Recent content by Frederick Chook

I've read a convincing argument that, as they are nothing more than products of evolution, human intelligence, society and creativity are all as natural as fur and antlers. The divide between nature and culture, then, is a false one, and the only 'unnatural' human behaviour is that which goes...

It's hard to say what sorts of clothes are 'natural' or 'unnatural', but a good kimono, or sari, or mantle, or robe, or shrug, does look absolutely wonderful.

Hmmm, not so sure there. I'd ask for statistics about incidences of rape now versus then, but I'm just not sure they'd be reliable if they existed - that such crimes would have been reported or acknowledged. Now a woman can TELL YOU if she's been assaulted, rather than it being a shadowy 'fate...

Yeah, look at any impressionist painting of a bar or cabaret. That's why people liked those place - they're informal, they could just walk in, have a drink, have some fun, walk out again.

I'm going to be offensive for a second here, but by not removing the hat and showing signs of respect during the anthem, you're insulting every man and woman that served in the military. To me, that's akin to saying all the folks that gave something up (their life, time, family, whatever) did...

I'm afraid I'm going to have to say pffft. Especially in someplace like a pub or a library (where you need your hands free anyway, for drinking, and carrying big piles of books) - sure, in a more intimate environment like a restaurant or someone's house, a hat could get in the way of discussion...

But I did have good fortune enough to explore some National Trust properties today with one of my history classes. Any antipodeans who haven't already explored Rippon Lea really must - fedora fans will be pleased by the strong Hollywood vibe in the entertaining wings of the house. And pictures...

A convert is always more devout than a born believer; a colonial is always more respectable than a continental. Plus, for folks such as I who idolise painters and poets, or folks such as those around here who idolise actors: these people are artists! They don't give a fig for rules. They wear...

Just to confuse the issue... wearing a straw in the city? In a semi-urban, recreational sort of area? In the country? And the tropics! What of the tropics! (okay, to answer my own questions in order, some fusspots might say no but yes, of course, if it suits the terrain, naturally)

If a tailor had to have personal experience wearing what they made, they wouldn't be able to make country wear if they were from the city, or clothes for tall people if they were short! So no, I can't see the slightest reason why women can't completely rock the menswear house. Not that I'm...

Not quite the same, but if you're ever in Aus or otherwise feel like shopping for pre-20thC or subcultural-style clotheses, this company are very well-respected - I saw their work up close at a fashion parade and it's top notch.

I always wear mine loose. It doesn't work with straight-up short-and-neat suits... but I don't wear those anyway. Longer coats, including double breasted; scarves and cravats; more formal and rakish hats; and more indulgent ties and pocket squares - those are the way to go.

My hair's tickling my waistline, so comparisons to Cousin It are easy to make (and often are) if I don't dress and hat to suit it. That said, I think I do well: I picked up a panama the other day (in a homburg style, in fact, and made in Ecuador - my lovely Lady Tanah talked me into it, for...

Not 'vintage'? Well, yeah, I guess it might not be very Golden-Age-of-Hollywood, and this is the people-who-like-Golden-Age-of-Hollywood forum, so I'll admit I'm in the minority here. BUT!, think of poets! Classical musicians! Painters! Fashionable Victorian gents in certain decades! Sikhs! The...

Almost all the rules of menswear have basically just been invented for the silliest reasons in the past hundred years or so - the king did it once so we continue doing it long after his death, or because some mass producer did it to save money, or so on - so don't take them too seriously. If you...