White Motorcycle Vest

White Motorcycle Vest

ICON VEST WM GSXR WHITE M/L 28310040 $285.00 Photo`s are for reference only. Please read item title carefully….

Icon Womens Bombshell Leather Vest White Extra Large $250.00 Icon Womens Bombshell Leather Vest White Extra Large…

WINDVEST WINDSHIELD 14 X 14 FOR HARLEY 88-06 SOFTAIL $349.99 THIS TINTED 14 X 14 WINDVEST WIND SHIELD FITS:1994-2009 ROAD KING (FLHR) ROAD KING CLASSIC (FLHRC)1970-1984 TOURING (FL) SHOVELHEAD (FLH)These hot-looking and functional windshields feature easy mounting and removal in just minutesConstructed of thick, scratch-resistant GE PlexiglassAvailable in multiple sizes and heightsMounting hardware is chrome-plated aircraft billet aluminum, and all fastene…

Harley-Davidson® Women’s Comfort Cruiser Fleece Vest. Embroidery. Black 98431-10VW; Off-White 98432-10VW $69.00 100% polyester fleece vest with zipper front and draw cord at waist for cinching. Two zipper hand-warmer pockets. Stripe detail down sides with embroidered Harley-Davidson® graphics. Embroidered Bar & Shield logo on back neck….

Harley-Davidson® Stargazer Faux Shearling Vest-LIMITED EDITION. Embroidered graphics. Black 97516-10VW; Off-White 97515-10VW $125.00 100% polyester faux shearling vest. Rolled collar. Zipper front. Two zipper hand-warmer pockets. Stud accents on pockets. Embroidered graphics on left chest. Appliqué and embroidered graphics with stud accents back. Color choices: Off White, or Black….

Classic Ladies White Leather Vest $34.95 This ladies classic vest is made of soft touch high grade white leather featuring a multi button snap closure and two side pockets. Designer looks and fit, only found here at the webs most popular online leather store….

You see a young caucasian man wearing a leather vest or motorcycle jacket. Do you assume anything about him?

I used to be that young man wearing the leather vest or jacket, and I can tell you, people did make assumptions. I’m sure there were a few homophobes who assumed I was gay, but most of them obviously thought I was either a racist or a gang member, which I often discovered during confrontations with random people of all ages and races, who looked like they might like to kill me. Despite my shyness and tendency to just mind my own business, some joker would always notice and target me. Why is it that so many people still have a 1950’s Hollywood idea of what a “bad boy” looks like? Newsflash, gang members of today do not look like bikers!

As any sentient being, the leather vest, caucasion features and motorcycle would activate previous associations with that combination of attributes for me. This means that I would be primed to use the information from these items to make judgments on possible outcomes of our encounter. In my case, it would have little meaning. For my 78 year old mother, it would be much more salient.
Don’t we survive by making stereotypic judgments of erratic drivers in the next lane? Weird smelling burritos at the gas station? College students with semiautomatic weapons in the next class room?
I don’t know why we are surprised at people trying to make sense of the world with the imperfect information they have. Our knowledge is never perfect. We as humans don’t always have time to learn whether this person who knowingly (by your own admission) chooses to dress in a way that many people associate with aggressively self interested individuals is really such a person. Being right about this and acting cautiously would seem to be less costly than being wrong, even using outdated assumptions.
Not to be a smart a$$, but assumptions I would make are that you would speak english, have a motorcycle drivers permit, that the motorcycle your are riding is your own, and that you are a member of upper/middle class social economic demographic since this is what most of the individuals you described are where I live. I typically assume that the leather has some practical safety purpose, and so you are wearing it. I am definitely only sometimes correct with these assumptions with the people I meet.

Peace and best regards…

Back to School Series: Back to School Fashion 2009