Shiny or shabby?

I was thinking today about whether or not clothes had to be new to be elegant. Of course the answer is no, but usually when I think of something stylish and elegant, it's out of the pages of a glossy magazine and usually out of my price range. There is a certain precision of fit, fineness of material, and glamour.

But then I think of, oh, the entire city of Venice, Italy, and conclude no, fabrics don't have to be new to be elegant. Or I think of college professors in their tweed, worn at the elbows. Perhaps the key is quality and fit, rather than newness.

But I wouldn't say no to an all expenses paid shopping trip either. (See The Palm Beach Story for my favorite scene in any movie ever--stranded on a train without her suitcase, Claudette Colbert receives an entire new wardrobe paid for by a rich man. This includes the jeweled bracelet to go with the bracelet sleeve suit. Her mysterious benefactor merely writes down all the expenses, but he never adds it up. A fairy tale for adults.)