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[Clansgian AT wmconnect.com]

That brought me to realize that there is no shoe shining paraphenalia in the 
house.  Boots are sealed with wax and oil, or SnoPruf or some such.  Weddings 
and funerals are attended with *clean* boots but not polished boots.


Same with neckties.  I wonder if I can still tie a Windsor knot?  It's an 
entirely moot point because I will never wear a tie again.  A few years back 
I 
was given a gift card to a slightly upscale department store, upscale enough 
that I was sure I would never use the card since I'd never be willing to pay 
the 
difference for any garment.  But sure enough there as a Harris tweed jacket 
on 
a half of half markdown and for only a few more bucks I bought it.  It didn't 
fit, of course, so I took it to an ancient taylor here and had it altered.  
That with crew-neck sweater serves for formal wear.  I look like I just 
stepped 
off a pirate ship anyway, so a jacket and necktie would look ridiculous.

Odds, I'd bet, are that formal wear will become less and less formal as time 
goes on.  That's certainly been the case so far.