Picture: We smile even in short-sleeve shirts!
I recently met a German count who has lived in Switzerland for years. He told me stories from his earlier days in Switzerland when he went to a clothes shop and wanted to buy knee-length socks. The Swiss salesperson in the shop was surprised by his request and asked him if he felt cold and is that the reason he wanted knee-length socks! The count was surprised by this question as knee-length socks are a question of style and tradition to him. A gentleman has to wear knee-length socks as showing skin is a no-no. In fact, the German count discovered that day the ‘chic fédéral’. The chic fédéral is a Swiss expression for the dominant dress code for Swiss politicians and business leaders. It consists of short socks, ties with bold prints and short-sleeves in summer. While England, Germany, Austria, France and Italy have a tradition of style, Switzerland has none (just go to Milan and you will see the difference). This makes it hard for tailors and shoe-makers to convince the Swiss to wear tailor-made clothes. But there is one hope: in times of economical downturns business people tend to dress more conservatively and maybe they will ditch their short-sleeved shirts and short socks!
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