The sartorial spirit of Bertie Wooster lives on

[laeticiav.livejournal.com]

It's a little off topic, but it appears that the spirit of Bertie Wooster is alive and well in the Congo.


I just read an article about Le Sape (link),and learned that not only do its proponents follow the impeccable Wooster fashion sense...

"Self-confessed dandies, Le Sapeurs, have taken the genteel art of dressing to its illogical conclusion. This particular group of sapeurs enjoy a style whose roots lie in salons of Paris of the twenties but is accomplished in tones bright enough to make one's eyes smart."

... but they are also extremely preux.

"...with their strict code of honour, conduct and morality, [they] enjoy a style that is certainly not lacking in eccentricity" and

"he also must have a solid moral ethic: that is beyond appearance and vanity of smart, expensive clothing, because there is the moral nobility of the individual."

Apparently le sape is a means of peaceful political dissent in addition to a penchant for spiffy attire and a sunny disposish.

And somewhere, Jeeves' spirit is quietly crying itself to sleep.







(note the red bowler!)

Images from Daniele Tamagni's book Gentlemen of Bacongo (sadly out of print).

I think there is an alternative backstory to the emergence of this style, involving a trip to Africa in which Bertie packs ALL the non-Jeeves-approved items in his trunk, and, as the result of cunning machinations, Jeeves manages to distribute them to the locals.

Comments

[buttoncity.livejournal.com]

I approve of alt. backstory. It might have even become a bit of a tradition there, who knows? xD

Though, I must say: that bowler. (Even my eyes feel a bit on the leaky side looking at it.)

[krisreinke.livejournal.com]

Well, Claude and Eustece went to Africa... no reason Bertie would not have gone to visit.

I can also see... were something to happen ( just briefly) to Jeeves [ say Bertie sends him off deep-sea fishing or lion-watching or whatever] that Bertie's own taste would be....unconfined. But as Bertie is a classic English Gentleman (TM) and maybe even Lord Y (depending on timeframe) the locals wold naturally look to him for all the latest trends and styles.

HECK!

I just thought! Woodehouse is published/read there too. Maybe these ARE the result of Bertie Wooster-ism. (Not a bad ideal to rise to...what?)

[derien.livejournal.com]

These guys are awesome! And I love your backstory idea. :)

[godsdaisiechain.livejournal.com]

I, too, love the backstory idea! Perhaps we will see it some time?

[lawnnun.livejournal.com]

I dunno, Jeeves might be less horrified by the same stuff on black guys.

"Dash it, Jeeves! There goes my yellow jacket!"

"It gave you a jaundiced appearance, sir. I elected to redistribute it and other such items in quarters where jaundice only really shows in the corneas."

[with-rainfall.livejournal.com]

This just made me laugh so hard.