On Human Finery

1976

Central GT521 BC84 1976

London: Hogarth Press

‘Where a convention exists, it is usually wise to accept it…The strongest censure is reserved for subtle forms of incorrect attire, such as ‘the wrong tie’, ‘cheap scent’ or the ‘flamboyant checks of the vulgarian.’ For Bell, sartorial morality is all about being well dressed, according to your place in the social hierarchy while looking your best is the basis of feeling comfortable in a social situation. This book builds on a quote from Veblen’s Theory of the Leisure Class, ‘…the greater part of the expenditure incurred by all classes for apparel is incurred for the sake of respectable appearance rather than the protection of the person’. This observation has a familiar ring.