What difference a suit makes. I don't actually have one, but I can put something together that will pass muster. And how about this: when I wear it things magically change in some places ! I get served. Decently. Shop assistants spot me, waiting staff come over, they find me a seat, the blind does n't drop when it's my turn to go the next available counter at the bank. How strange. I wonder what it could be?

On the other hand when I'm dressed the way I am habitually, down at heel academic crossed with off duty tugboat captain, then nothing. I'm invisible. And when there's no one left in the shop and they simply have to serve me, it's usually an asymmetric relationship: me talking, and a terse, no words, silent transaction coming the other way. It happened today. I was only buying a lucky dip ticket for the lottery, but from the way it went, you would have thought I was a plague victim. How strange. I wonder what it could be?