Can you feel it? Things are changing.
From the blue-lit television room to the back of the dark bar, in the talk-radio to the iPod subway, the winter is almost over. People are shaking off their scarves and chains, casting aside their astronaut suits and, once again, showing some skin.
Toronto’s annual sexual revolution is occuring.
Two trends, the natural and the societal, are working in opposite directions. Spring is often when we break out our bright colours, when white once again becomes permissible and even fluorescents have been known to appear. Out from under the thumb of Father Winter, we feel free and happy.
But there’s a recession on. People are being advised to keep clothing drab, dull and boring. Wear black, our would-be masters say. Any excess might get you lynched by the disgruntled proletariat. Look serious. Show the people that you are in mourning for their lost jobs, lowered wages and shattered expectations.
Neither concern means much to me.
For this owl, spring is simply a time to clean out the nest. Lacking space, there is only so much that I can store for next winter. The rest of it, the misguided coat purchases, the suits that seemed like a good idea at the time, the bulk and the clutter must all be purged. As must what was good last spring but has since been supplanted by the better. It’s time to clear some space.
And this year, I’m looking forward to ditching a lot. By month’s end, I will have three bespoke suits, which is one for every day off I have. The new one is black and paired with three bright shirts. Not because of spring or recession but because I’m now looking to the staples. The black suit, the grey suit and the navy.
Each of these are just frames to show off the shirts.
Paired with those shirts, that simple black suit should become three.
And this means that I can start getting especially ruthless with my closet. My suits will become stacks: One for bespoke. One for work-suits and casual leisure. One for garbage.
I’ve been looking forward to this day for a while, when my whole social life can be dealt with in bespoke and, this spring, I am right on the very cusp of it. It’s a close fit and one more — a grey suit– will certainly provide some elbow room.
But the Rubicon is being crossed.
I will keep you posted once the work starts.
