I LIKE TO WEAR WELL-WORN CLOTHES – what of it?

It’s not as if I couldn’t afford new clothes.  I have lots of new clothes for times when it’s inappropriate to wear things that some folks would consider worn out.  To me, they are just comfortably worn in.  In fact, when I was younger, I was something of a “clothes horse”.  I had everything custom tailored – camel hair coat, silk suits, even linen shirts custom tailored. It felt great, at the time.  A time of career focus, the pursuit of girls, dating, dining, even sometimes dancing.

Since those days, I’ve smartened up a great deal. I don’t agree that clothes make the man.  I believe that clothes disguise the man.  I have a friend who dresses spectacularly well. He’s a self-made millionaire, having earned his way up from life as an obscure son of a simple small business owner. Now that he’s a rightfully respected man of dignity and ethics, he dresses in fine suits, tasteful ties, and fine footwear.  Even when he wears jeans now, they are not very faded and they have a crease in them.  That’s not for me. I remember when my friend worked in carnivals, and when he was a sign printer, and even a taxi driver.  Those who meet him now have no idea that he hasn’t always been wealthy.

I have another friend who is a former biker tough guy who has earned a lot of money in his time, and has owned his own home for several decades, drives a unique Mercedes Benz coupe and collects rare BMW motorcycles.  He, like me, prefers well-worn garments.  One of his favourites is a frayed flannel shirt that was his long-deceased father’s.  When he wears it, he enjoys internal warmth that he never shared with his domineering father who was an important engineer.  My friend can afford any kind of clothes, and he has new, crisp garments in his closet, but when it’s not necessary to “dress up”, he loves his frayed jeans and shirts.  I understand this completely.

My own frayed garments have been well worn by me, in my own favourite activities.  I don’t have to work, but I like to.  I like building things, gardening, making repairs to machinery and even cooking.  My well-worn and sometimes tattered clothing is ideal for these activities, while my slick suits, jackets, slacks, shirts, ties and so on rest safely in a closet just in case they’re needed to show respect to some social hosts.

I just can’t see discarding a good plaid shirt and supple jeans just because they’re frayed at the edges and faded in colour.  The faded colours usually are more pleasing to my eye than are the glaring fresh colours on store racks.  The garments cover me properly, they are very comfortable for me, and they liberate me to be unconcerned about stains, splashes, rips and tears.

I don’t have to wear well-worn clothes… I just like to.  What’s it to you?