What Ho! P. G. Wodehouse on Fashion

"There are moments, Jeeves, when one asks oneself, 'Do trousers matter?'""The mood will pass, sir."

Not only do trousers matter in the crazy world of P. G. "Plum" Wodehouse, they speak volumes: as does one's choice of suit, shirt, cuffs, studs, collar, tie, socks, shoes, spatterdashes, hat and stick. Jeeves, Bertie Wooster's "infallible" valet, is always there to guide us through this sartorial minefield, his trained eye able to spot the microscopic detail that separates the chic, de rigueur, and le dernier cri from the outré and farouche.

The seventh of Paul Kent's occasional essays on matters Wodehousean takes us on a fascinating and informative tour of what the well-dressed man (and woman) should wear in order to look just right, transporting us back to an era of top hats, white ties and tailoring that positively reeks with 1920s and 30s elegance.