woe tee 34 ~ Sunday, October 12, 1986 - North Shore News Lifestyles - houla THAT DOES IT. Miss Manners has seen one diamond watch too many with a dual- color metal band and one car too many so long that it can’t turn corners. Sire is going to start proposing sumptuary laws. Sumptuary laws were generally hopeless attempts to prevent a society from indulging in so much ostentatious display that it made those with less money sick. No, that’s not quite it. They were an ultimately vain attempt to control by Judith Martin Hopeless causes do not daunt Miss Manners, or she would hardly have entered the etiquette trade. She has no doubt the need for some restraint on the large-scale spending of money for the sole purpose of showing off, as the frenzy of doing so competitively has become a serious distraction from the pursuit of other values. But she does have a few qualms about the appropriateness of spenders are the objects of ridicule from those higher up — or longer-established — on the scale of snobbery, whose judgment is that by spending conspicuously, you are only demonstrating that you haven’t been rich long enough to inherit your valuables. SURFACE TASTE This perhaps equally vulgar reasoning Sias the effect of disguis- ing pride in money so that it pres- - ents a surface appearance of good taste. And Miss Manners is always happy enough to see that not to argue about the motives. sumptuary laws in a democracy, as - § it might be a slight infringement on freedom to limit the dry goods that individuals may pile on their bodies all at once. Lock how long and viciously we have been arguing ‘about what people should be allowed to take off. How is a society that can’t agree on a definition of obscenity going to find one for vulgarity? MISTAKEN ETIQUETTE Nevertheless, something should be done. Perhaps -ostentation makes Miss Manners particularly uncomfortable because it is so often mistakenly associated with etiquette. Far too many people believe that manners are a secret code understood only by those who have more than 10 sterling- silver place settings and who only use them (the manners, although perhaps also the silver place knives) to attack those less fortu- nate. It is a sad state of affairs, in- deed, when rudeness and slop- piness are associated with honesty, while politeness — the forms of which can be acquired absolutely free of charge — is dismissed as pretentious. So before attempting to bring in the law, she will simply try appeal- ing to people’s better nature to ex- ercise some restraint. But just in case that doesn’t go over, she will also appeal to their worst nature. The better argument is that when display gces beyond the pur- chase of valuable things for aesthetic pleasure or practicality to serving merely as signals to others of how much money you can af- ford to waste, it is intended as an offense. In a society where the rich establish the rule that you are what you purchase, they are deliberately stirring up envy and anger. A nastier, but no less true, argument is that ostentatious n4230-1:30 PM. HOURLY SPECIAL... SUNLIGHT 6 LITRE LAUNDRY DETERGENT 264 Reg. 5.29 WHILE QUANTITIES LAST Lynn Taiiey COnrre 980-9341 By the standard of good taste, precious stones are never worn in the daytime (except for ladies’ wedding and engagement rings) and never at all by gentlemen. And since wristwatches are not tradi- tionally worn with evening clothes, there is no correct time at all to wear watches that feature jewels on the outside. No one has or uses a ‘‘limou- sine’’ or inhabits or visits a ‘‘man- sion,’’ however large the cars or houses in question. No one ever remembers the brand names of his or her clothing. If tasteless inquiries are made, one pleads forgetfulness or mumbles MR. CLEAN Reg. 3.39 (0:2:30 PM HOURLY: SPECIAL.” 1 LITRE CLEANER about one’s regular dressmaker or tailor, Slightly mismatched flatware is better than complete services, because one inherits bits and pieces from different parts of the family. The same goes for household furnishings. The more tastefully coordinated the furniture rugs and paintings, the greater the suspicion that the inhabitants don’t have any taste at all and had to hire someone who did. Gentlemen who keep up with the only permissible variation in the cut of dinner jackets, which is wide or narrow lapels (fancy shirts, red evening ties or any use of color ostentation be tilegal? other than black and white are things Miss Manners won't even discuss), only demonstrate that they don’t dress up very often and are probably renting their clothes. The high snob look is slightly shabby, with a faint aroma of mothballs at the opening of the season. In fact, slightly worn is the pro- per state for most clothing, the edges of leather goods, and automobiles. Miss Manners is not claiming that purity of heart produces this look, only that it is a lot more considerate of others and pleasant to have around. 22°72130-3:30/ PRM HOURLY SPEGIA’ FLEECY 5 LITRE 1° WHILE QUANTITIES LAST SENIORS RECEIVE THEIR REGULAR DISCOUNT! MON., TUES.: WED.-FRL.: SATURDAY: SUNDAY: STORE HOURS: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM Reg. 5.19 FABRIC SOFTENER 208 WHILE QUANTITIES LAST 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM 9:30 AM - 6:00 PM 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM ~~