Ten rules for being well-dressed: to follow, or to flout?

[Richard Tarleton]

tufts of hair on his cheekbones.

Those had a nickname in the Royal Navy that I could not possibly repeat on a family message board. This name was generally shortened to its initials.

[alycidon]

I have but one rule for appearing well-dressed.

Always wear a tie. Nothing else matters.

[MrGongGong]

I have but one rule for appearing well-dressed.

Always wear a tie. Nothing else matters.

I also have one

Never wear a tie ...... this is not a 1950's office !

[amateur51]

David Marr recalls his first visit to see the rather formidable author Patrick White about whom he wished to write a biography. White's partner Manoly Lascaris greeted him at the front door and later remarked that he was very impressed by the fact that Marr's shoes were sporting a fine polish, at the back as well as at the front, something he felt worth noting.

[Richard Tarleton]

Male birds display to females. Best display wins sex and breeding. They get old, lose the contest stop breeding and die. Go figure.

Jayne - [ornithology again ] this is an analogy at best - in the case of birds it's genetic, top bird has genes worth passing on. In our culture, you buy your display off the peg, regardless of your genetic worth.

I suppose your outfit may be indicative of your bank balance, but you might still be a very bad bet, reproductively speaking

[amateur51]

Jayne - [ornithology again ] this is an analogy at best - in the case of birds it's genetic, top bird has genes worth passing on. In our culture, you buy your display off the peg, regardless of your genetic worth.

I suppose your outfit may be indicative of your bank balance, but you might still be a very bad bet, reproductively speaking

Thanks for this Richard. Next time anyone passes a derogatory remark about my latest shapeless pullover I'll say "I'll have you know that this garment has been selected as my contribution to population control" and wait to see their surprised faces

[mercia]

I suppose your outfit may be indicative of your bank balance, but you might still be a very bad bet, reproductively speaking

I might use that as a chat-up line - what do you reckon ?

[french frank]

I think I always notice what people are wearing, and a lot of other things about them, too. Appearance, including clothes, hair etc, tells me a lot about someone, and about whether I'll get on with them. If a woman has obviously spent hours on clothes, hair and make-up, I almost certainly won't enjoy her company. On the other hand unwashed hair, dirty fingernails and so on are very offputting in either sex. I think the ideal is enough effort to be acceptable and perhaps individual, but not enough to be artificial.

Being clean and tidy is quite separate from wearing old clothes.

I think I've told this story before, but it seems à propos: My head of department, an immaculately conservative dresser, was moaning about one of the members of the department always looking so scruffy and 'wearing jeans'. I said, in a slighly embarrassed voice, 'I always wear jeans.'

At which point he looked down at my jeans in some amazement and said, 'But you always look so tidy!'



[Good point, Richard - and vinteuil! Mr Emerson had the Thoreau quote carved on his wardrobe in 'A Room with a View'.]

[Mary Chambers]

Being clean and tidy is quite separate from wearing old clothes.

I think I've told this story before, but it seems à propos: My head of department, an immaculately conservative dresser, was moaning about one of the members of the department always looking so scruffy and 'wearing jeans'. I said, in a slighly embarrassed voice, 'I always wear jeans.'

At which point he looked down at my jeans in some amazement and said, 'But you always look so tidy!'

In the sixties, my head of department (also an immaculately conservative dresser) said that he thought I shouldn't wear such short skirts. I thought he was a silly old man, and ignored him totally. Nothing happened.

[mangerton]

Those had a nickname in the Royal Navy that I could not possibly repeat on a family message board. This name was generally shortened to its initials.

He was ex RN. Do please pm me with the name. I am unshockable, and will sign any indemnities required.

[Nick Armstrong]

Those had a nickname in the Royal Navy that I could not possibly repeat on a family message board. This name was generally shortened to its initials.

I wonder if that's where the BeeGees got the name of their group...

[Richard Tarleton]

I wonder if that's where the BeeGees got the name of their group...

[mangerton]

I wonder if that's where the BeeGees got the name of their group...

Indeed!

[Nick Armstrong]

I suppose your outfit may be indicative of your bank balance, but you might still be a very bad bet, reproductively speaking

I might use that as a chat-up line - what do you reckon ?

I reckon you MUST let us know how you get on !

[Stillhomewardbound]

A sequence of words that got me boggling slightly, shb...

Oh, DOO behave Caliban!! Confusion is rife in this day and age. Ha ha.

Re: the argument that no one is obliged to follow other's mores. Yes, I agree. My guidelines are suggestions for what might be appropriate and how people might avoid looking daft ie. topper askew and in stockinged feet on the concourse of Waterloo Station!