We, The Infected

Eli has lots of money, but wears raggedy things probably found in garbage cans. Why? It makes Eli stick out and can't possibly be too comfortable. Maybe stores are not always open at night? But her present gaurdian could always shop for her. Maybe the homeless kid look makes potential victims take pity on the poor thing? What do you think?

Maybe she just doesn't care how she looks and Hakan is obviously a poor excuse for a guardian since his thoughts are elsewhere...Remember, the only reason she "cleaned up" is when Oskar noticed her sickly odor...She knows all about hygene and clean clothes...she's just consumed with survival....and that is obviously the most important thing in her life before she meets Oskar.

Rich or not, Eli's long experience has probably told her what many folk I ran into while living in Detroit could tell you: poor people, especially those who look homeless, are very nearly invisible. This is probably in tandem with not giving a hoot what she looks or smells like because social contact isn't something she can normally expect.

Or it might not even occur to Eli to go buy clothes. She seems to have to change clothes often when they're ruined by blood. I think the simplest solution in that case would be to go grab whatever you can find, so you're at least wearing something. (This is more apparent in the novel, since Eli has wings to fly and has to take off his shirt to transform. Then starts wearing Oskar's clothes to try and be like him.)
Although I like sauvin's idea. I just think since Eli is permanently a child, there are little slip-ups like the attack on Virginia that seem to indicate lack of planning or thought of potential consequences.

I think that Eli is not worried about that. She has other things that keep her attention. Trying to survive and not been notice. I do thing that she is aware about what things too wear specially once she starts to know Oskar.

I agree the lack of social contact as stated would account for the way she dressed, and her hygiene. We essentially dress and keep clean for others, but Eli didn't have any others.
The only time (in the novel) where her scruffiness could have aroused suspicion was with the cancer woman. We don't know what Eli was wearing then. Maybe she dressed more normally for that hit, even brushed her hair, some mouth-wash
It has been speculated previously Eli may have been attempting to keep Hakan at arm's length by staying smelly. But I'm quite sure Hakan couldn't care less about things like that.

Ash wrote:I agree the lack of social contact as stated would account for the way she dressed, and her hygiene. We essentially dress and keep clean for others, but Eli didn't have any others.
The only time (in the novel) where her scruffiness could have aroused suspicion was with the cancer woman. We don't know what Eli was wearing then. Maybe she dressed more normally for that hit, even brushed her hair, some mouth-wash
It has been speculated previously Eli may have been attempting to keep Hakan at arm's length by staying smelly. But I'm quite sure Hakan couldn't care less about things like that.

Hakan wrote:"Mm... looks like an angel, my sweet young little slice of heaven, dreamy eyes, elfin features, porcelain skin smoother than the finest silk. Lord knows I like 'em young, and this one really is special, but... ::ecchh::... that smell! Delightful to look at, but that reek could drop garbage flies mid-flight six blocks away...!"

No no no. Hakan worshiped Eli like a God. It's like saying the angels at Jesus' tomb refused to roll away the stone because he was a bit smelly in there.

It was the early '80's. She looks like she'd fit right in with the Pogues or Dexy's Midnight Runners.

"Come On Eli"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oc-P8oDuS0Q

I could almost see Eli on a full Travolta's attire dancin' to "Stayin' Alive". Cuz she literally was