To me it was about self respect, something which sadly seems to be lacking in much of todays society. My grandad would always wear at least a shirt and tie when out in public, even if going to the shops. To me it shows lack of respect, not only to the audience but also to themselves and their profession.
Gay men in suits in office tv#
This ‘trend’ has also crept into TV presenters, Match of the Day for example would always require their presenters to be suited, now they wear open neck shirts. Even in hot weather a shirt and tie were compulsory, now we see so many office based men, where a suit would be worn a few years ago now wearing casual trousers and open collared shirts. I used to work in a department store and all the men on the shop floor wore suits, and I loved it. I really don’t understand this dressing down trend at all to be honest. As long as you dress with intent and as a way of expressing yourself, clothing can in fact be inspirational. Instead of being inauthentic, tailored clothes can mean, as Savile Row’s Richard Anderson states in his memoir, “that you have it in you to be a better person.” Dressing with intent can actually be a tool to combat depression and hardship, as the Sapeurs of Brazzaville so powerfully demonstrate. This starts by acknowledging that clothing is not superficial. Instead of aspiring to a higher class or income level, we should be aspiring to a higher level of ourselves. There is a third way, a way to re-introduce not only manners and respectful behaviour, but dressing well. “There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man true nobility is being superior to your former self.” However, I think that’s because we are still using old models and ways of thinking around behaviour and dress. It is as if, since we no longer have to mind our manners to those above us, we don’t mind our manners for anyone. Since we are all equal, it is now seen by some as elitist and classist to dress well and aspire to gentlemanly behaviour. With our dress also went our manners and behaviour. But we have abandoned more than just the old class system. We were and are striving in the right direction, of course. The old social order that rightly collapsed. Suits were replaced with jeans, dress hats with baseball caps and leather oxfords with sneakers. And that meant dressing “down,” to the level of the working class. Instead of aspiration, we strove for egalitarianism. So everyone dressed “up.” But when that system was (rightly) challenged, first after WWI, and most significantly during the 1960s, everything reversed. Under the old European class system, the lower and working classes aspired to be like the upper class. Consciously you might be saying “I put little to no thought into my appearance,” or “I believe dress is functional, to keep me covered or warm.” But subconsciously, you are saying “A concern with clothing is superficial,” and “This is who I really am.” Egalitarianismĭressing well, like manners and social behaviour, used to be aspirational. Wearing shapeless and casual clothes sends a number of messages. But today, many men wear clothes that not only follow the shape of their bodies, they in fact exaggerate personal oddities. Instead of striving for an ideal, we are faced with harsh reality, whether we want to see it or not.
Gay men in suits in office full#
There was an ideal male shape the tailor was working towards: strong shoulders, full chest, nipped waist, long legs. Tailored clothes used to cover the body in an attempt to improve the physique of the individual.
![gay men in suits in office gay men in suits in office](https://c8.alamy.com/comp/T7WB5D/male-gay-couple-working-from-home-talking-on-bed-T7WB5D.jpg)
We feel we can do no wrong as long as we are being “honest.” In an attempt to be genuine, people of all ages, income levels and backgrounds share far too much about themselves in public and on social media. But now the pendulum has swung in the opposite direction.
![gay men in suits in office gay men in suits in office](https://st.focusedcollection.com/14026668/i/650/focused_180236250-stock-photo-gay-couple-travelling-business-suits.jpg)
As a result, much went unsaid and unexposed which should have seen the light of day. Previous generations worked hard to conceal their real selves, even from their friends and loved ones. Historically speaking, this is for good reason. We live in an age of unbridled authenticity and look down on artifice of any kind. – The Dictionary of English Trades, 1804. “The bespoke tailor’s task is to bestow a good shape where nature has not granted one.” But I think the real reasons go much deeper and stem from our society’s current thinking around authenticity and egalitarianism.
![gay men in suits in office gay men in suits in office](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2020/04/06/fashion/06VIRUS-DRESSING-FOR-WORK-quad/06VIRUS-DRESSING-FOR-WORK-quad-superJumbo-v2.jpg)
Some guys will say they don’t wear suits because of comfort or because they don’t have to or because tailored clothes cost too much. The uniform of most men is jeans, a tshirt, sneakers and a baseball cap. Walk the streets of most major cities and you wouldn’t know that tailored clothes are enjoying a massive growth in sales. Despite the recent resurgence in classic men’s style, there aren’t that many guys wearing suits today.