Thursday, September 08, 2011

Blue Collar Chic

Blue Collar Chic is Rust Belt Chic, different terms for the same aesthetic. The appeal of Hamilton, Ontario:

Hamilton, as we all know, is cinematic. It’s a rust belt city. The fact that it hasn’t “kept up” with the look of the contemporary urban world makes it perfect for “period” movies. The city supplies blue collar chic and satisfies nostalgia for an age when North Americans manufactured things, and didn’t just buy goods made in China.

North Americans still manufacture lots of things. Today's product needs significantly less labor. Many of the jobs in manufacturing are more white collar than blue collar. The nostalgia is for blue collar culture. Paradise lost?

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