Worn-out wear at the theatre
The origin of the adage "clothes maketh the man" goes back to ancient times and refers to "man" as male and "maketh" an ancient biblical word. Both words have since been hijacked by females and modernists respectively. "Man" now refers to both male and female, with male man either here or there.
The men of that era considered clothes a vitally important item. Kings, princes and judges pranced around with heavily powdered, shoulder-length wigs, eye shadow and lipstick - making them winners in today's gay parades.
Why this ponderous intro? Because today's fashions have become a mix of the sublime and the ridiculous. Everything goes anywhere.
Remember the time when, attending the theatre, men wore dark suits with collar and tie (even tuxedos), with ladies sporting long dresses with hair teased to heaven? Dressing up for these occasions took hours, with men struggling to get collars tied around bull necks and women battling to squeeze into clobber two sizes too small - not forgetting the strangling borstrok that hubbies had to (man)handle for them.
Compare that with today's trends. Recently we attended a symphony concert at an upmarket theatre. Out of sheer habit we dressed in our (appropriate, we thought) finery. I compromised by giving a tie a miss, my Heidi opting for a tasteful pantsuit. We were the best-dressed couple.
We stood aghast at how upstanding theatregoers (at the ticket price, they had to be) pitched at what was, after all, a cultured evening of classical music by old masters, like Mozart.
One oke wore sloppy long-shorts with orange Crocs. Another with tatty jeans, open sandals and green socks. And the worst - an old geezer sported khaki shorty shorts and blue stokies with two yellowed big toes protruding.
The women too, were no better. Micro minis and straining jeans on figures crying out for tent-sized kaftans.
We couldn't equate this motley crowd with the brilliant concert organised by the inimitable Richard Cox and performed by an orchestra with talented musicians from the UK. But having said all that, the audience thoroughly appreciated and enjoyed the music, at times giving standing ovations to the conductor and orchestra.
So what's this about judging outward appearance? When it comes to the deeper things in life (like musical appreciation) who cares about dressing "appropriately"? In fact, Messrs Protruding Toes, Crocs, Sandals and Mesdames Micro Minis and Straining Jeans, are probably degreed academics and professionals, earning more than us well-dressed dudes.
So "clothes maketh the man" is a load of garbage and belongs to an archaic past. A better axiom: "Don't judge a book by its cover".
But Heidi adds a proviso: "As long as undies are clean".