“Q: Were nice clothes substantially cheaper way back when? It seems like in every picture of the 1920s, '30s, and '40s, even derelicts are wearing ties and hats. Why not now? I must know. A: I don't think it has much to do with the price of clothes. It had to do with a sense of standards related to being a gentleman. In many parts of Europe, you see hobos in jackets and ties, and believe me, they look considerably happier than our casually desperate. (sic)”
