Very true.  Well said GW.

Personally I've made my peace with looking like I come from another era.

Anything I wear that might look current is pretty much coincidence now.  Timeless or classic? I don't think I even care anymore.

There are some classics but there is a difference between the purist and the general observer. I think some of the classics are those simple items which can remain visible in the memory outside of referring to clothing magazines or photos from the past. If you see a man in a navy blazer and a blue bengal striped shirt, you might think, classic but that isnt the outside limit because I see men wearing all sorts of colored solid and checked shirts with a navy blazer and I still think the look is classic.

I think the problem is not whether there are classics but rather whether classics are the only clothes. Classics tend to be clothes that have very little personality and possess elegance by virtue of their simplicity. They are a way of disguising who you are. I would imagine a world of men who haven't a lot of experience with clothes or are self conscious would feel best in classics. I say this because when a man has the confidence to strike out on his own, he finds that the less chosen clothes are also classics but they are not as frequently worn. The difference between the wingspan for so called conservative classics and bolder choices is still relatively short.

What i think is more at work are insecurity, lack of skill at choosing clothes and general herd mentality. There is nothing wrong with the classics at all, it is just that they are not some sort of victory of incredible good taste, exhibition of status or solidity of character. This would be no more sensible than believing you are more virtuous because you never change your mind no matter what data comes your way.

I note also that almost all men become ossified in their thinking and associations at some point in their lives. Basically, they believe what they know is what everyone knows and what they believe and/or live is how everyone else exists. I think that clothes have associations but they are not fixed, they can and do change from generation to generation and this is not a travesty. I also believe that men who are able to see clothing in an objective a manner possible are more adept at dressing than those who believe and article of clothing can only have one use or is infused with a fixed political charge.

At last, some recognition for the medium rise trouser length and shorter slim fit jacket. We'll make a mod out of you yet.

Last edited by Goodyear welt (2013-05-19 02:47:49)

There are classic items they do exist.

Suits, shirts, a lot of men's shoe designs are examples of this.

Fashion has a play with them, but they are all variations on theme. Which is the key point.

Men's clothes have somewhat plateaued in my opinion. The basic forms, building blocks if you like have stabilised.

I think everything is a product of its time but good cloths and well made clothes can be timeless in the sense that the quality is timeless. For example the suits in the gigolo look very 80s Armani but I still think they look great, you could wear them now and they would have a retro look but they would still look good.