Hoodie the Tories think will be wearing one of these then?
BRIAN BRADYWESTMINSTER EDITOR
Scotsman, United Kingdom
IT MAY have appeared that Adam Smith’s reputation was secured for posterity by The Wealth of Nations, the classic book widely regarded as being the zenith of his career.
But now, more than two centuries after his death, the Scottish philosopher’s standing is poised to soar to unprecedented levels, thanks to a hoodie produced in his name.
A week after Tory leader David Cameron shocked many within his own party with his call for them to understand the “hoodies” – delinquent youths wearing hooded tops – it seems he is not just cruising a wave of liberal sentiment.
For the Adam Smith Institute (ASI) – recognised as Margaret Thatcher’s favourite think-tank – is driving home the message that Conservatives can be in touch with the language of the streets, with a striking range of clothing bearing the name of the revered political economist.
The ASI is marketing the tops – at £20 plus postage but, oddly, only available in medium and large sizes – with a clear idea of their own target market. For a start, they come in only one colour – blue.
“They are top-quality material with a drawstring hood and front pouch pockets,” the ASI reassures shoppers on a website that also offers more traditional items such as Adam Smith tie-pins, busts, medallions and “trouser supports”.
Then, in a reference to the barriers fellow hoodies have faced in the past, it adds: “They are not guaranteed to get you into shopping malls, but they will attract admiring looks as the ultimate in street-cred think-tank wear.”
In a desperate attempt to prove their street cred, each hoodie also comes with a complimentary ‘Asbo,’ obliging the wearer to engage in anti-socialist behaviour. Still, the youth modelling the garment is more Ivy League than street-smart.
Cameron caused consternation within Tory ranks last week with a remarkably passionate defence of the hoodie that marked a fundamental break from the Thatcherite dictum of administering a “short, sharp shock” to young tearaways.
Rather than accepting that hoodies were a disguise, used to hide troublemakers from the network of CCTV cameras in many public places, Cameron claims the garment is actually a “protection mechanism”.
“We, the people in suits, often see hoodies as aggressive, the uniform of a rebel army of young gangsters,” Cameron told voluntary workers at the Centre for Social Justice.
“But hoodies are more defensive than offensive. They’re a way to stay invisible in the street. In a dangerous environment the best thing to do is keep your head down, blend in.”
Despite his endorsement of the garment, however, he is not yet prepared to wear one himself. Perhaps the ruinous image of former Tory leader William Hague in a baseball cap is enough to make him remain one of “the people in suits”.
An ASI spokeswoman confirmed Cameron had not yet purchased one of their showpiece garments. But she added: “We were thinking of going along to his ‘hoodie’ speech and asking for a hug.”
