Brief 1992 review of Peter Mayle's book, Acquired Tastes, back when a pair of English bespoke shoes could be had for less than $1,500...
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CEFDD173FF932A05756C0A964958260
Read that when it came out -- worth looking at if you haven't seen it.