Tag: Fashion

The Prevalance of the New York Yankees Hat

One odd thing that I have noticed around Copenhagen is the sheer amount of people who wear a New York Yankees Cap. This is something I have noticed in Vienna and Munich on this trip as well. Although the New York Yankees are a great team, I rarely see this hat worn in the U.S. other than in New York. The reason, I believe, is that there are thirty MLB teams and it is frowned upon by baseball fans to sport a team other than the one in your state. Also being a New York Yankees fan, unless you are from New York, is viewed as being a bandwagon fan. Since they are the most winning team in the League, in terms of World Series wins, it is hard to support them without looking like you just jumped on the bandwagon.

When I first saw someone wearing this hat I just believed that it was an American or some European that has been to New York and wanted to show it off. But then I began to notice the huge age range and sheer frequency of people wearing the hat. I couldn’t go a day without spotting at least ten people, including babies, wearing a New York Yankees hat. The more I began to spot the more I questioned why are so many people wearing them? Are they genuine fans? Did they just pick up the hat when they were in New York as a souvenir? Or is this some weird fashion trend?

These questions began to eat away at me so I decided to approach a random Dane to quiz him on the subject. While waiting in line with some other Washington and Lee students I decided to ask the Dane right behind me, who was wearing the hat, what he thought of the New York Yankees and if he even knew any players on the team. The eighteen-year-old Dane jokingly named off a Celtics player and saying he didn’t know anything about the Yankees. Then I asked:

“Why are you wearing the hat then?”

“I don’t know it’s just stylish here” he responded.

This was the answer I expected but I still remain confused why this is the case. The reason this confuses me is because I would never wear a team’s gear unless I was a big fan. Also, why do they choose to wear only New York Yankees hats specifically and not any of the other thirty teams? I know there are fashion trends that Americans embrace and that Europeans probably find odd but this trend has remained confusing to me this entire trip. Although I will most likely never find out the answer, I will continue to laugh when I see people wearing a NY hat and remember the entertaining conversation I had with the eighteen-year-old Dane that day.

 

Assimilation

Today I am wearing leather pants.

Sure, I’ve worn them at home, but only on the occasional evening out. They’re the kind of Saturday night pants that you wouldn’t want to run into your minister wearing because they look just a little too edgy.

But here I am on a Monday morning in a coffee shop wearing black leather pants, and everybody’s doing it. I look no more out of place here than a Patagonia would look in Lexington.

The real kicker is that I’ve been here before, so I should be used to the fashion, right? I took the BUS 180 spring term class last year and spent two weeks growing accustomed to the chic, modern street style that is so commonplace here in Copenhagen, but a year later when packing my bags to return, I second guessed myself. Black outfits were thrown into my duffel, but so were white jeans and colorful dresses, not to mention some yoga pants and several baseball caps. I thought I must have been mistaken – that such a happy country had to have more color. But no, the cheery nature of this country has nothing to do with what color people wear or how blustery the weather gets. It’s just something in the water.

So, I have discovered that even though it is my second time in Denmark, I am going through an adjustment period once again.

This time around I know about the crepe shop and not to mistakenly order the soft ice with chocolate specks in it. I know that the wifi at the hostel is nothing to write home about but that the view from any room on the eleventh floor definitely is.

Assimilating in Copenhagen is probably much easier than it is in other cities. Everyone speaks English here, everyone is quick to point you in the right direction, it’s not actually that big of a city, etc. Even without blonde hair and pale skin, it’s easy to feel at home here – especially if you rent a bike – but there is still some adjustment that takes place every time you travel to a different place. There is a degree of uncertainty about what the next day will hold.

I truly believe that this year, we have the chance to assimilate because we’re here for longer. A month gives you time to find your favorite places to eat and work, as well as enough time to identify places that aren’t worth your time or money. I am excited to live and work in this beautiful city, and I am especially excited to become more than a “tourist.”

Hence, the leather pants.