I adore social and visual codes, always have. A major awakening in this regard was a visit to the Palace of Versailles some years ago and being captivated by the gardens, notably the specific arrangement of statues and plants that were all arrayed in specific and important ways to tell mythological stories and secret messages, not in some Arse Da Vinci Code way but in a subtly magnificent way, to further glorify the Sun King who had the place built for that purpose. 

This code fascination of mine, this interest in hidden languages has informed my approach to clothing.  I've browsed the fora for some years now, on and off, and it seems most of the gentlemen on most every forum are interested in "Style" in the abstract, some set of rules or aesthetic choices that hew to a specific subculture or time period or income level, and are thus applied everywhere the wearer happens to be.  The approach by most women (and some fashion-driven men) is to stick close as possible to whatever arbitrary mode is decreed by designers in a given season, given their own spin perhaps, but if plaids are hot they wear plaids, if grey is hot they wear grey.  The approach by "trads" and others sticks as close as possible to a mode formed in 1935 or 1955 or 1980, is also given their own spin, but at core they wear OCBDs and khakis or tweed jackets or Brioni or whatever it might be and only make minor adjustments to accommodate the weather conditions - their particular flavor of style is hailed as cultural identity.

Tradition fascinates me because it's a rule set.  What I am interested in is not styles or traditions for their own sake, but situationally what is most appropriate.  A 3-2 sack blazer, twill khakis, an OCBD and repp tie, with alden loafers, is utterly the perfect garment to wear at.. what event?  A Yalie party? A Young Republicans convention?   It's completely out of place somewhere else.  Likewise, patch madras trousers and a Lacoste polo - somewhere on earth that is precisely the right thing to wear - maybe brunch in Cape Cod.  Even if you could go to a dozen brunches in Cape Cod and never see anyone wearing exactly that - it's the right thing and would still fit in.

I like those Apparel Arts stories that accompanied the famous illustrations because they were all about looking at groups of people in specific situations (say, along the Riviera in the high season or sailing at Newport) and seeing what they were wearing at the time, being observant.  Puzzling out the hidden dress codes that we all follow.  When 'black tie' is specified on an invitation it's easy - 'smart casual' in NYC in the 2000s seems to me to mean dark jeans, an untucked striped dress shirt, sports watch and dark vintage leather or suede sneakers.   Slobwear?  Perhaps, but why not execute within that idiom as best one can, give it your own spin?

I don't mind being overdressed for an event, but worse than that is being overdressed in the WRONG way.  FNB's story about showing up to Rub BBQ in NYC wearing a navy suit and pink striped shirt - by the abstract, flusser-ish "Rules Of Style" I'm sure he looked great, but given his environment he was counter to all the hidden codes of the place and thus ridiculous.  Overdressed for a rib shack would be a western pearl-buttoned gingham shirt and a bolo tie, jeans and cowboy boots - a little TOO perfect, no room for personal style, at least reading the social codes but following them too aggressively and thus still doing it wrong.  But what about cowboy boots, jeans, a casual OCBD or polo?  A nod towards casual Western but still within one's own purview.  Not costumey.  FNB's "tree of style" changes in idiom wherever you happen to be, there's old-boy and hip in every area from London to East Coast to Southern to Western to Californian to wherever.

Does anyone get me on this?  Situational style means where you're going, with whom, and what you're doing is as important as what you're wearing.  And it's not often talked about, maybe because it's too big a topic.  Anyways, that's kind of where I find myself coming down on questions of style.  It has to fit the event.

Last edited by GFBurke (2008-11-19 20:53:01)