about that post u rbed on the new sh2 remake.... u mentioned in the tags that removing the patches kinda subtracts from his personality-- do u think the original design's patches say something abt his character? or do u think theyre just a stylistic choice
i think they're both a stylistic choice and something that could possibly allude to his character! i don't think they represent anything "profound" or "deep" like other character design elements, such as maria's butterfly tattoo being surmised as a tie to themes of rebirth, i think they're indicative of a man who likes to feel decorated in a "safe" way. have a pop of color here and there but nothing super flashy.
james' general outfit in the original sh2 fascinates me a lot—i really enjoy it, honestly. his polo is striped, his jacket's got patches of all kinds on it, and he wears biker boots as casual footwear. there is a certain style that he's going for and it's very cute. there's also a sort of "blink and you'll miss it" element of his choice in wear, which is why i think he's trying to hit some kind of stylistic quota, but all within the realm of "safety", per my interpretation.
i also think that his jacket is a hand-me-down from his dad, frank. since my james was born in the 50s and sh2 takes place in 87 to me, this jacket's from frank's service in ww2, so it's fairly old and worn by the time sh2 rolls around. i think the american flag patch was just on there when james got it, and the various other patches were added by james himself (with mary's help with some of them). my favorite patches do have to be the yellow and red patches on his jacket sleeves; those patches, to me, are the most telling aspect of what i've stated before.
james wants to look sharp in his own way... but not too sharp! please don't look at me for longer than 5 seconds or i'll kill myself thx 🫰
