They are fastened with emeralds, still in the indeterminate shapes they were in when pulled from a river bottom in Brazil, but polished smooth and held in small 14-karat gold settings. There was a time when a man's pants-leg break said something about him. Now it's hard to remember just what it said. Mario Bosco, a tailor, knows better. The world, he will say, his brown eyes peering mournfully through thick glasses, hasn't changed.
People are still conscious of class and as concerned with income as ever.
It's the status symbols that have changed. A tailored suit is not on the wish list of conspicuous consumers because it is not a conspicuous luxury. It's a subtle clue to one's lifestyle. That kind of subtlety doesn't do a thing for conspicuous consumers. Look at Bill Gates, who brings frumpy to a whole new level.