The Sunday Times
July 13, 2008

A Man of Style: Keith Richards's T-shirt; Why not to wear linen
Giles Hattersley
WEDDING ISSUES

What does a picture of Keith Richards tell us? Don’t do drugs, obviously. Also, don’t dress as a homeless person for your best friend’s daughter’s wedding. Keith may be a Rolling Stone, but is this any excuse for him to walk into Southwark cathedral in an old T-shirt to watch Ronnie Wood’s daughter, Leah, get married?

Keith’s attire is symptomatic of the new casual malaise. I’ve lost count of the invitations I’ve had this summer to weddings, christenings and funerals that don’t require formal wear; brides with pints, baptised babies in tracksuits, tearful mourners assembled around coffins looking as if they’ve popped in on their way to Homebase. Whatever happened to dressing up?

I suppose, on the one hand, this new, relaxed vibe for weddings has an upside - no more yanking at that wing collar while the sweat forms a pool in your lower back. But what’s a gent to do if he can’t rely on that trusty postdinner, George-Clooney-with-open-bow-tie uniform to snag his maid of honour? I’d say keep it preppy but relaxed - though not as relaxed as Keith. He may be accidentally on trend, but “drugs casualty” is never a good look.

HOW TO DO CASUAL

1 LIGHTEN UP What you need is a well-cut, easy-looking suit in a thin fabric (cotton or very fine wool) and a pale hue. Jaeger (right, £275) and Ralph Lauren do excellent two-button numbers. If you’re daring and filthy rich, go for one of Jil Sander’s light-blue suits (above right, jacket, £790, trousers, £210). So dashing.

2 TIE THE RIGHT KNOT The new wedding look needs accessories to soften it up, but this can make an older chap look muttony and a young one a total flamer, so leave it at neckwear. Hackett’s knitted bow tie (below right, £45) sounds tricky, but is easy to wear. Pair with a gingham shirt (right, £28, from Topman) and you’ll look smart but not too try-hard.

3 SOFT-SHOE SHUFFLE Whatever you do, don’t wear black shoes (très juvenile court). Try loafers (below, blue suede, £175, by Tod’s) or deck shoes, but with socks that cut away on the ankle. They’re a fair compromise between sock-gartered Britishness and bare-skinned woppishness.

CREASED UP Why are linen suits still a default choice for men in summer? They may look soigné on the hanger - very Alain Delon does St Tropez - but they won’t do you any favours in real life. Once the linen starts to bag and crease, it has a disturbingly saggy-bottomed effect. Ditch it now. What you want instead is Daks’s clever silk/linen mix (right, jacket, £275). It’s as wrinkle-free as an ageing lady in a Botox bar.

gimmekeef wrote on Jul 13^th, 2008 at 9:24am:


I kinda liked it. To me it symbolized relaxation and retirement.