SHINE ON YOU

You’ll see lots of shiny things in the pages that follow: watches, rings, chains and bracelets, as well as some really in-your-face glossy patent-leather shoes and Adidas Ventex tracksuits. Then there are the slicked-back hairstyles of New York’s late ’80s yuppies and the gold dental jewelry called grillz, invented by a man who – although his name is now forgotten – continues to influence the smiles of many young Americans. And somewhere there’s a disco ball, of all things.

It’s safe to say that no previous issue of this magazine has contained as much bling within its pages. Never has an issue been

so flashy. Is that a fluke? We don’t think so.

It seems to us that times are changing. After all these years of playing the English gentleman and enjoying the mellow comfort of it, we sense a new cycle beginning – one that calls for a reboot of some key values. Navy

out, black in? Loafers over, boots now? Forget flannel, think leather? Silver out, gold in? If good taste is passé, what kind of taste comes next?

That last question is fascinating bcause it goes way beyond aesthetic considerations. It’s political, social and religious.

Why do some people conceal, while others flaunt? Why do some of us dress to be inconspicuous, while others do everything

possible to draw attention? Is it because of

how we were brought up, or how we relate

to money? And what are those who seek the limelight looking for? Revenge for a childhood full of frustration? Lastly, there’s the question of good taste. Who decides what that is? Who has it? Is it exclusive to the higher echelons? And might not good taste come to embrace a gaudy, brash gold chain?

The answer lies somewhere within this glittering issue.