The New Tie-Dye Movement

For the longest time, as a resident of Las Vegas, I have waltzed my way through many velvet ropes and throngs of waiting people to make my way into the posh nightclubs that dot the strip. And as I happen to make this epic journey on frequent and regular bases, I’d like to share with you an interesting observation in men’s ware. I could not help but gaze upon the people dressed in black shirts with gold and swirling silver designs, encrusted to the neck in flashy rhinestones that glitter with every purposeful pose and stride.

No, I’m not talking about the multitude of scantly clad women in cocktail dresses lined with Swarovski crystals.

I’m talking about the boys up front in Ed Hardy shirts, courtesy of Christian Audigier.

These men, decked out in all colors of the rainbow (unfortunately all splashed on the same shirt), seem to be heralding in some type of hip hop meets the 70’s tie-dye shirt movement. There are dozens of these men at every premiere establishment in Las Vegas, looking like Vin Diesel trying to get away with wearing Jennifer Lopez’s stage ensemble.

The tragedy of this is atrocity is that these shirts range within the $100 range with the cheapest falling into the $60s category and some going as high as $250. Why on earth in this current recession, where a sale at Saks Fifth Avenue ushers in 75% off steals in designer labels, would anyone spend this type of money to look this ridiculous?

Are they possibly peacocking?

Often decadently designed with skulls and a generous amount of rhinestones, these damning bastards of Audigier are another blatant eyesore amongst the Las Vegas scene.

With the Euro outpacing the dollar and well dressed German, French, and British gentlemen crossing the Atlantic to capture the rapid price drops amongst the Las Vegas casinos, these poor Americans hardly seem to be able to put up a fight.