If only I could write as well as you, Mr Grayson.

I suppose, if I'm honest, what I really like about abandoning suits is not so much showing the world that I don't need to 'dress to impress' anymore (and once-upon-a-time I certainly needed to) but more to ostentatiously show the world that I'm now relaxed enough now to be a bit of a boorish slob & still manage to (just about) get away with it by the skin of my teeth.
An odd sort of peacock-in-reverse.
That's why I'm finding Horace's 'Tattered Trad' so beguiling. Such a nice anti-style style.
Dressing to unimpress is, of course, just as much of a pose as dressing to impress.
Still it's nice to have a change of style every so often... or a least a change of emphasis in your style.

Edit: And then it occurs to me that I'm trying to impress by being unimpressive... It never ends does it?

Last edited by Miles Away (2006-06-03 08:41:42)

I like to wear my sack at the beer garden at night, or Saturday mornings.

More important for the soul, is wearing a suit on the weekend.

I get dressed because it thrills me. I love wearing clothes. I cant understand how other people dont like it. If only from the standpoint that you have to spend so much time in clothes, you would think most would spend some time learning about it. Once Im dressed i dont fuss about it too much, dont like obsessing about it all, just enjoy wearing clothes. I want to be comfortable but also smartly turned out. Honestly, unless you really pursue it with vigor these days it seems it really isnt that accessible. Frankly a lot of people who get attracted to clothes today are similar to the same types who seem too over zealous about organized religion. Like Robert Mitchum in the movie "The Night of the Hunter" (1955)

I guess another parallel can be drawn with relationships, they are central to our lives but what kind of preparation for them do we receive and what importance is placed on them? By the time you realize how much a good one can make you and how much a bad one can break you, its almost too late.

Purely an observation, but one which backs up FNB to a degree...
Despite being very interested in clothes I'll make a small confession -
Prior to giving my attention to men's clothing forums 'round about mid-February this year I looked at a whole spectrum of other message boards along with certain friends of mine. Aspiring writers, porn, any old subject. The subject of a message board is usually its least important aspect. The dynamics are ALWAYS the same no matter what the subject being discussed: Leaders, followers, the bored wanting diversion, the lonely wanting company, any cliche you care to think of. Lots of show-offs - All with various degrees of actual knowledge. Religion is HUGE with them all... Sometimes heartfelt, often pretty bogus. A Yiddish quote will usually smoke out an entertaining nutter (Didn't work for me on FNB!), it's all about monomania and obsession, throw in OCD and anal retentiveness if you will. Somehow Religion speaks to the uber-focused mind. I've no idea what the link is.

That said, most people on message boards are entirely sane and just looking for like-minded people to interact with.
You know, there is a book in all of this... Thank God I can't write.

Thanks for that. He died in 1918 & it's his ushering in of the modern world that holds my attention. He seemed to have a great gift for forming highly creative friendships which then spurred others on... although in his own right he also achieved a great deal.
My apologies to his ghost for misspelling his name. Guillaume Apollinaire.

Miles, I also share your sentiment regarding abandoning suits in favor of sports coats. 

In college, I generally wore sports coats.

When I got a job, it was suits.

Now, not needing to wear suits for business any longer, my natural inclination is to only wear sports coats again.

Sports coats to me, psychically speaking, means leisure, comfort and ease.   I can dress them up or down.   It's up to me.  And it is more interesting and challenging,  sartorially, to work with sports coats.

Suits mean business; they put me in this frame of mind.

To me, suits are for week day business in the city; sports coats are for leisurely week ends in the country.  And each carries an associated frame of mind....

I am much more interested these days  in comfort and leisure and pursuing non-business interests.  The sports coat is right for me at this time in  my life, not the suit. 

Last week, while standing in the taxi queue at Paddington waiting to get to Mayfair, I spied a perfectly elegant older gentlemen off to catch a train to  what I suppose was a trip to the countryside.   Dressed in green window pane sports coat, yellow cord trousers, tobacco brown suede shoes, checked shirt, ascot, all topped off by a Donegal cap, he was impressive.  And when he took out a cigarette  from an alligator case to enjoy  before catching his train, it couldn't have made me happier to see his pleasure at his forthcoming trip and I wished that I could join him rather than trekking into the city.

I've nearly abandoned suit wearing as well, unless I am going to a soul nite or other function that warrants donning a suit.  The odd jacket/trouser look has so many more possibilities as Miles mentioned.  Most importantly it makes you look smart and dressed up without the formality of a full suit, esp living in So Cal which is a haven of slovenliness  (one looks overly dressed just tucking in his shirt).   And being one who likes to wear jeans, the odd jacket also coordinates nicely with dark denim.

Ahhhhhh -
Finally I get your point.
Good point.
*Goes very red*
I'll just shut the fuck up for a bit & go look up some more random quotes about clothes...

How many more posts from me until it can say 'Super Member' under my name?

Good idea.
'Super Member' sounds like a Gay superhero. Not that there's anything wrong with that.