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Some who have taste and knowledge in dress are NOT gentlemen at all. Yet, I have seen some poorly dressed and penniless men manifest a very high degree of chivalry on occasion, even in Singapore!!!! ;-) As for good taste in dress. Just because a stainless steel GMT, Submariner, and Explorer are called sport watches rather than dress watches by Rolex, does not mean that they are UNdress watches.
Airline transport pilots in many different colored uniforms, have been wearing them since the mid 1950's. So have their suit wearing passengers. I know, because my father was such a passenger. TWA was still using, propeller driven four engine Constellations, and Pan American World Airways was getting the Boeing 707. The term sports watch is a Rolex MARKETING designation to indicate that a watch has features that enable it to perform certain specialized tasks beyond what the regular line is capable of. It has NEVER been a classification. Sports watches didn't come out until about 1954, and when they did, they were not just used for SCUBA diving, flying or exploring.
They were used with suits and even with tuxedos. People were in the habit of wearing suits and hats in those days (including the ladies, who also wore gloves), especially in San Francisco where I was born more than 61 years ago. I was raised to know good taste in dress. As for knitted ties, They are nothing new. All the boys had to wear yellow ones for our elementary school commencement. Knitted ties however are not recommended for use with a business suit. A silk Rep or some conservative stripe is much more appropriate. You say: Not only does a clunky stainless steel sports watch look somewhat out of place with a fine tailored suit, but the practice of marrying the two displaces the fine dress wristwatches and pocket watches of the past.
First of all when GMT's first came out not even the executives at Pan Am thought they were clunky. In fact, they started expropriating PAN AM's company issued GMT's that were intended to be issued to the pilots, first officers and flight engineers, and were soon seen wearing them with their business suits. This happened in New York starting in 1954. Sean Connery, as James Bond, was a dapper dressing gentleman and wore a Submariner with his business and dress suits. He did not wear penny loafers. And his ties were always in good taste. The point is that stainless steel GMTs, Submariners and Explorers (since they first came out) have generally been considered to be in good taste when worn with any suit.
When wearing a stainless steel watch though, it is appropriate to wear white metal cuff links (with or without a dark neutral colored opaque stone), and a matching white metal tie clip, and if a ring is worn it is always best to use one that is compatible with the tie clip and cuff links. It is considered tacky to wear gold with white metal unless both metals colors are on each piece of jewelry. White metal watches are more versatile than yellow gold, since they look good with a dark blue or black suit in the afternoon or evening, and equally well with a light wool tweed suit in the morning. Gold looks best when worn with dark grey, blue, or black, but not with light or medium brown. Just because you see a lot of people who don't know how to dress nowadays, does not indicate that nothing's against the rules, because there are no rules anymore.
On the contrary, rules of dress and conduct still exist and are observed by many of us, but it is true that may young people today don't know the rules. Try to walk into certain officers clubs in the evening without a dark suit and tie, and correct shoes, or in a dress uniform, and you will be promptly asked to leave. Such is the Admiral Kidd Club in San Diego. The same holds true for Miramar Naval Air Station, a few miles north. Contrast this with San Diego's Marine Corps Recruiting Depot (MCRD, sometimes referred to as McCrudd) Officers Club, that I visited about ten years back, never to return to again. The young officers there, were allowed to wear soiled sweatshirts denim trousers and dirty canvas sneakers. Some of them looked as though they had not even shaved. the carpet looked worn, and the restrooms were filthy and foul smelling. Some people and places observe the rules of etiquette and good taste,and these days, some don't.
Airline transport pilots in many different colored uniforms, have been wearing them since the mid 1950's. So have their suit wearing passengers. I know, because my father was such a passenger. TWA was still using, propeller driven four engine Constellations, and Pan American World Airways was getting the Boeing 707. The term sports watch is a Rolex MARKETING designation to indicate that a watch has features that enable it to perform certain specialized tasks beyond what the regular line is capable of. It has NEVER been a classification. Sports watches didn't come out until about 1954, and when they did, they were not just used for SCUBA diving, flying or exploring.
They were used with suits and even with tuxedos. People were in the habit of wearing suits and hats in those days (including the ladies, who also wore gloves), especially in San Francisco where I was born more than 61 years ago. I was raised to know good taste in dress. As for knitted ties, They are nothing new. All the boys had to wear yellow ones for our elementary school commencement. Knitted ties however are not recommended for use with a business suit. A silk Rep or some conservative stripe is much more appropriate. You say: Not only does a clunky stainless steel sports watch look somewhat out of place with a fine tailored suit, but the practice of marrying the two displaces the fine dress wristwatches and pocket watches of the past.
First of all when GMT's first came out not even the executives at Pan Am thought they were clunky. In fact, they started expropriating PAN AM's company issued GMT's that were intended to be issued to the pilots, first officers and flight engineers, and were soon seen wearing them with their business suits. This happened in New York starting in 1954. Sean Connery, as James Bond, was a dapper dressing gentleman and wore a Submariner with his business and dress suits. He did not wear penny loafers. And his ties were always in good taste. The point is that stainless steel GMTs, Submariners and Explorers (since they first came out) have generally been considered to be in good taste when worn with any suit.
When wearing a stainless steel watch though, it is appropriate to wear white metal cuff links (with or without a dark neutral colored opaque stone), and a matching white metal tie clip, and if a ring is worn it is always best to use one that is compatible with the tie clip and cuff links. It is considered tacky to wear gold with white metal unless both metals colors are on each piece of jewelry. White metal watches are more versatile than yellow gold, since they look good with a dark blue or black suit in the afternoon or evening, and equally well with a light wool tweed suit in the morning. Gold looks best when worn with dark grey, blue, or black, but not with light or medium brown. Just because you see a lot of people who don't know how to dress nowadays, does not indicate that nothing's against the rules, because there are no rules anymore.
On the contrary, rules of dress and conduct still exist and are observed by many of us, but it is true that may young people today don't know the rules. Try to walk into certain officers clubs in the evening without a dark suit and tie, and correct shoes, or in a dress uniform, and you will be promptly asked to leave. Such is the Admiral Kidd Club in San Diego. The same holds true for Miramar Naval Air Station, a few miles north. Contrast this with San Diego's Marine Corps Recruiting Depot (MCRD, sometimes referred to as McCrudd) Officers Club, that I visited about ten years back, never to return to again. The young officers there, were allowed to wear soiled sweatshirts denim trousers and dirty canvas sneakers. Some of them looked as though they had not even shaved. the carpet looked worn, and the restrooms were filthy and foul smelling. Some people and places observe the rules of etiquette and good taste,and these days, some don't.
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