Wednesday, August 12, 2009

IN THE BEGINNING...or, the first pair of jeans

I guess everything started with my dad ,as it should right !??He was born in 1941 in Alger and as being a child of the war ,was at an early age immersed in American culture .With the allies landing in north africa in 1942 [2 years prior to the big one as part of the "operation torch"]came along the usual set of goodies traveling with the troops at that time .jazz music ,coca cola ,hollywood movies and so on .... you name it ,they've got it.It was more with the "second wave" and the Marshall plan in 1947 that things really happened.As part of the european recovery effort ,north Africa was early on submerged with huge surplus coming from America . civilian clothings,militaria,movies,records,books.Anything and everything you can imagine.So i guess it was a normal step, as teenager at that time, to emulate his "heroes". They were all American back then:Dean,Brando,Elvis,Hemingway,Steinbeck....they were trying anything to look like what they were seeing on the big screen ,to look and dress the part .Got to look sharp ,impress the girl ..right!?? My dad was one of them guys.I remember stories of my dad ,in the 50's,going to the flea market in Alger and buying jeans and chambray shirt for less than a $ and my grand mother being mad at him,wanting to through them away as they were considered to be clothes for "poor people" .It was a shame bought upon the family .well !! ,i guess it didn't work that way as i can tell you that the "disease " has been transfered  to the next generation and " votre serviteur" is here to testify ...... 

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