Curious about the "rules"

[wildrover]

Perhaps it would be fair to say that fashion begins first with function, and proceeds from there to demonstrate individuality within the boundaries of function, and that aesthetically pleasing, daring, or desired fashions will collect people to them in the same manner that a large rock thrown on a trampoline will quickly collect other rocks.

Another way to put it is that some fashions just simply don't make sense. Is there a reason for tail coats in 2010? Spats, top hats, decorative canes? Is a frilly tuxedo shirt useful, does a cummerbund serve any purpose? Some of the 'court' fashions of bygone days were as functional as a purse dog.

We still wear them, and the idea of something new is quickly overcome by the gravity of millions of people brought up with the notion that a stripe down the side of the pants, a fluffy shirt front and an arrangement of fabric about the waist with hook and loop at the back is acceptable ultraformalwear for any occasion.

Or was the question more esoteric, asking if there is some basic, hardwired reason in the human subconscious that we wear our kilts as we do?

[kiltedwolfman]

With every post made we have delved deeper into the questions I originally asked and have at the same time provided some delicious food for thought.

Another way to put it is that some fashions just simply don't make sense. Is there a reason for tail coats in 2010? Spats, top hats, decorative canes? Is a frilly tuxedo shirt useful, does a cummerbund serve any purpose? Some of the 'court' fashions of bygone days were as functional as a purse dog.

We still wear them, and the idea of something new is quickly overcome by the gravity of millions of people brought up with the notion that a stripe down the side of the pants, a fluffy shirt front and an arrangement of fabric about the waist with hook and loop at the back is acceptable ultraformalwear for any occasion.

This really works well to point out the idea I was asking for. That there are so many things that are worn in formality that really serve no other worldy purpose but to point out we're being formal. I would ask after this if there are examples of how and why these formal things, such as jabots, frilled cuffs, cummerbunds, etc developed into the high fashion they are used for? Where did they come from? And at what point did they become sentenced to formal wear?

[wildrover]

I would ask after this if there are examples of how and why these formal things, such as jabots, frilled cuffs, cummerbunds, etc developed into the high fashion they are used for? Where did they come from? And at what point did they become sentenced to formal wear?

There are examples...there was an older thread where MoR and a couple other guys explained some of the details, maybe they will chime in again. There was something about backless shirts and not removing one's jacket, also something about detachable collars...I don't remember the rest. A lot of the conventions discussed in the other thread were very functional, and intended to prevent a guy from lowering the decency bar. Some of that discussion probably relates here, I think it might have been in the miscellaneous forum, but don't remember the title. We retained a lot of those conventions, despite everyone's shirt having a back these days, and personally I've never seen a shirt where the collar was separate, for all it's visible in many old cartoons after someone gets roughed up--the Thompson Twins often end up this way, in the Tintin books.