Alice Bachini ruminates about style, saying that Brits who try to be stylish are more stylish than Americans ditto. What do I know? (Or, to be honest, care?) But my real point is that there is a Michael Blowhard essay there too, disguised as four comments. Excerpt:

Many Americans consider making it to be the main thing, and that doesn't lend itself to playing with styles for its own fun self. We're also a world unto ourselves. It's possible to live in the Upper Midwest and take no note of what the rest of the world's up to. This produces tons of provincial cluelessness – Midwestern guys who don't know that the moustaches they're wearing scream "I'm gay," for instance.

A commenter at our blog came up with a good explanations for Americans' ambivalent feelings about high art that may apply to style too. It's that many Americans are descendants of people who were either trying to get away from something (perhaps even Euro culture), or who were peasants, and hence suspicious of high-cult things. Style as a conscious thing? We're skeptical.

Me too. Like Americans I am partly descended from religious malcontents, in my case Huguenots who fled religious persecution in France, and came to … London.

So what am I doing running a "culture" blog? Maybe it's because we puritans (if that's what I am) object to people being stylish, but have no problem with objects being stylish. It's the difference between an arrogant swank-about-town and a humble artist or art worshipper. I believe in whatever is the Devout Atheist equivalent of the Greater Glory of God. (With maybe just a little basking in His reflected glory.)

See also Michael's latest piece about "gals" with lots of go-go-go but not as much depth as they might be needing, once their looks begin to go. Lots of good comments there too.