How would you describe the "tribes" in your corner of the jungle, and what are their tribal markings?

I have a hat like that! It’s about thirty years old, rather battered, and no longer fits on my head. So, if you saw an old guy wearing such a hat, what tribe would you put him in?

I belong to a dance tribe, a music tribe, and several others. The music and dance have the most overlap. Those people wear stretchy, comfortable clothes, or ethnic colorful outfits, often with Birkenstocks. I have the Birkenstocks. However the best way to identify these people is by looking at where they hang out. There is no standard look as far as I can tell.

In an older guy, it wouldn’t see it as a tribal marking at all. He wouldn’t be wearing it to identify with a group; he’d be wearing it because he’s losing his hair, or because he grew up in a time when guys just wore hats as a matter of course.

I saw this question this morning, and I wanted to think about a while before I posted. When I went out for my hike later this morning, I saw one of the surprising tribes I have encountered since moving to the DC area.

Now, this tribe will not be a surprise to anyone, but it is where you see people daily dressed like this in my area. Coming out of the Safeway, sitting in outdoor restaurants outside high-rise office buildings, walking across a crosswalk in a suburban neighborhood.

There are others: the up-and-coming Hill or White House staffer.

@Marina Yeah, what do you suppose is the ethos of that tribe? Is there a particular lifestyle that goes along with that dress, I wonder?

Well, I wondered why these people where their uniforms at all times. I think they are super patriotic, proud, and macho.

I belong to many tribes. There’s my gay tribe; we mostly use gaydar. My tattooed tribe; spotting each other is obvious. My Dave tribe; I see these people at concerts, mostly. And there’s my drug user tribe; these people are hard to spot—they look just like everyone else, usually.

In DC you see people all of the time in uniform. My dad had to wear his uniform twice a week I think to work, and if he went to the supermarket on the way home or ate lunch out you would see him off base or away from where he worked (he did not work on a base) in his whites.

I kind of don’t fit in with many of tribes here where I live now. Mostly, for me, it is the hair styles. That Kate Gosselin hair cut, the reverse mullet I call it. I see that a lot here, sorry if I offend anyone, it is so lower class. I can’t really think of specific things my group wears, I know right way what we don’t wear I guess, I know more if I talk to someone than what they wear.

In my part of West Virginia, we have a variety of tribes. By far, the biggest ‘tribe’ I come in contact with are just people with all of the hopes and dreams shared by humanity. No identifiable marks, just… people. That said, there are others.

What could be traditionally termed “Rednecks”: NRA and hunting stickers on a big pickup truck, complete with a set of testicles hanging off the hitch in back. Wearing cammo while not in the military.

The Professionals: Business casual attire up to full on suits, walking busily downtown.

Just your average Joe: Jeans and a t-shirt, usually sporting a buzz cut if male and bleached blonde if female. Nice and decent, if a bit undereducated.

Gym Rats: Figure hugging clothes, with muscles.

The Disaffected: Young, multiple piercings, tattoos in visible locations, hair dyed an unnatural color.

Welcome to Deliverance: Thankfully, a very small percentage of the people I meet fit into this category. Identifiable by their beer belly baring t-shirts (no matter the gender), the wanton cussing in front of their dirty children, the large angry dog chained to a tree in the yard, and little to no dental hygiene. I am ashamed to admit that these people scare me a bit.

@augustlan They are officially called “Bumper Nuts” website: http://www.bumpernuts.com/

Members of your tribe live near me as well. We calculate the tooth to tattoo ratio regularly around here. Got a t-shirt that says, “paddle faster, I hear banjo music).

@augustlan I went to the high school reunion last week and everyone looked so “normal” to me. Hair, clothes, all of it.

@JLeslie I saw the pictures on Facebook… let me say, West Virginia is worlds away from our old DC suburb! :)

Our local tribes are identified primarily by:

*Collagen injected lips, teeth translucent and blue from teeth whitening treatments, spray tans and of course, fake boobs.

*Oversized shorts and t-shirts, baseball caps, extensive tatooing (as if that covers up fat), designer handbags the size of diaper bags.