The spices of life are more to some and less to others.Contrary to a captain with no hull beneath his deck, but a good steady wind anda pair of Denim flares more befitting a weatherworn sailor feeling his years,to the Far East in search of spices. Time and tide wont let a sailor sleep.
Now its the spices of fashion for men, the rising tide:And, dandyism still contrasting Beau Brummell rejection of 18thcentury frills, his mandate; a dark blue coat, buff-coloured pantaloons andwaistcoat, black boots and a clean white neck cloth.
The modern sailors uniform, endures and has remained apopular choice for designers to mimic idiosyncratic characters, a simpleuniform to draw inspiration from; each changing style to suit forms andfunctions.
A little more evidence on how history in fashion repeatsitself: Bell bottomed trousers were another 'icon' of the square rig uniform.These were practical garments for men who worked sailing ships since they couldbe rolled up securely to clear the feet and ankles when working the rigging. Incommon with all other items of a sailor's kit, trousers were kept folded readyfor use in a kit bag. Kept inside out to avoid fluff on the outer surface andto avoid 'shine' by ironing, they were folded horizontally at about a hand'swidth and taped into a rectangular 'block'. When worn, this produced inverted vertical creases down the side of the leg and five or seven, depending on theheight of the wearer, horizontal creases down the leg. In time these wereaccepted as the thing to have and were pressed firmly into place from the earlyyears of the century. Since the First World War bell bottoms were purchased fortradition rather than any practical use but were replaced by flared trousers in1977.
The three white tapes were said to commemorate Nelsonsthree great battles The Nile, Copenhagen and Trafalgar. However there is notruth in this the Admiralty were at one time considering the merits of twostripes as against three. Sailors were assigned to various jobs according totheir skill. ... Before 1857 there was no uniform for Royal Navy seamen, whousually wore baggy trousers ... The modern sailor's uniform is the culminationof centuries of tradition and innovation. From silk stockings, frock coats andnight caps.
In 1756 a childrens uniform of 'sailor's dress' withdistinctive leather caps was adopted, instead of the uniform based on what thepensioners wore....
The sailor's collar deserves a special mention. Tarred pigtails disappeared rapidly after 1815 and the last is recorded as having beenseen at sea in 1827. On the other hand, the first broad collars were worn after1830. Contrary to popular belief, therefore, the two were never worn together.
Enough sea faring stories; now, the gentleman, endowed withwisdom, true to word and honourable handshake. Bereft of principles; nogentleman.
So, clothes befitting is not distinguishable enough to judgemans true character, he chooses to wear governed by mood, taste, budget, statusor advice? A pair of faded jeans and linen shirt and sneakers, or the best cutsuit from Savile Row and Floorshiems,
However its what suits the individual taste, this is thespice in fashion. The things that add spice to menswear clothing are theaccessories, like silk ties, cravats, or scarves. Men wear label badges asrecognition of status or club membership. Then there are endless choices ofcufflinks in silver Swarovski crystals and most traditionally enamels.
Even more fortunate of the modern man are the designers whomark a new creative direction for mens clothing and accessories. A few fineexamples, Vivienne Westwood, Timothy Everest, Ian Flaherty.
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