Monday 5 July 2010

Avoiding the 'all new' look


Following on from the last post, there is certainly something in avoiding wearing all new sets of clothes. Their very stiffness makes for a feeling and an appearance of discomfort. The knowledge of discomfort leads to a feeling of self-consciousness and an overall appearance of someone ill at ease. This often results from getting a whole new outfit from hat to suit, shirt, tie and shoes and wearing them all together for the first time. It is not the ensemble that is OTT it is the fact that the newness of everything creates a negative impression: in short of someone trying too hard to impress.

The cartoon is from the old Vanity Fair magazine of the Edwardian Marquis of Bute. Although everything is perfectly neat, nothing looks too new. Moreover, apart from the shirt collar style, there is nothing that would make him stick out like a sore thumb in a crowd of well-dressed men today.

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