Clothes don’t maketh the man.
Or, to PC this idiom and drag it into the twenty-first century, clothes don’t maketh the person.
Or do they?
I’ll let you be the judge …
Have you ever been given an article of clothing that was delightfully chic and sophisticated, and thought, ‘That’s awesome! I am going to absolutely rock that!’?
If you have … good for you! If you haven’t … beware. I discovered recently that style does not guarantee success.
I stayed at my mother-in-law’s house for a couple of nights not so long ago when the mornings were still a little crisp. On the first crisp morning, I wandered out to the lounge wearing my favourite cardigan over my nightdress. Apparently, this is a fashion crime.
‘Do you not have a morning coat?’ my mother-in-law asks.
‘Um, no,’ I say.
She frowns, and then leaps up from the sofa. ‘Wait right there.’
I don’t know where she thinks I might run off to, given that I’m wearing my nightdress. Anyway, she returns presently with a knitted coat. A Sheridan knitted coat. Or to be more precise – a Cabinn coat.
The price tag is still on it. It’s brand new. It’s expensive. I paid less than that for my last dentist visit. Part of me wants to point out that technically it’s a cardigan – like the one I already have. Except that it’s not really like the one I already have. The one I already have I bought from Jay Jays about twenty years ago and I probably got change from twenty dollars. It is 70% acrylic, has a faux fur collar and doesn’t exactly hold its shape like it did in the early days.
This cardigan is different. I’ve nicked the following guff directly from the Sheridan website – Our Cabinn cardigan is knitted from Australian merino wool, sure to keep you cosy and warm. This relaxed and flattering shape is designed to wrap around the body, or style loosely open. The natural properties of merino wool provide premium softness whilst keeping you warm without overheating.
And look at it … it is very stylish.
Soft too.
So I try it on.
‘How do I look?’ I ask.
My mother-in-law cocks her head to one side. ‘The coat is amazingly stylish.’
‘Thank you,’ I say.
‘So,’ she continues, ‘how is it that you can still manage to look like a twit?’
A twit? Really?
‘Go and have a look in the mirror,’ she says, shaking her head in consternation.
I find a mirror. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, they say. I don’t see beauty though. I see a Jedi!
Or perhaps a Padawan. I don’t own a lightsaber. I think I need one now though.
Clothes may not maketh the person but the right cardigan a Jedi can make.
May the force be with you!