Thought that would have you champing at the bit...  To be honest, I think the Japanese are sometimes very 'so', and not just Ivy-wise, dear.  They do get terribly enthusiastic and sometimes over egg the pudding.  Do they do Paine-Brooks-Levis-Sebago style, too?

It depends what you mean by affectation - in a sense, any style of dress is affected - you don't chose clothes by accident (well, some people do, but they tend to either look like shit or are rough sleepers).

I think it's whether the effect looks affected - like you've been dressed by someone else and you're just "carrying the clothes 'round" rather than wearing them - if that makes sense.

Also, I don't believe this has anything to do with being smart or casual - I've seen loads of people trying to dress down and looking distinctly affected and uncomfortable in their clothes. You gotta wear it like you mean it, and look relaxed and "at one" with what you've got on. I for one, often look smart, with a tie and a pocket square - but it feels great to me - natural, like a second skin. My demenour is naturally smart, it's the way I am, so I dress accordingly.

By the same token some of the scruffiest people you see are people trying to look smart..... again they're uncomfortable with what they're in and it comes accross as an affectation, cos they don't know what they're doing.

The trouble is, now everyone in straight world is so dressed down and scruffy most of the time - if you put a tie on except for a wedding, funeral or to work in some shitty office, you're accused of affectation. Well fuck them, I say. In fact, fuck it - I'm playing a gig tonight and I'm going to wear a sports jacket and a tie.