It was Julie Burchill who decreed that, beyond a certain age, a man should not be seen in a leather jacket.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
Nan Kempner wore one of the first Saint Laurent trouser suits to one of those fancy Madison Avenue restaurants and was denied access. She famously took off her pants and walked in wearing only the jacket. And it was that kind of revolution that was echoed in fashion and in life.
You can't be seen in your mid-40s wearing leather pants. No leather pants anymore.
I don't want to look at other people my age in leather. Why would I put it on?
Fashion should not be expected to serve in the stead of courage or character.
I hold that gentleman to be the best-dressed whose dress no one observes.
But, apart from that, there was very little on underneath the suit.
The only advantage to being a middle-aged man is that when you put on a jacket and tie, you're the Scary Dad. Never mind that no one has had an actually scary dad since 1966. The visceral fear remains.
The ancient superficial idea of the uniform and progressive growth of the human personality has remained unaltered, and the erroneous belief has persisted that it is the duty of the adult to fashion the child according to the pattern required by society.
Who in their infinite wisdom decreed that Little League uniforms be white? Certainly not a mother.
I have a handful of leather jackets, and I love them all. I think most men my age do, and it can be traced back to the Fonz and Danny Zuko.