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by kimdcmason
3054 days ago
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The suit is dead except explicitly formal occasions. The global financial crisis killed it. Basically every person commuting securities fraud in the oughts did so while wearing a suit. Think about who you now see wearing suits - bankers, salesmen, and politicians. Occupations that trigger a range of responses from general mistrust to downright loathing. Suits have become a liar's uniform. Whenever I encounter anyone in this mode of dress who isn't an obvious dandy, I'm immediately on the watch for tactics to squeeze as much money out of me as possible. This leaves business casual and casual. As the article points out, most of those haven't seen substantial change for years. People don't get rid of clothes these days because they're out of style. Given these trends, it would amaze me if clothing sales weren't down substantially. |
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Depends on the crowd with which you hang out, I suppose. I dress smarter on holiday than in the office. I'll typically take a cream linen three-piece suit on holiday to wear when the occasion presents (surprisingly versatile - minus the jacket and with shirt sleeves folded up to the forearms, it's basically "smart casual", yet put on the jacket and cufflinks and you're ready for a formal event at an embassy), and the last holiday I took - a week of language lessons in Tokyo interspersed with the usual tourist stuff - I wore a three-piece suit minus the jacket (so the waistcoat and a bright but tasteful tie). As you surmise, you get a different response; the response I get generally isn't "this guy is a liar out to steal from me". Maybe you spend too much time around liars who happen to wear suits.