Ewe, ngokokubona kwamehlo, uMnu.Obama wayedlala enye yezo zambatho zangaphantsi zamadoda ezixhaphakileyo ezinxulunyaniswa nobomi bokwenyani uTony Sopranos noStanley Kowalskis. Kwinkcubeko ethandwayo, kudala bebeluphawu lobutofotofo, bezisa engqondweni ukubila, utywala kunye negrisi, kunye nezikhokelo zokuthetha ezinzima kunye neenwele zekhwapha ezibonakala zihamba kwiibhodi zeJersey Shore. Kusenokwenzeka, ke ngoko, ukuba ukhetho lomgqatswa lubonakalisile, ngabom okanye hayi, umanyano lwakhe nabasebenzi. (Iphulo lakhe lalingenazimvo ngexesha lokushicilela; kwaye iphulo likaRephabliki likaJohn McCain alizange likhathalele ukujonga impendulo ka-2008 kumanqindi-okanye-ngokufutshane ngomdyarho we-1992.)
Inika umfanekiso onzima, utshilo uFred Martin, oneminyaka engama-25 ubudala, ingcali esemgangathweni yolwazi kwiSibhedlele saseNew York Presbyterian. Ebethetha e-ofisini yakhe apho, ngenjikalanga yamva nje, eze emsebenzini enxibe ihempe yelokhwe evela eZara, ibhulukhwe enxibe eTheory, ithayi likaColeman, izihlangu zeDolce & Gabbana kunye nenkosikazi evela kwiZambatho zaseMelika ($ 15 ngepakethi ye Mbini). Nokuba inxityiwe njengengubo yangaphantsi, abantu banokubona ngokupheleleyo ukuba unayo, uqhubeke. Icandelo lokuba ngumtsalane kukungahambi kakuhle nokuba yinkwenkwe embi. Ke nokuba awuyonkwenkwana imbi, ukunxiba isinqe sikunika loo nto.
Ingubo iboniswe phantse lonke uhlobo lwendoda mfo wakho wemihla ngemihla ayisiyiyo, kodwa mhlawumbi ngokufihlakeleyo ufuna ukuba-ngabadlali (uBrad Pitt, uEd Norton), iinkwenkwezi zerock (Kid Rock, Tommy Lee), kwanamaqhawe amakhulu (Iron Man; IHulk). Yayisisiseko sokutya sikaMarlon Brando Isithuthi esinegama lesitrato Kwaye wayenxitywa ngabafana abalumkileyo abalahla isilumko kwi-indie comedy ka-1996 Ukudada . Kwaye eNew York, mhlawumbi ngokungathandabuzekiyo, ikhethwe kancinci zizangqa ezikumgangatho ophezulu, apho yaziwa ngokuba yitanki elungileyo.
UJoseph Keefer, umphathi eOdin, enye yeevenkile ezininzi zaseManhattan ngoku eziphethe iinguqulelo ezinde nezikhululekileyo zabaqulunqi abanjengoRick Owens noRobert Geller, bathi inkangeleko yomfazi ibuyile kwiziphelo ezimbini ezahlukeneyo zembonakalo.
Kwisihlwele esiya phambili kwifashoni, imalunga nokubekwa, utshilo uMnu Keefer, ethetha ngesitayile esitsha seehempe-esque ezixhonywe ezantsi esinqeni, njengetanki elirhabaxa elifakwe nguRobert Geller ($ 115) ebhabha ngaphandle ivenkile yakhe. (Ngexesha lokushicilela, babethengisiwe.) Kwaye kukho iqela elinxibe i-classic Hanes beater phantsi kwehempe polo okanye iqhosha phezulu. Zombini ziyabuya ngaxeshanye.
Akunzima ukufumana umyili uthathe umgangatho wakho, i-no-frills wifebeater. I-Dolce & Gabbana yenza enye yeedola ezingama-58 ezibonisa uphawu lwelebheli esifubeni, okanye ungahamba nohlobo lwe-Emporio Armani's $ 20 ngonqunqwana oluncinci egxalabeni. I-Saks Fifth Avenue yenza iitanki ezingenamikhono ezingenamikhono ngeedola ezingama-20 ngepakethi yesithathu, kunye nepakethi ezintathu ezivela kuCalvin Klein, umvelisi wamanzi weseminal, ohamba nge- $ 29.50.
Asinguye wonke umntu, nangona kunjalo, othenga kolu hlaziyo lophuculo.
Yinto yesikhokelo iyonke, utshilo u-Ian Dennis, oneminyaka engama-26 owayekunye nomhlobo wakhe besebenzisa isebe lamadoda elinxibe iBloomingdales kwisitalato sama-59 ngenjikalanga yangoku nje. Ziziqhwala ezintle.
Umnumzana Dennis, osebenza kwezemali, uthe xa kufikwa kwizambatho zangaphantsi, ukhetha isikipa se-V-neck, esingachazi ngokucacileyo isishwankathelo sayo kwaye sinike ukhuselo olubalulekileyo lokubila kwindawo apho i-wifebeater ingenakho. Kodwa kuthekani ngesibheno somntu obetha uBrando?
Kwakunjalo, ngathi, yiminyaka engama-50 eyadlulayo, kwaye asiyiyo, uyazi… yena, utshilo uMnu. Dennis. Wajonga imodeli eboniswe kwipakethi yee-wifebeaters zikaCalvin Klein ngaphambi kokujonga kwakhona. Uyazi, mhlawumbi ukuba bendineengalo ezifana nezakhe, bendiya kuyinxiba.
U-Lam Nguyen, umthengi kwi-Barneys, uvumile ukuba kuthatha indoda enemisipha ukukhupha i-wifebeater. Mhlawumbi yenye yezona zinto zingxolelwanga kwimpahla yamadoda, utshilo. Phantse kufuneka ube nomzimba ogqibeleleyo ukuze uyikhuphe.
Oku akuzange kumthintele uMnu. Wifebeater, utshilo, unika umzimba ophezulu inkcazo ethile. Luhlobo lwesandi esifubeni kancinci. Ingaphezulu kwengubo yangaphantsi yendoda elingana nebhinqa lomfazi, wangena. Kukho akhonto njenge-sexy njenge-wifebeater.
jpompeo@observer.com
-Ingxelo eyongezelweyo ngu-Irina Aleksander kunye noKate Mason
