page eight/the journal/november 15, 1971
Freak fashions and the dollar;
up and away
Many long years ago — back in
1968 - hippies hit the American
scene. Middle class Americans
trembled when they saw long hair
or wierd clothes. They gasped
when they heard about dope and
sex. And they were skeptical
about the hippie ideals of peace
and love.
“Hippies” died out, or maybe
they never really existed. But
their sense of freedom and casual
life style caught on with the
middle class. Being a hippie
became big business.
Take a look at the “hippie”
clothing stores in Charlotte. You
will see that it takes a small
fortune to be a well-dressed freak.
Infinity’s End carries tie-dyed
sweatshirts for about $5. Each
sweatshirt has a little tag telling
the buyer how to tie-dye one of
his own.
The tag is well concealed. “If
people saw that, they wouldn’t
buy their sweatshirts here,” the
clerk commented.
Shrude has a good selection of
pipes, cigarette papers, and other
such paraphernalia.
“I heard a clerk say that doing
speed was really great if you
drank coffee with it,” a customer
said. “He implied that the only
way to have your speed and
coffee was in a green coffee mug
from Shrude.”
Sometimes the customer gets
the feeling that, no matter how
the clerks dress or act, all they are
interested in is making a sale.
“The idea was to leave people
alone while they shopped,” a
former employee said. “But there
is often more pressure on the
customer than in an
eststablishment department store.
“And the prices are
outrageous. The cheapest blue
jeans are $6.50, and they are very,
very thin. The price is not
indicative of the quality. People
are paying for style.”
Most of the clerks this week,
however, were very polite. In only
one store (Shrude 1 on N.
FRANKUr SPEAKING
Independence Blvd.) did the clerk
really pressure the customers. And
at Pants East on E.' Fourth St. the
clerks were fairly pushy, but not
to the point of being obnoxious.
A clerk at Shrude 2 was the
best. He was friendly and helpful,
but he didn’t get in the customer’s
way.
“If people want to buy
something, that’s fine,” he said,
“but I’m not going to try to sell
them something they don’t
want.”
The variety of merchandise is
amazing in any one shop,
considering how small most of
them are. But all the stores carry
similar merchandise at similar
prices, a customer doesn’t usually
have to shop around to find what
he wants.
Prices are the main gripe, but
that is only because people expect
“hippie” store operators to have a
different business philosophy.
Some people seem to think
that these stores are run by fellow
freaks, out to make a little money
and help their brothers get
comfortable clothes at a small
price.
But these are strictly
capitalistic establishments. The
profit motive is the rule. Overhead
is low, prices are fairly high, and
wages are almost rock-bottom.
“Everybody thinks it’s cool to
work in these stores,” the former
employee said,” so there is always
a waiting list for jobs. Why
increase the wages?”
And since these stores are
capitalistic, it should come as no
shock that the prices do not
reflect a “love your fellow man”
philosophy.
Blue denim jeans run anywhere
from $7 to $11. Knit shirts cost
about $15. Corduroy jeans cost
from $9 to $12. Regular old
cotton or blend shirts usually run
from $8 to $12.
What really hurts is the price of
tee shirts. True, these are not your
regular underwear kind of shirt.
They come in all colors. Some
fa^ Phil frank
'UNTIL TWIS DRU3 REACTOR SOBSIP^S,
IV AlOlD high PLMES if I (AJER£ ^0U[ '
have long sleeves, some have
short. Some have pockets. Some
have Howdy Doody or a peace
symbol on them. All cost at least
$4. Most cost $5 of $6.
There is one exception.
Infinity’s End sells tee shirts with
“Infinity’s End” emblazoned on
the front for only $2. Pick up one
of these of you want to do some
free advertising for them.
Some people say that
businessmen should not exploit
the peace movement or the Jesus
movement. Nobody has told local
businessmen, however.
Shrude 2 carries sweatshirts
decorated with the peace salute,
the peace symbol, the peace salute
over the Bill of Rights, a picture
of a soul brother, an ad for
Boone’s Farm Apple Wine, a
butterfly, Howdy Doody, and
Superstar.
Name the cause you want to
support and Shrude will take your
$5 and let you support it in style.
Since no self-respecting freak
can afford these high prices, who
shops in these stores?
“The same people who used to
buy madras, Gant shirts. Villager
blouses, and Weejuns,” one
knowledgeable person said.
“They are mostly upper
middleclass kids who are still hung
up on playing status roles. They
are willing to pay to be cool,” he
said.
So if you want to dress the
way you think freaks dress, or if
you want a nice pair of jeans and
don’t mind the price, these stores
are great.
But if all you want is clothes to
cover your body, hunt around the
thrift stores and save your money
for a good pair of boots.
Here is a capsule consumer’s
guide to Charlotte “hippie”
stores;
Chess King, SouthPark:
Strictly big business. The main
honcho looks like he stepped out
of a “Dry and Natural”
commercial. Clothes are good and
prices are about average.
Shrude, N. Independence
Blvd.: Very dark, good music.
One pushy clerk. Jeans are good,
shirts overpriced. A fairly good
selection of reasonably priced knit
tops.
Shrude, E. Independence
Blvd.: Also dark, good music.
Visit this store if you want to be
treated like a person. They have
the same merchandise as Shrude
1.
Infinity’s End, E.
Independence; Small, not very
good music or merchandise.
Howdy Doody freaks should go
here. They have a lot of Howdy
shirts and sweatshirts that they
can’t sell.
^by sharon deck
Goodwill, downtown: If you
like small-collar white shirts, this
is the place. They don’t have
much that would appeal to a
freak. If money is a problem, look
around the attic at home for
clothes. They don’t cost anything.
Pants East, N. Tryon St.: Too
bright. The selection is okay, but
not great. Clerks have a definite
capitalistic attitude.
Pants East, E. Fourth St.: A
better selection than the other
Pants East. In fact, an excellent
assortment of pants at about the
going rate. Clerks rather pushy.
100%
UNCC faculty and staff
members pledged more than
$7,100 to reach 100% of the
University’s goal in the 1972
United Way campaign recently
conducted in Charlotte and
Mecklenburg County. Campus
United Way Chairman Thomas C.
Turner expressed his appreciation
to all members of the University
community for the support and
assistance he received during the
drive.
Richie Havens reads the Bibie.
If you don't have a Bible,
we’ll send you one for just
a dollar. Hard cover and
everything.
Just one should do it.
The Bible lasts a long time.
National Bible Week Committee
P.O. Box 1170 Ansonia Stat.or.
New York. New York 10023.
Good. I'm sending you one doiia'.
Please send me one BiWe.
tSZ5/B. IMS/N6,MI01.
31st National Bible Week, November 21-23, 1971. An Interfaitn ellort.