Style: March 02, 2018

72 STYLE | men
Smooth
& STYLISH
You may move, you may shake, but do
you look like a man of influence?
Gilbert Wealleans highlights the importance
of fabric, tailoring, and a good shave.
Consider the world stage and
the major players who tread
its boards, focusing on the men.
Whether in politics and business, or
entertainment and fashion, the men
of influence tend to be sharply turned
out. (With the exception of stand-up
comedians and sportsmen, who are
typically a scruffy mob.)
It starts with grooming. There is no
such thing as designer stubble; one is
either shaved or not. David Beckham,
for example, is very well dressed but
he could do with a good shave. The
look of a beautifully tailored suit with
hand-stitching to die for and graced
by the most tasteful accessories, is
debased by sporting the shameful
facial badge of morning laziness.
Politicians and business leaders
generally dress conservatively in order
to show they are grown-up and
worthy of being taken seriously and,
consequently, look pretty boring. All
lined up and dressed drearily alike,
they resemble fairground laughing
clowns – although the latter tend to
have their mouths closed more often.
Redemption, however, comes from
the quality of these fellows’ garments.
The choicest fabrics handengineered
over many hours to fit the
man by expert tailors is what stand
out. Every detail has to be perfect
for the man of style to make his
statement to the world. The standard
business suit, correctly called the
‘Lounge Suit’, has remained largely
unchanged since the late 19 th century,
so it has become an enduring classic.
Royalty are impeccably tailored
and, though conservative, can show
off a bit more style. Unlike vote
chasers or capitalists, they don’t need
to constantly prove themselves –
likewise entertainers and celebrities
who, due to their high-profile status,
may sparkle shamelessly. Two of the
most pavonine chaps in the world are
British interior design expert Laurence
Llewelyn-Bowen and MasterChef
Australia judge Matt Preston, flashing
their flamboyant toggery with dash
and confidence. Flaunting wealth is
vulgar, so if tempted to boast the
cost of one’s tailoring, remember
to emulate a passalorynchite (large
Scrabble score there!), keeping one’s
lips sealed.
Hopefully when Meghan Markle
of Suits fame makes the evolutionary
leap from tinsel-town starlet to British
royalty, the sartorial values embodied
in that programme will feature larger
in the world’s awareness, making it
better dressed.
3 WAYS TO
LOOK THE PART
QUALITY – in materials and
workmanship, insist on only the best.
CLEANLINESS – shoes polished, suit
dry-cleaned and pressed, hair trimmed and
face shaved... vital!
INDIVIDUALITY – if you have a
statement, make it without shame or
shyness, then step out with confidence
and rule your world!