I think piobman is confusing H with someone else--I remember Harris implying he was some kind of business consultant, a guy who gave a lot of presentations.  I see no reason to doubt this is true.  The idea that he would describe himself as a security guard is incredible.

Shuman, it's ridiculous that they banned you.  That's downright Orwellian.  What on earth are they afraid of?

Your Forbidden Question was an interesting one.  How influential was Harris, really?  Do you guys think he articulated an approach to dressing that Ivy types, a little alienated by the Kiton/Brioni/Savile Row chat, responded to enthusiastically--or did a bunch of guys with no previous interest in the style see an attractive bandwagon to jump aboard, conferring upon them instant associations with upper-class WASP culture and a license for reactionary sanctimony?

For myself, I always liked clothes that I thought of as "preppy," but didn't know much beyond the standard Bean, Lands' End, Brooks Brothers stuff and what I gleaned from the Dreaded OPH.  Whatever Harris's intentions, I learned an incredible amount of fascinating and practical information about sources, different interpretations of the style, a million little details that have informed my personal approach to the look.

It sounds awfully fatuous, but Harris had a significant, positive influence on my life--I always liked clothes, but he helped make me into a student of the style, much as reading Pauline Kael in highschool evolved my movie fandom into a richly rewarding vocation.

God bless you, Harris, wherever you are.

Last edited by Terry Lean (2007-07-04 04:40:15)