Shawn was a small, dignified man with a balding head, large ears, and rosy cheeks who spoke in a high-pitched, wavering voice. He took great care to select the correct words when he spoke, and his speech was filled with painful pauses, especially when he was in front of a group. He was unfailingly polite, courtly, gracious, and formal in manner. He dressed in dark suits and ties, which he neither shed nor loosened during working hours.Everything about him was unobtrusive. His shoulders slouched some and his chin seemed to tuck toward his chest. He gave the appearance of a man who would prefer to be invisible.
—Gigi Mahon, in "The Last Days of The New Yorker" (1988)
2 comments:
Ha, I have to say -- having last night seen Michael Buble, Sinatra's latest incarnation, appear onstage with his tie loosened -- that I agree with you.
Can we extend the question to men's clothing now? Seems to me that, for guys my age, a bizarre form of casual dressy has taken over; between jeans-and-untucked-button-down and shirt-and-tie, there's nothing.
This is rich ground for comedy. Checking Smith out as soon as I have a sec.
I'm communing with my inner 9-year-old right now -- I'm in shorts and a hoodie, and on my second Pepsi. I've been writing all day, though, which lags far behind bike tag and street hockey on my existential-happiness meter.
Post a Comment