I may well be the only person who didn’t already know this, but uber-cool indie-schmindie scarves of the variety pictured below are called keffiyehs and are a symbol of Palestinian solidarity.
Most of the people who wear them surely don’t know they’re making a pro-Palestine statement, and pissing off Israel’s supporters just by doing so. I doubt the average hipster wanders around thinking that the Jews have been right nasty and should give the land back at once.
What’s baffling is how keffiyehs became such a universal trend. The scarves are traditionally worn by Arabs but for Westerners they had become an emblem of Palestinian support in the conflict with Israel. Now we see them on the back of every Tarquin, Sienna and Nathan Barley. A little bit of internet-based research shows that there are plenty of people up-in-arms about fashionistas’ casual adoption of such a political piece of symbolism.
Last year Urban Outfitters removed the scarves from their shelves saying: “Due to the sensitive nature of this item, we will no longer offer it for sale.”
And either in striking ignorance of what they symbolise, or in laudable defiance of her family’s pro-Israel stance, George dubya’s niece Lauren Bush sported a keffiyeh at a party last October. Nice.
8 responses so far ↓
fran // January 9, 2008 at 4:34 pm |
I’m not your average hipster, but I do often wander round town thinking how mean jews are whilst wearing my ‘keffiyeh’ (it was a gift!)
Maddie Fine // January 10, 2008 at 11:10 am |
I’m glad I’m not the only one who wonders if people wearing these know what they really are. Good note
Philip Bloomfield // January 10, 2008 at 11:11 am |
I own one. And I knew what it meant before I bought one. Though primarily I like them because they are warm, but the political statement made is fairly in line with my beliefs on the subject.
Nick Collins // January 10, 2008 at 11:11 am |
Are you saying that’s a bad thing? I don’t really get it. Yasser Arafat didn’t wear them because they meant ‘liberate Palestine’ or ‘kill the Jews’. He wore them because they are a common item of middle eastern clothing. I’m pretty sure he had no political agenda in his choice of accessories.
If it became politicised I’m pretty sure it’s because of idiots thinking the best way to protest is to dress like Yasser Arafat. But the fact that some morons decided to politicise them doesn’t mean that no-one else should wear them. They’ve essentially hijacked a totally innocuous symbol and tried to make a big deal of it, so I say ignore them.
Jo Kirk // January 10, 2008 at 11:11 am |
Well for your information mine goes quite well with my Kalashnikov!
Just kidding…………………….Like I’d wear a keffiyeh!
My lecturer was one of the people who started the ‘Buffalo’ aesthetic in the 80’s – basically layering all different types of clothing which makes you look a bit like a tramp – he used to wear them then and had a red one in 2004 which he’d wear with cut-off blue mechanics overalls, a white shirt, a pink t-shirt and a bit of rope for a belt. He’s a pretty offensive/antagonistic bloke at the best of times so it wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if he was knowingly wearing the one of the symbols adopted by the radical PLO (red ones) considering he’s Jewish.
Tramp style:
http://bp2.blogger.com/_7Vu0WdrWjXY/RYtdeDQlR3I/AAAAAAAAArs/IjSCHeKDvQw/s1600-h/img123.jpg
lynnroberts // January 10, 2008 at 11:13 am |
Nick, I think the problem is that wearers might be unwittingly offending people.
Richard Windsor // January 10, 2008 at 2:17 pm |
Politics aside, I think they look pretty funkin’ cool. That is all.
Anonymous // January 11, 2008 at 9:30 pm |
did you know that in catalunia sporting a mullet is seen as a seperatist statement.
i can’t see that catching on.