Good news, folks: 1950’s style is coming back, whether you like it or not.
Well, not exactly. But a May 3 Compass article states that Virgin Airlines is redesigning its uniforms to include three-piece suits in an effort to bring old-school glamour back to flying. Virgin has launched an effort to bring back the flair and style that once made flying a memorable and enjoyable experience rather than a parade through metal detectors, body scanners and long waits to board the plane.
This can only be good news. How, you ask? Simple: it is a step forward in ending the degradation of American style and fashion. The erosion of the American fashion sense that came about in the 1990s will soon face an opposing force in this glamour-minded airline.
Some of you may be familiar with old-school American style from episodes of Mad Men. Putting aside the racism, sexism, McCarthyism and various other “-isms” that made the 1950s and ’60s suck, they did manage to get one thing right: style. Good suits, skirts, hats and most importantly, the knowledge of how to wear them and wear them right.
Call me anachronistic. Call me archaic. Call me Ishmael. But what I am is sick of men wearing buttoned shirts and ties with ratty blue jeans that look like they were tossed out by the shop foreman when his pension kicked in. Sick of men wearing their pants around their knees.
Maintaining a style is expensive and not everyone can afford a three-piece suit and a nice pair of pants. I’m not saying everyone has to go around like they’re off to a job interview, or wear a fedora all day. All I’m saying is that the modern generation needs to dress like they have some semblance of self-respect.
Knowing when to wear what would help, too. There is a season for all things and a purpose for every type of shirt under the heavens. Businesses understand this and most have a dress code you must adhere to, or at least guidelines. Those guidelines are usually pretty common sense stuff: clean clothes, belt where it should be, pants made of actual cloth or denim, as required.
That’s all I’m asking for, really: some common sense when it comes to how you dress. There is nothing wrong with wearing a Hawaiian T-shirt and a suit jacket. I just ask that some common sense and self-respect are involved. Are my expectations simply too high when I ask that people wear slacks with their buttoned shirt and pull up their pants?
If that’s too much to ask from America, then I’m not sure what to think of my generation’s view of the world or their own lives. Maybe I just watch too much Mad Men.
