bespoke is a funny word

ideas is airing on cbc1 right now, and this week's special is titled "measure of a man," an in-depth look into the suit. it's fascinating, not just in terms of the historical, but from the semiotic perspective of the modern male suit.

dressing well as a man is an interesting topic -- one littered with subjectivity that ultimately is never really quite that subjective at all.

thinking about how you dress (from a man's perspective) is often seen as preening, but i've never understood why this is. it seems sillier to me to put absolutely no thought into how you dress, because how you present yourself is so influential on your daily experience.

there's several particularly good quotes from the broadcast, but one in particular where an older woman who is quite knowledgeable about fashion makes the following comment:

women are never held accountable for what they wear. invitations always say black tie only, they never say what women should wear. it is men who are held accountable by the clothes that they put on, and for that reason i've always considered men's fashion more important than women's.