At the airport the other day a man in his 70s walked past. I was gazing idly while waiting for a coffee when he walked into my field of vision. I noticed his walking stick and his gait, slightly swaying as if he had a stiff knee. As he continued past me into the lounge I noticed his outfit…a dark green loose shirt over loose fawn pants.
But the fabric looked light, of a high quality and the cut was good. An unexpected frisson swept over me - not that kind of frisson! But nevertheless one of excitement, of possibilities. Was it because the clothing evoked the tropics? Was it the fact that I was in the airport after a long time, and thoughts of exotic places and adventures swirled in the air?
Was it because I thought in another time he could have been a Hemingway off to Africa to…well, write, rather than shoot game? I don’t know but after years of lockdown it was a delightful feeling that stayed with me for days and had me thinking of all sorts of things, but mostly of new adventures and the way clothes can transport and transform us.