More Fashion Advice from Mr. Ransome

Pop quiz: Name three 19th Century fashion trends.

...

They're all named after figures in the British monarchy, aren't they?

Time was when fashion was dictated, to a certain extent, by what the royal sourt felt was de rigeur. Why do men feel free to leave the bottom button of a coat or waistcoat undone? Because a certain monarch was seen to have done it. Why did the Prince Albert become popular? Because he had to look good in pants.

Fashion has always been the domain of the rich, and the rich used to be aristocratic. Capitalism changed that; mass marketing is changing fashion.

I, like so many of us, are awaiting a resurgence in good suits; frockcoats, waistcoats and toppers to name a few cherished items. I used to think that it would happen, that fashion is a cyclic system that is fated (hopefully) to repeat, once we get over the horrid sixties fetishism the designers seem so stuck upon. Now I am not so sure.

The royal court is in tatters and nothing has replaced it. No celebrity, be they rock star, actor or porn lingerie model has the following to be a trend setter. Look at the Avril Lavigne look-a-likes; no one above Stage

One is really paying any attention to that 'neo-punk straight edge' look. The political trendsetters, Bush, Blair, et al, are clothed in nondescript suits with no character; Clinton caused a stir when he sported a New Zealand made polo shirt, but I doubt we will be seeing media attention like that again.

With clothing fashion now an open market, with any idiot adding lace to a t-shirt and receiving plaudits, fashion is becoming of the common people.

There is no distinction now between what everyone wears and what the elite wears that you aspire to own. Sure, there is haute couture, but there used to be a formality between that and garden variety clothing.

I can't think of any solution other than wearing my favoured suits more often. If I wasn't watching so much 'Jeeves and Wooster,' with Bertie's impeccable clothing sense (aided greatly by Jeeves's spotless taste) things would be so much easier.

Gah.

-- HORansome