Wear And Care

Every garment reflects its history as it ages. With luck, an old piece of clothing conveys the same discriminating choice as that which was reflected in its acquisition. Patterns of wear tell the habits of the user: one knows a chemist, for example, by a series of small holes across the front of a shirt. Scribes and mechanics wear black for good reason.

Very little in my wardrobe must be ironed, but doing so ensures that wear over time will reflect the respect I have for the threads. A couple of denim work shirts can always pass without being ironed, but doing so will eventually produce poetically worn collars, cuffs, and plackets to match their fading elbows -30-