Tom Ford.
It has been a long awaited change of season, as Europe has been in strange warp of the wet and the overcast (with France having 50 percent less sunshine this spring than average).
With the perpetual inundation of blogs, television shows, and movies where well-dressed men prevail, it’s hard not to notice how the sartorial climate is on the move as well, with Gatsby, gangster and historically inspired themes played out in the way men are presenting themselves in real time and in real life. And, whatever the inspiration (influences of culture, education, hype, literature, mentors, or a very personal path), overall, the result of more men being motivated to dress well, feels right.
Robert Orben talked about the oxymoron of how, at a graduation ceremony, the commencement speaker tells thousands of students dressed in identical caps and gowns that “individuality” is the key to succcess. And, it’s a funny thought to think how similarly “standard” many men looked in their suits just 15 years ago, as it was a time when “individuality” somehow felt awkward.
Tom Wolfe put his stamp on the concept of individuality. In a real success story on how to develop a personal trademark, Wolfe soon immortalized the white suit beginning in 1962, when he ordered a suit with a heavy white fabric in summer and found that it was unwearable for the season. He decided at this point to wear the white suit in winter, which created quite a wallop with his colleagues and friends, after which, he never looked back, making the white suit his permanent trademark.
Although wearing white requires some confidence, it is difficult to forget a man in a good white suit, as Wolfe well understood.
Polo Ralph Lauren.
Sonya Glyn Nicholson, Senior Editor
