Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Old World Elegance
But for the persistence of the most dedicated traditional artisans. The discerning few can be found at the blog dedicated to dandyism. It may be a bit much to hope for the return of the bowlers and canes of the Edwardian gentleman, but it would be nice if we could at least ditch the hoods and limit the use of ski jackets to the ski hills. Would anyone so inclined consider today's shabbily garmented a properly dressed society?
Beaverbrook, you have hit upon one of my pet hates, that is; just how badly people dress these days! Yes here in Australia it gets very hot in summer and makes it hard to dress smartly but in autumn and winter there is no excuse. In the colder months the flannelette shirt, track-suit pants and runners seem to be the standard "uniform" here. I must say I NEVER dress like that myself. It is just another example of how standards have slipped over the years.
ReplyDeleteThe 50s were the last good decade. Everything went to hell when it became fashionable for men to stop wearing hats. No hat meant no tip of the hat. Now of course, we don't even hold open the doors, or even give up our seats. While there are many factors why this is, I believe there is a correlation between how one dresses and how one acts. The officer is the perfect gentleman, for example, while the hood is the perfect scoundrel.
ReplyDeleteThe standard of dress in Australia is truly deplorable. I live in a city which is a good ninety minutes drive from the coast, yet everyone wears beachware. The boys look like brightly coloured thugs, the girls look like prostitutes. In summer everyone wears hoodies and those awful beanie hats.
ReplyDeleteI cannot say my standard of dres is exceptional, if only because I cannot afford a nice bespoke suit (one day, one day) but I do atleast make the effort to look respectable.
I do own a lovely, genuine, Top Hat c1900 in immaculate condition which I wear to special occassions though.
ReplyDeleteSorry to double post.
Ah, Leslie Howard. One of the many indictments I lay before the modern world is that it has failed to produced another even remotely like him, or Fred Astaire. His 1934 Scarlet Pimpernel is truly a classic.
ReplyDeleteWhenever I see old footage if the Great Depression I'm always impressed by the men standing in line at the soup kitchens, they're better dressed that most millionaires today. As down on their luck as a man can be and yet they still had enough self respect to look like men.
Lord Best,
ReplyDeleteThe winter in Canada keeps the bad dress to a minimum, but it all goes to the boards come summer. The elder Dominion is not much better off sadly.