IT IS said that only the insecure worry about their clothes, and that
the most reliable sign of self-confidence is to dress comfortably. This
is especially true of shoes. Lord Healey, often claimed to be the best
Prime Minister we never had, now pads about the Upper House wearing
trainers. John Christie, the founder of Glyndbourne, wore tennis shoes
even with evening dress. It is against this background that one should
view the sartorial habits of Mr Kenneth Clarke, who is causing concern
over the state of his Hush Puppies. His soft brown shoes have become so
scruffy that the British Shoe Corporation set in motion inquiries to
find out his size, to provide a free supply of new ones. The Chancellor
wears size eight, it was discovered, but to no avail.
A similarly unsuccessful exercise, we recall, was carried out by Coco
Chanel, who became appalled at the condition of the shoes of the Duke of
Westminster. Her friend was extremely rich, but also extremely mean, and
continued to have his shoes re-soled long after the uppers were
disreputable. She ordered him a dozen new pairs, only to see him
deliberately walking through puddles to soften them and take off the
shine.
Not all of Mr Clarke's predecessors have resisted the call to improve
their image. Cecil Parkinson persuaded Mrs Thatcher not only to
encourage Nigel Lawson to see a barber, but to discard his yellow
waistcoats. By contrast, the present Chancellor's ill-fitting trousers
and scuffed brown shoes are a signal that he is not to be brow-beaten.
The
hint has already been taken by the stock
broking firm of Cazenove. Its New York office, in particular, was once
a stickler for correct dress, and would send wearers of slip-on shoes,
especially those made of suede, to the tradesmen's entrance. With Mr
Clarke's fearless example doubtless in mind, even investment bankers are
now said to be arriving in Gucci loafers.
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