"Dressing down a culture"

[Peter Crowe]

This has been a really enjoyable thread and there have been many points of view expressed with which I find myself in agreement. Clothing in western culture is very much a vehicle for self expression and can say a lot about how we perceive ourselves, our personal values and our relationship with the wider societal context.

I personally like and enjoy wearing well cut traditionally tailored clothes a lot of the time (THCD, suits, tweed sports jacket, navy blazer, khakis, cords etc.) but when relaxing with friends informally I may well be found in a pair of Levi 501's and a Led Zeppelin t-shirt (clean if not necessarily pressed). However, if you only ever met me in one context you may perceive me (superficially at least) to be a bit of a tweedy fogey, and in another as a middle aged 'old rocker'.

Both these elements have a degree of truth in them, but do not capture my persona entirely. The same guy who likes Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Who and The Clash has very eclectic music tastes which includes Scottish Folk songs and Classical composers such as Beethoven and Tchaikovsky. I also know how to behave appropriately in different settings and get on with different people be it at the lounge bar of Edinburgh's Caledonian Hotel or a working man's bar on Glasgow's Maryhill Road. I would dress differently for either venue but I can be comfortable in both. Context is key.