Monday, July 21, 2008

Things Asexuals Like: Tweed

I never read too much into my love of tweed. I thought it was just a manifestation of the love I hold for all things Scottish. But among asexuals, I'm not alone in my fabric fascination. Apparently, we like tweed. It was suggested I search AVEN for tweed-related threads, and I found one called "Tweed, King of Wools", in which the original poster stated that "some people have been talking" about tweed as an asexual trademark. Huh?

[Above: Sherlock Holmes. Asexual icon AND obsessive wearer of tweed. Coincidence?]

Let me think about this a little more. Although I've tried, I've never been able to define my personal style. (A friend once described my fashion sense as "someone on ecstasy".) I love clothes inspired by the 1980s, Japanese "Fruits" looks (probably what inspired the ecstasy comment), and, oddly enough, the clothes worn by British schoolchildren of a bygone era-- knee socks, ties, crests, and tweed coats. Lately, I was thrilled to find a necklace consisting of a tweed bowtie on a chain. I'm also particular about the clothing I'd like to see on others. When I do find someone attractive, it's usually based on what they're wearing, and they usually have a unique look. That may sound shallow, but I find people's clothes more alluring than their bodies or facial features. Maybe it's because a great outfit involves creativity and artistic skill, while a great body involves bench presses and genes, things I'm not as interested in. And a great face is just pure luck. (Although of course, a great smile can trump everything else.)

But as to why aces as a group like tweed in particular? Maybe it has something to do with its professorial/academic connotations (you witnessed my "thing" for Cambridge), since asexuals tend to value intellegence over more physical charms. But that link is tenuous at best. For now, let's just accept tweed for the noble and asexy fabric that it is, and remember to wear yours proudly.

(Thanks to the reader who suggested the tweed idea!)

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I just like plaid!

Anonymous said...

ha ha, awesome. I will have to invest in some tweed.

in case you're ever running low on things asexuals like, can I suggest xkcd? I have no idea how true it is, but it's something I think *should* be true. I still contend "mattress" is the (romantic) asexual anthem (if you can have anthems in comic form), but... I'm weird that way.

http://xkcd.com/335/

Ily said...

Haha, I LOVE plaid...I have to be careful not to mix clashing plaids! And xkcd is so often totally adorable and/or right-on, although I never understand all the math stuff...

Superquail said...

I, too, am a lover of plaid! My favorite is plaid flannel. Mostly this is only available in pajamas, but I will take it wherever I can get it.