I feel sad that some people spend hours every day on how they look; imagine if all that time could be focused on the inner landscape instead.

 

[Anagor]

I think I feel sad that some people spend hours every day on how they look; imagine if all that time could be focused on the inner landscape instead.

Very true.

 

[William Howard 2]

Typecasting sucks but it has a purpose that provides survival advantages for organisms.

All through recorded history the "tyranny of appearances" as Plato names it has been with us. I guess I look to biology as a explanation why humans are drawn to appearances. Science says that we have a spectrum of reasons. All the way from kin recognition to sexual selection. If we look at other animals too, we see that they have strategies for mate selection based on looks, like the peacock with its plumage, or the cardinal with its bright coloring, and so on. So how does this relate to people? I imagine that clothing is a sort of "peacocking" that conveys information about the person. It's no secret that females look not only to find a good genetic match, but also a mate that can provide for the offspring and the mother during the tough pregnancy. Clothing signals information about a person's social status, income, habits, lifestyle, ECT. that not only potential mates can examine, but the larger social group.

Sorry for the textbook, I just like to practice getting my thoughts on paper with a critical audience. You don't get much conversation in the woods

 

[Anagor]

Typecasting sucks but it has a purpose that provides survival advantages for organisms.

You may be right, yes.

On the other hand ... I find that looking "other than normal" is a good "filter" ... It shows you who is superficial and who is not.

That's why I don't care if some people treat me like scum just because of the clothes I wear. I don't care about what people like those may think.

 

[William Howard 2]

You may be right, yes.

On the other hand ... I find that looking "other than normal" is a good "filter" ... It shows you who is superficial and who is not.

-WARNING- the following contains graphic depictions of a ego driven nerd. Seek medical advice before being exposed to this much bull shit, as it can cause long term irreversible side effects.

Reminds me a lot of a psychology paper published a few years ago talking about how we both have a need to fit in and stand out at the same time. The paper used for examples a football team in how they have a common goal of winning and have common dress codes and so on, but at they same time they also all want to stand out and be recognized on a individual level for the talent they possess.

I think this site itself is a good example too. Seeing this process play out, I'm not sure if it qualifies others as being superficial.

I know this textbook garbage seems out of place on this site and thread, but I was trying to prove a point (by contrasting with the other responses). We can generalize "judging others by there looks" and get a first principle - "looking at the surface layer of things", and we can see that even this conversation fell prey to exactly what was hated to begin with - judging others without understanding who they are, or the principle we can extract from that - "judging without knowing". Because whether it's a human being or an idea, we should all posses the same penetrating mind to get to the "root of things" and see something for what it truly is. The irony is that we have done to others what they have done to us.