Avoiding Extremes - Snobbery and Slobbery PART I

Photographs of our not-so-distant forefathers, with their ties, jackets and well cared for shoes, reveal a serious slide into the realm slobbery when we see photographs of our compatriots. It's hard to tell from clothing alone which era of our lives our photographs are from, because we're always dressed like a high school gym class. We may by guilty of slobbery.

Slobbery is the exact opposite and equally disordered sister of Snobbery. The snobberist tries in vain to have his material surroundings define him as a quality man. The slobberist tries in vain to say that no material surroundings define his quality. Both men are silly, wrong and lamentably laughable. Both are rooted in self-absorption.

Mark Twain noted that clothes may not make a man, but naked people rarely hold power. Thomas Carlyle warned not to trust a man that doesn't consider old clothes venerable. Now, I would avoid the religious temperaments of both men, but I think they got it spot on with that advice.

The slobs rule of life is comfort. He blames his far less than "wedding ready" clothing on the fact that "fancy" clothes are uncomfortable, because everyone knows that Wal Mart jeans are sooo comfy - you can just where them for months (the normal lifetime of sweatshop clothes). He is not the same as the man simply deprived of the basic manly etiquette of dressing well, although both need some instruction on the basics of life. I was both - ignorant and slothful - in my early young adult life.

Even if comfort really was the culprit (I suspect otherwise), is man made for comfort? If clothes give at least a glimpse into the thoughts and ethos of a man, what do the descriptors of comfy clothes reveal? Do the descriptions of "soft, comfy, stretchy and synthetic" reveal something? Sadly, those words probably mean quite a bit. It's like taking the concept of the house slipper and making it's rubrics the norm for everything that touches the body. Look at the average "man room", it's nothing but a reincarnated college dorm room of stupid posters, mystery-stained couches and screens of all kinds for all kinds "entertainment" - and comfort. (As an aside, Scarface is not a hero and dies at the end!)

If this sounds judgmental, be weary of judging this judgment as the evidence has been weighed. When a man comes out of the average "man room", is he a better man? The men of these "man rooms" might just be soft, comfy, stretchy and synthetic.

(Another aside, I love good manly rooms.)

The culprit here is not comfort, but sloth. The man who retreats eagerly to a room away from things like family, responsibility and the demands of life, is a man running from uncomfortable things (Aquinas says sloth results from lacking magnanimity - not living up to a greatness of soul). Sloth is rightly a capital sin as it permeates our world, instead of just corrupting one's own sole. Love, marriage, children and a healthy ascetic rhythm nearly always involve discomfort but always provide fulfillment and true happiness.

Clothing requires some effort and even a little discomfort. But as we cover our bodies, we consider not only ourselves but those we are sure to encounter. While trying to avoid being costumy or off-putting, dressing well invites those around us to feel that we indeed care about their company and believe that we prepare for their presence. Many men done khakis only when they have to (like a visit from a Queen), but it takes just as long to pull up a pair of cutoff sweatpants as it does to pull up khakis - how 'bout just start with khakis as the basics? And a nice pair of all cotton khakis is far from comfortable than polysomethingate sweats.

If you are merely avoiding dressing like a man because it's uncomfortable, requires a little study and effort or because you like your jean shorts too much... it's time to grow up and shake off the shackles. If you just honestly don't know how to dress like a man from deprivation of this sort of life lesson, it's also time to learn. Now that you know... well, you know what they say about willful ignorance.

Part II will discuss the extreme of snobbery which is a possible fall as you slip into a realm of adulthood.

The F-Word and Manliness

Catholics wear clothes. I know of one exception, but it was practiced by some heretics, and I can't remember the name... Anyway. For a Catholic, matter matters because that's what is all around us and God made it - simple as that. It's easy for us to see the ceremonial and power of clothing on military men, clergy and religious - soldiers wear uniforms, priests wear vestments, religious have habits and bishops have tall hats (some taller than others). Do laity have ceremonially clothing? Sure they do! Our clothes accompany our vocation and the laity (historically) dress with simple refined dignity that fits their state in life and culture - without excess or neglect. Ponder the picture of Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati - I know of some girls nicknaming him Bl. "Fra-hottie". Clearly a saint unafraid of manly style.

We (historically) build beautiful churches and use the pure materials because they have significance. We use beeswax candles because the bee itself gives glory to God. His work produces something that works quite well for our worship, candles - in a way that synthetic candles don't. Catholics are not afraid of the physical world and freely give significance to things that may even begin from simple necessity.

For example, the maniple, a nearly extinct liturgical garmet rarely seen outside of the extraordinary form of Mass, probably has roots in a overheated priest wiping sweat from his brow. The Latin word for surplice refers to fur worn over the clothing, probably to keep warm as it originated in England. These items were not just "grandfathered" into use, but since they served a distinct purpose, we could even say they were "baptized" from vulgar use into a useful symbol or ecclesial designation. They worked well then and work well now, even if the original necessity no longer presents itself. Not only were they made to be beautiful, but they were and remain right and fitting in their uses. Yes, some of those things we can get rid of, but Chesterton reminds us that the imprudent reformer removes something that doesn't seem necessary while the wise man asks why his ancestors put it there in the first place.

Knowing the origin of things gives them a certain air of significance because the wisdom of that item did not come from us, but was handed on to us. And it should not be wistfully discarded since it made it to us on down the line - who are we to throw it out now? I get more "sir's" when dressed like an adult man and more "bud's" when dressed for basketball practice - significant to society? Of course it is - clothing that draws from another politeness and civility must be a good thing (charity suggests we assume their sincerity).

Maybe when I have a lifetime under my belt I'll more easily disregard some things, but not yet. Now, this might not be as significant when dad hands down his cleanest pair of New Balances, but imagine discovering your grandfather's cuff links... it'll make you done a french cuff shirt at a moment's chance. One day I opened a box and found my grandfather's handkerchief - to this day I have a handkerchief in my pocket (in case I need to whipe off the blade of my great grandfather's Case pocket knife). I would say that handkerchief helped me to rediscover manly style.

What about fashion? Where do most of the fashions we commonly see now originate? Well, actually, the word right there is the issue - fashion. It's a nasty f-word. I don't think it's worth going into, but we know in our gut there's a difference between fashion and style. If you don't know here's a summary:

Fashion ; (a) clothing looks hawked by culture vultures to manipulate the way people dress in order to get their money, (b) constantly changing and shifting way of dressing that children and gullible adults follow leading to unquenchable thirst for poorly and amorally made clothing that only looks subjectively good on celebrities and manikins.

Style : (a) the nearly permanent way of dressing that shows maturity, stability and detachment from the whims of fashion, (b) the way men have dressed for centuries due to it's derivation from military clothing and it's general ability to present the male form in the most positive light, (c) part of the simple and slow-to-change ceremonial that surrounds confident men of integrity and firmness.

(Yes, I made those up)

For my Catholic geek friends: Fashion is moral relativism and style is scholasticism.

I'll get some pictures up of my grandfather soon. From the style and dignity of his clothing, you wont be surprised that he was an intelligent, virtuous scientist who loved life and his family with deep passion. Fidelium anime per misericordia dei requiescant in pace. Amen.

Fashion is folly! It's time to rediscover style as Catholic gentlemen. You in?

Theology and Clothes

I've had many conversions, but one of them was on the way I dressed. It was, yet again, a theological conversion. It was also, yet again, probably over thought and over applied. However, it was firmly authentic and led to a lot of pondering about the ceremonial of masculinity. On another post, we'll discuss the whys, but the outcome of the "garment conversion" ended in me wearing extremely expensive (though the goal was quality and that it be right and fitting) clothing which I purchased at insanely discounted prices at thrift stores and eBay (we'll talk about how to do that later).

I remember being overdressed for an event and someone remarking on it and I said, "At least it looks good and wasn't made by slave labor in a country that is feeding America's disgusting culture of gluttony for fashion." He said, "You didn't think about that when you bought that." Actually, I did. I wish I thought about that sort of thing more, but I don't.

I think before talking about how your clothes are fitting, or other important topics for the lay Catholic gentleman, we need to discuss where your wears originated and why you're wearing them. Are your clothes right and fitting for your state in life and as a Catholic? Catholics should think of such things.