THE CULTURE OF CASUAL
Daniel Akst explains why "fashion is out of fashion" in an OpinionJournal.com commentary. "Casual clothes express a more relaxed social system, and the democratization of slovenliness is democratization nonetheless, even if dressing down is now, oddly, itself a sign of status. On the other hand, it's hard not to associate lower standards of dress with lower standards generally, especially in public behavior. That loudmouth at the movie theater is unlikely to be wearing a classic seersucker suit."

But that is only part of the answer to why sweats, sneakers and jeans have become the new classics. Akst writes, "But maybe the best answer to 'Why casual, why now?' has less to do with democracy and celebrity than with calories and French fries. Casual clothing has helped bridge the growing difference in body size between slender fashionistas and the ever-fleshier hoi polloi. In 1985, the top-selling women's size was eight, but by 2002 it was a voluminous 14. Today nearly two-thirds of Americans are overweight, yet the less we exercise, the more sneakers and sweats we seem to buy."

Then, of course, there is also the new reality of a population has increasingly gravitated toward the sunbelt. "The Sun Belt's informality and warmer temperatures, which make tank tops and flip-flops that much more inviting, have probably nudged all of us toward a more fashion-free America," says Akst.

He's right on all counts.