On Formal Wear.

So LM was asking me the other day, why do guys spend so much on shirts/jackets etc when they all look quite similar. My answer: it's the details that count, since black-tie literally means black dinner jacket + bow-tie. And so we got into this quasi-argument about whether men have it better - just buy a suit and heck-care it - or, conversely, have no way of expressing their individuality with bold strokes of the brush, paint or otherwise.

No I do not wish to veer into sensitive territory here, what with the size zero models (focus has shifted to malnourished young males now) and all, but the question remains - how do us young restless guys with no distinguishable achievements express our vitality and individuality at a black-tie function¹?



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¹ I attended a dinner recently as the official photographer of my dad (he was appointed president of some marine engineering society) and the attire was 'dinner jacket with decorations' - and I indeed saw many decorations. I was sat next to this ex-head of the Royal Submarine Service, ie medal around neck + smaller ones on jacket - CBE I think, and around the table were assorted CBEs and OBEs [for those in Singapore, knights in shining jackets] etc etc. Obviously I felt out of place, being the youngest by at least 30 years and suffering from an acute medallessophobia, but they were quite nice, really. Conversation was easy, with their witty anecdotes, and what not, and me just sitting there listening in awe. You know like the 听爷爷讲故事 syndrome, and with a very interesting 爷爷?