In 2010 a compleat gentleman comes in many guises and from all walks of life and all backgrounds. It is not about money. It is about style and a set of values to live by. In his personal presentation he is always appropriate, a trend setter, not a trend follower. And, if he is your friend, then he is your needs answered. One thing is sure – he will be found at the cutting edge of twenty first century enlightenment and will ensure that he always promotes the emergence of new ideas while encouraging the raising of positive voices to benefit marginalized sections of society. He will offer to give of his time, effort and even money to ensure that there is a measure of opportunity for all. A compleat gentleman is quite simply a man for all seasons.

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During the rebirth of humanism in Italy from the 4th to the 14th centuries patrons began recognizing that artisans, who had always worked under the direction of guilds or the church, were not only skilled technicians but also thinkers, discoverers and inventors. They sought to acquire the works of these ‘artists’ and use their talents to advance their own social agenda. So nothing has changed really.

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Charles II abandoned puritanical austerity following his Restoration to the English throne in 1660. It is not surprising that he wanted to buy sumptuous and fashionable clothes. When he had been a fugitive from the Battle of Worcester in 1651 he been forced to wear ‘nothing but a green coat and a pair of country breeches on and a pair of country shoes, that made him sore all over his feet that he could scarce stir’. On his return he gave himself up completely to luxury and pleasure, adorning his very Frenchified person with sumptuous textiles and jewels.

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