Dressing to Impress

I like it when clothing plays an important role in a book. This week I picked up the novel Mr. Rosenblum Dreams in English, in which the title character is determined to become a full-fledged English gentleman after leaving his native Germany just before WWII. He relies on a pamphlet given to  immigrants called While You Are in England: Helpful Information and Friendly Guidance for Every Refugee, following its instructions to the letter.

Mr. Rosenblum decides that getting a bespoke suit from Savile Row is an important step in his attempt to fully assimilate into (high class) English society. Here is the rich, wonderful description of his experience at Henry Poole on Savile Row:

The store smelled deliciously of cedar wood, and the tailor called him "Sir," measured his small frame without a sneer, and the suit was delivered twelve weeks later, wrapped in crepe paper inside a pearlescent box with the Henry Poole crest emblazoned in gold. His pattern was to be kept in the company vaults alongside those of Churchill, Gladstone,and Prince Albert. When he put on the suit, he felt taller than his five foot three inches, his bald head appeared to shine less and his nose felt, well, less pronounced.

So far, his suit has not helped him achieve one of his goals, but I'm looking forward to seeing him use his "sheer tenacity" to get what he wants.