Street Clothes


            One thing that has interested me most in Alain Mabanckou’s novel Blue White Redis the image that Préfet, Moki, and those working for them presented to the Parisian public and to those whom they left at home.  Especially through their clothing, these sapeurscreate a façade of wealth and elegance despite their suspicious ways of making a living and staying in the country.  One of the most important tasks that Massala-Massala must take care of when he arrives in Paris is acquiring clothing that will help him align with the others working with him, as well as help him present the fashion and grace that will help him make the money that he thought his relocation to Paris would bring him.  The importance and emphasis that the sapeursplace on image and dress is not unique to their group, however, and as we discussed in class following Maria’s wonderful presentation, the practice can be seen in many areas of the world.
             My maternal grandmother often tells stories of her late mother, who grew up in a very poor family of sixteen in a very turbulent early 20thcentury Cork, Ireland.  While her family rarely had enough to even ensure shoelaces every day for all fourteen children, her parents made sure that they were all well-dressed each Sunday for Mass.  While there are multiple factors that contributed to them dressing this way for Mass, I thought it was an interesting anecdote that related to the phenomenon we discussed in class.  Clothing is probably one of the easiest aspects of appearance with which to fake wealth – highly visible, distinctive to each designer, and less expensive (in most cases) than other purchases that may signify wealth, such as cars or houses. Perhaps this is why many people trying to move out of their socioeconomic status, such as Massala-Massala, choose to change their style of dress first.

            -Bridget

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