BY NICHOLAS ENGERT
“Dress shabbily and they remember the dress; dress impeccably and they remember the woman.”
Coco Chanel
I remember a time when men and women dressed well. There was a sense of decorum and manners – almost a sense of duty – that lead people to make an effort to look smart in public.
This was not about money although of course money helped. It was, of course, about status but also self respect and respect for others. Today I do not feel that it is an exaggeration to say that virtually no one dresses with any sense of style or flair. Of course there are those who work in high profile city jobs for which they are expected to be well turned out but even then there is a lack style or “polish”.
Outside the confines of the city however fashion today has descended to the lowest common denominator and comprises, T shirts, jeans/chinos, hoodies, baggy jumpers and, of course, trainers. And of course the look is not complete without the obligatory backpack. The colour palette is restricted to any combination of black, denim, grey, taupe, beige and any variation thereof. Baggy, poorly cut, shapeless with no defining features, unless of course a brand logo counts as a feature. It is the uniform of the street regardless of status or (increasingly) age.
And worse the uniform is androgynous. It is depressing enough that men have ceased to care but when women give up on themselves we can only conclude that the fashion industry (does it actually exist?) has also decided not to bother as well.
I recently had reason to be in Hamburg and had I expected regional differences in fashion I was soon disabused of such notions.
It is when using public transport that one is most profoundly depressed by the surrounding sea of grunge. It becomes even more noticeable as one is trapped either in a railway carriage or at an airport departure gate and people watching becomes a pastime to wile away the time between stations or whilst waiting to board a plane.
Dressing well is a form of good manners.
It was whilst going through the ritual humiliation of the security checks recently at Hamburg airport, surrounded by a sea of grey and taupe that I caught a fleeting glimpse of something beautiful. In another queue some twenty yards away was a woman in a colourful blue and white dress.
She looked immaculate and even wore a pair of heels which completed the picture. I have no idea whether she was beautiful or not but that is of no importance. It was enough that her presence lifted the spirits and that in that moment she alone shone out amongst a sea of dull, predictable shabbiness.
As quickly as she had appeared she disappeared – swallowed up by the uniformity of grey and taupe.
“What you wear is how you present yourself to the world, especially today, when human contacts are so quick. Fashion is instant language.”
Miuccia Prada
I am reminded of a similar experience a year or two ago when visiting Blenheim Palace on a cold winter afternoon. Whilst walking in the grounds I found myself following a girl wearing a beautiful red coat. The cut and the shape of that coat was exquisite as was the detailing of the black buttons within the vent at the back. She had also taken time with her hair and, as at Hamburg airport, had created a small moment of beauty in an eternity of apathy and dull conformity.
It is not just the visual distress one feels as one ventures into the public square these days. It is perhaps the overarching symptom that points to civilisational distress: a sense that mankind has given up and no longer cares sufficiently about style, beauty or self respect. This lack of respect then extends to the built environment where littering is now commonplace or where people put their feet up on the seats in trains and buses.
Few are naturally handsome or beautiful but dressing well can accentuate what we have in the best possible light which not only boosts one’s confidence but brings joy to others.
Nicholas Engert has been involved in interior design and lighting since 1985. He works on mainly residential projects, gardens and hospitality both in the UK and abroad. His writing can be found on Substack, entitled An Aesthetic View of the World.