Dres

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For other uses, see Dres (disambiguation).

Dres or dresiarz (plural dresy or dresiarze) is used in Poland to describe a certain subculture. They usually originate from smaller towns, poor city districts, or towerblock areas in larger cities, and are usually unemployed.

The term itself refers to the wearing of the tracksuit, which in Polish is known as the dres. The dresiarz subculture was first observed in the 1990s. It would later partially merge with the hooligan subcultures. Karks (Polish: 'karki' - "necks" or rednecks) and blokers (Polish: 'blokersi' "block-people") are related but not synonymous terms.

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[edit] Appearance and habits

The dresiarz is manly and automobile-oriented. Documented habits include:

  • Wearing tracksuits.
  • Trainers, often with stripes, are usually worn by them. The poor dresiarz can easily be recognized by the four or five stripes imitating the Adidas three stripes. True brand-name shoes and clothing are found primarily among the rich dresiarze.
  • Crew cuts, excessive use of hair gel, undercuts on a central parting.
  • Weight lifting and/or strength training in gyms.
  • Affection for automobiles, especially older versions of the BMW 3 or BMW 5, or VW Golf (most likely Mk2), and the Opel Calibra but also other older German cars (such as eg. Mercedes W124), or in the case of the poorer dresiarze before accession to EU -- a modded Polish Fiat 126p.
  • Keeping aggressive dog breeds, such as the Pit Bull or American Staffordshire Terrier as pets (sometimes kept to participate in dog fights).
  • Their female counterparts are known as szmule, suczki, blachary or niunie. They often have bleached platinum blonde or pitch black dyed hair and wear mini-skirts and crop tops.

[edit] Research and cultural influences

Dorota Masłowska's (Nike audience award) literary novel White and Red[1] is one of the first books published featuring the dresiarz phenomenon.

In popular culture, dresy have been a theme of (usually critical) songs by Dezerter and Big Cyc. They are also popular negative characters in comic Jeż Jerzy.

[edit] Related terms

  • Kark, meaning "neck" and a short for byczy kark ("bull neck"), is most used in connection with weight lifting; a person perceived as a kark may be wearing neither trainers nor a tracksuit, but shares most other elements of stereotypical dres behaviour. The term may also refer to lower-ranked members of gangster groups.
  • Blokers -- a term for a young person exhibiting anti-social behaviour, living in commieblock area (blok in Polish). This term was used first time circa 1995 by Robert Leszczyński, a Polish music critic and journalist.
  • ABS shortened form from Absolutny Brak Szyi, means "absolute lack of neck", see "kark" (ABS derives from Antilock Braking System)

[edit] See also

Other youth subcultures that resemble Dres:

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ Wojna polsko-ruska pod flagą biało-czerwoną. Warsaw 2002: Lampa i Iskra Boża, ISBN 83-86735-87-2 (UK edition: White and Red, Atlantic Books, ISBN 1-84354-423-7; US edition: Snow White and Russian Red, Grove Press, ISBN 0-8021-7001-3)