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The Well Worn Wardrobe

ysc

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Originally Posted by Sanguis Mortuum
How about 'frugality'? Although there's a fine line separating that from just plain stinginess...
Some of them definitely don't know where to draw the line, some of the wealthiest people I know have furniture that smells of cat wee and drive cars that barely run, there is a balance to be struck, however it isn't stinginess unless you are inflicting it on others. Frugality describes it as well as anything else. Breeding, well of course, the blood will out..
 

spectre

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Originally Posted by youngscientist
I have never heard those words used to describe what was described by any one in the UK. If it has a formal name I am not aware of it, I know enough older people who live as described, not just clothes but everything, as I said I am not aware of a name for it, it's just how they do it. Constantly replacing everything so it looks new is just declasse to these people, although they would never say it, I am not sure their is a name for not doing this.

Reverse snobbery as far as I am concerned means exactly what it sounds like - people of a lower social class disdaining someone of a higher class, or people of any class being disdainful of things they perceive as higher class. This is also the definition given in the dictionary, however the term may be used differently outside the UK, or have been used differently in the past.


I think we may both be right.
I know "reverse snobbery" is not a formal term, but one used ad hoc by others to describe people who believe wearing their once-great clothes to the end is a superior attitude to the nouveau riche who continue to buy, buy and buy without ever wearing anything in properly. I agree with the former very much, not at all with the latter.
On the other hand there is, I agree on reflection, a reverse snobbery from those who were born with not much and have no choice but to decrie the wealthy. The tennis stars Serena and Venus Williams, in my experience, had a sort of snobbery in the beginning which made them talk up "the 'hood" so to speak and we found it a bit hard to understand what they were saying.
Then, once they had money, of course they spent it as conspicuously as possible on all things of vulgarity.
It was interesting to hear Serena at this year's Australian Open, talk about how she's scaling back and came to a press conference with a bag from The Gap or somewhere which she told us cost about $12. Of course she was wearing jewellery worth hundreds of thousands at the same time.
 

spectre

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...
 

james_timothy

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Originally Posted by youngscientist
I know enough older people who live as described, not just clothes but everything, as I said I am not aware of a name for it, it's just how they do it. Constantly replacing everything so it looks new is just declasse to these people, although they would never say it.

Originally Posted by DocHolliday
Here we'd call it "good breeding." But that's the South for you.

Originally Posted by Nicola
It's very common in Italy. I wouldn't call it frugality. At least part of it is image. People would rather go without then be seen having to buy something below a certain level.

But interestingly enough, there are several reasons to like this approach regardless of ideas of breeding or social image- it consumes less, it makes you think about your purchases more, and if Vox is right about Il Vecchio's clothes being well-worn companions to the point of being part of his self-image, good for you.

To an extent- one of my nightmares is being forced to wear 35-year nylon clothes. Pruning must be important.

I've started evaluating clothes purchases in part based on will the thing look as good or better years down the road. OCBDs, good shoes, and raw denim clearly can be evaluated in this way. I was so impressed by Il Vecchio's tailors partly because of this, too- It is hard enough to cut clothes so that they look good now but somewhere in their minds was the idea that the way they are cutting and constructing jackets is such that it will look better a decade later. It will look better a decade later- what an amazing idea.

There is also this interesting connection to the Japanese idea of Wabi-Sabi, that the imperfections of age are part of the beauty of an object.

It is just a rich idea.
 

DocHolliday

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Originally Posted by james_timothy
To an extent- one of my nightmares is being forced to wear 35-year nylon clothes. Pruning must be important.

This is one reason for the philosophy. You buy what you know and so you know what you're buying. In that way, you avoid many of the unfortunate mistakes that come with the latest and greatest.

Some people take this too literally and end up appropriating the uniform of another era, but at its core it's a reliable approach, I think.
 

voxsartoria

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Originally Posted by DocHolliday
Some people take this too literally and end up appropriating the uniform of another era, but at its core it's a reliable approach, I think.

fal2.jpg



- B
 

voxsartoria

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Originally Posted by DocHolliday
I bet that ascot's been in his family for three generations.

Also, his was the first family to have glass sliding doors. In that neighborhood.

Actually, here's a question: do any of you wear anything that belonged to your father or grandfathers?

- B
 

DocHolliday

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Originally Posted by voxsartoria
Also, his was the first family to have glass sliding doors. In that neighborhood.

Actually, here's a question: do any of you wear anything that belonged to your father or grandfathers?


I have a good bit of my grandfather's stuff, including sportcoats and ties. The sportcoats no longer fit as well as they used to, but I got much wear out of them and wouldn't toss them for the world. The ties I wear now and then. One day I'll give SF a taste of one of his old-school bird ties.

Dad's still wearing his stuff, so I doubt he'd appreciate me appropriating it.
 

voxsartoria

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Originally Posted by DocHolliday
I have a good bit of my grandfather's stuff, including sportcoats and ties. The sportcoats no longer fit as well as they used to, but I got much wear out of them and wouldn't toss them for the world. The ties I wear now and then. One day I'll give SF a taste of one of his old-school bird ties.

That's really cool.

- B
 

ysc

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I have a bunch of shirts, a velvet dj and a raincoat from a great uncle, I wear all of them occasionally.
If I ever have to wear white tie I will use the ensemble that originally belonged to, I believe, my great great grandfather (although I might indulge and buy a new shirt, the old one is distinctly frayed).
 

whacked

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Originally Posted by yfyf
Clothes look better with *use*

This is the entire idea behind raw denim, at least from my perspective. Get a pair of jeans, wear them hard, and soon enough you will see the natural fading, creases, whiskers, and nice contrast as "earned", not artificially manufactured. For example, looking at the pair of jeans I have on right now, I can see 2 knee fade spots that came from the times I fell off a motorbike
laugh.gif
. The little things that bring a smile to my face...

Originally Posted by yfyf
Care but don't fuss, wear with abandon and treat the deals as a safety net for when you need the eventual replacement.

Well said.
 

j

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I think this is a big part of why I don't like shopping retail for clothes. When I try them on they don't look comfortable on me - especially new tailored clothing that hasn't had time to relax and conform a bit. All my favorite things are well beaten from use. I make sure my clothes are clean, intact and taken care of, but I don't want them to look new.

BTW Vox, I looked at the Coach belt I wore yesterday and it says it was "made in the United States"... not NYC but probably on the way out. I imagine all their stuff is made elsewhere now.
 

tps16

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Originally Posted by voxsartoria
Also, his was the first family to have glass sliding doors. In that neighborhood.

Actually, here's a question: do any of you wear anything that belonged to your father or grandfathers?

- B


All of my cufflinks come from my grandfather. I have a box of silver and a box of gold, as well as a bunch of tie clips. I don't think I will ever actually buy a pair of cufflinks. I would have kept some clothes too, but he was several sizes larger than me.
 

davidmross

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Just cufflinks. I have some of my father's and one pair of my grandfather's. Wearing any of their clothes wouldn't really work. Far different heights and body shapes.
 

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