Thursday, February 21, 2008

Feeling British and Dressed For Dinner

'I've never felt so British, or so happy,' said one Mark Ronson (a scion of the lighter-fuel dynasty?) as he took his 'Brit award' last night. So there we are - he feels British, and never more so than when accepting an award, and he's fine about it. Decidedly unBritish, though, to feel happy at the same time... Unfortunately, those confused young fellows the Arctic Monkeys (Gordo's fave rave) turned up dressed for the country, in plus-fours and tweeds - how silly they must have felt!
Anyway, I wasn't there - I was at another reet swanky do at London's tacky Park Lane Hilton, where a glass of a bad wine will set you back 7 sovs. I was savouring the too infrequent pleasure of wearing a dinner suit and idly wondering if the world wouldn't be a better place if people dressed for dinner. But I didn't entertain this fantasy for long - the sad fact is that most people (present company, of course, excepted) look pretty dreadful in a dinner suit, and wearing one actually seems to encourage drunkenness, brawling and bad behaviour (present company again excepted). So I don't think a Dinner Suit Diktat from the Office of the Supreme Leader would help. Sorry about that.

12 comments:

  1. Yet again Bryan, a rambling articulate article that says nothing much about nothing much. Come on man damnit! This isn't the British way. We need leaders right now not pontificators. We are in danger of sliding into acceptance. You middle class intellectuals are failing us with your polite kind of masturbation with your 'right-on' snipes at politicians. Get talking about something worthy man. Let's bring it all back to the fore before it's too late.

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  2. Actually it's me, inconsequential as ever.

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  3. I am a strong proponent of getting all dressed up and I agree with Bryan entirely, unless you are Rasputin or Tracy Emin s bed, there is something a bit boorish about seeming to have made no effort. At the Ritz and Les Ambassadeurs men have to wear a tie after 8 P.M., and I am very happy for them to do that. I thought Mark Ronson was rather charming last night, but perhaps that was because he insisted that I looked absolutely ravishing (diaphanous gold sequin dress and open leather gold-leaf vest) albeit he never mentioned my Jimmy Choo sandals (sheesh!!). They came with a jade and silver pendant, I’ll have you know.

    What absolutely confounds me, Bryan, if a glass of a bad wine will set you back 7 sovs, why not order something decent? Frankly, cheap wine puts me off...

    I only like men accustomed to getting what they want!

    Dreamy

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  4. Hello everybody - it's me, Nige - I posted that one, not Bryan. I blame myself - and, as ever, agree with Dreamy. Shame you weren't at my do, Selena, you'd have raised the tone.

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  5. I've always thought Ronson was a bit of a media creation. I few months ago no-one had heard of him. Then there was an absolutely massive PR blitz when newspapers and magazines wasted acres of space bombarding us with articles about how famous he was is New York and how he was a great friend of Amy Winehouse and therefore very important and worthy. It seems to me he's simply bought his way into the headlines. Just like Paris Hilton.

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  6. Are you sure it was you Nige? I sometimes wonder and Chertsey does yer 'ed in.

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  7. Hello everybody - it's me, Nige - I posted that one, not Bryan. I blame myself

    No, the blame is entirely mine. If you have a any defect, Nige, it has entirely escaped me!

    I’m a typical blonde. I thrive on getting my dates confused, or accidentally drinking five flutes of Crystal and driving someone else's car home. For all that, I actually managed to record a wonderful nature programme on corncrakes last night. I’m gonna watch that later - I am rather hopeful that it will reconstitute my balance...

    Dreamy

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  8. Ah, I love to see men dressed up. Unfortunately, I hate to dress up myself, though I will if warranted. Nige, I'm quite sure you look divine in a tux, as I gather you are a tall fellow. Short guys are the only ones who look terrible in a dinner suit -- if it has tails, especially.

    Here's the question: "Do clothes make the man?" One answer was provided by Esquire magazine many years ago. They groomed and dressed up a half-dozen homeless NYC men and, damn, those guys looked like movie stars when they were done!

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  9. Yes indeed Susan, we ignore our wardrobe at our peril - as can be seen on any English street at any time of the day or night (but especially when the weather gets warmer). In a generation, the Englishman has gone from being notoriously elegantly dressed to being, sartorially, a hissing and a byword.
    And enjoy those corncrakes, Selena - I'd have recorded it myself if I'd known it was on...

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  10. A dinner suit with tails, Susie?

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