A LITTLE EFFORT GOES A LONG WAY

I’ve so enjoyed being able to go out more recently, the joy of dressing for the evening and heading to the opera, dinner, gigs or even just the pub fills me with expectant excitement. Who will I bump into, what fabulous outfits will wow me, what cool clique will invite me to an after party?  Now, I’ve had some good evenings out but sadly I think I’m turning into my grandparents, “most people just don’t make the effort these days” announced my grandmother about 40 years ago.   Whilst she mourned the demise of opera hats, gloves and cape, I’m more upset about seeing people who look so badly dressed that I’d feel more comfortable hanging out in the evening with a soot of chimney sweeps, assuming that’s the collective noun for them. 

There’s a whole world between devil-may-care insouciance and couldn’t-care-less slovenliness and sadly I’ve seen a lot more of the latter recently.

The young with their non-binary codes, vintage threads or street garbs are fine and often refreshingly alternative, bringing an ambiguous frisson to the party. It’s the older ones, who should know better, that I find so distressing to rub shoulders with. They seem completely  sartorially lost, turning up to the opera in ill fitting cream chinos and saggy jackets; as my great aunt used to say “they are just so ugly”.

Moaning gets you nowhere, and it may seem churlish to let indifferent vestments offend but now that society is coming back I do feel the mood of the nation is lifted when people make some sort of sartorial effort. Looking to the positive and assuming that lack of directive is the problem I feel it is my duty to help. As you are reading this dispatch directly you are of course a knowledgable dresser but just as you may offer a friend with halitosis a mint rather than telling them not to breathe, do share this;  you will enrich their life and probably help them make friends.

Even though ties are in decline, neckwear is still important. Before ties were fashionable all sorts of scarves and cravats were worn, they are actually more versatile as you can wear them with an open necked shirt tied up or hanging loose. Wearing silk or an interesting textile around your neck is both comfortable and shows that you care. One of the most effortlessly well dressed men I know is the celebrity stylist Mr William Gilchrist. He always sports a fabulous gauzy scarf which looks like its just blown on him, bringing together his look of louche shirt, fitted jacket and well cut trousers perfectly.

For men, the mainstay of any evening dress is a jacket, there is just no excuse not to wear one which fits well on the shoulders and has arms that reach to your wrist. You can never go wrong with a navy jacket and indeed midnight blue is often preferred for dinner suits as under warm candle light it actually looks darker than black.

Life at the moment is full of uncertainty and we all need cheering up. One thing I know for certain is that if you make more effort to look good you will not only bring joy yourself but to everyone else around you.