There once was a short-lived fashion magazine called Rags. The name was chosen tongue-in-cheek, of course, as when people who worked in the fashion industry refer to it as “the rag trade”. But hasn’t it become a good description for the way almost an entire generation has been dressing lately? What started out 'as colorful gypsy garb, clothing adorned with embroidered individuality, has become almost universally uniformed shoddiness.

So, it is not surprising that, perhaps with a bit of backlash, people are starting to dress up again ... and thankfully, there is an awareness of a return to Elegance. Rock groups glamming it up onstage probably don’t have much to do with it, for the glitter that seemed so much fun two years ago at the Cockettes opening in New York now looks like the face of a drag queen after a bad night. I’m talking about Dressing and it’s a real delight to see, for example, a divinely sexy man in a suit and tie for a change.

Two men in New York who produce most of the rock and roll concerts in town are Ron Delsener and Howard Stein, and they both have got their sartorial act together as well as their productions. Delsener produces shows at Carnegie Hall, Philharmonic, Madison Square Garden and the Felt Forum. Stein runs the Academy of Music on 14th Street where he stands out as the only man in the place wearing wool pants. He also puts on shows at the Garden and Philharmonic.

Ron Delsener never donned hippie beads or headbands or cotton suede fringed vests to look Hip as did many record industry execs in the late 1960’s. His style was always ultra-smooth and sophisticated. Nowadays he’s having tailors Terry LaVelle or Jimmy Palazzo (of the famed Meledandrei East 56th Street haberdashery) custom make his suits. “Arthur Gluck makes my shirts,” he said when we spoke with him in his offices filled with green plants and real Persian rugs. “They’ve got a picture of Paul Anka up in there, so it can’t be bad - right??!” A laugh a minute. Ron continued, “I always wear a Polo tie . . . underwear — Mr. Gay. And I only buy beachwear in Acapulco . . .” he trailed off, smiling deliciously.

“I used to dress before I got into rock and roll,” said Stein, talking in his very Executive Suite offices on a midtown Manhattan street that features some of the finest restaurants New York has to offer. “But then for two years I didn’t. I wore faded jeans and t-shirts, I still like to do that, but it’s nice to do that one day and then change the next.” Admittedly, Howard might look a bit out of place backstage at the Academy in his Bellini suit (the same tailor that Shep Gordon, Alice Cooper’s manager, and John Cale swear by) or his De Noyer patterned sweater, to say nothing of his art deco silk antique ties. But one never knows and this all may be heralding a day in the not-so-distant future when this sort of dressing will inspire others in this scene to get it together as well . . .

Just imagine Bill Graham in a grey Cardin serge suit with an Yves St. Laurent tie and Vuitton attache case. Or Alice Cooper in Bill Blass beige linen with a persimmon silk shirt and slicked back short hair. Peter Wolf looking very L’Uomo Vogue in a little something by Valentino. Or Jerry Garcia ... well, that’s stretching the imagination perhaps just a bit too far. But we never know, do we? Surely no one ever expected the freedom of dress that exploded in the mid-sixties to get so far out of hand. And men, who get like delighted little schoolboys when asked about their clothes, may very well be the ones who will lead us back into Elegance. Why even rock writer Bob Weiner, who spent five years getting out of suits, recently gave up his bell bottoms in favor of London’s Alkasura suits. At a Melanie concert this past month, he was sporting Alkasura’s green velvet number and looking very smart. “And my tie is from Galaries Lafayette!” he emphasized.

Speaking of glitter-garbage, the audience at Lou Reed's Alice Tully Hall concert looked as if they had just seen Blow Up. You never saw so many painted white faces and sleazy silver make up. If you’ve got to get into drag, for God’s sake do it right. Wayne County doesn't even step out of the house unless he’s got on his multicolored blown out afro wig, chiffon layered dress, pink tights, silver blue slippers and Pablo of Elizabeth Arden makeup job. (Of course, that’s only one of his outfits ...). Maybe Lorraine Alterman’s idea of having a specially designed line of drag clothing is on the right track.

Certainly whoever is designing David Bowie’s clothes these days has gone a bit too far. David’s face is just gorgeous but the costumes he wore at Radio City Music Hall were of unparalleled overstatement. Five separate changes of them. But nothing beat Trevor’s (bassist) ensemble: some referred to it as the Queen of Hearts number . . . but I’ll bet he borrowed it from that member of Boston’s band, GNP, who used to dress up as a bumblebee .. . The recent Neil Young concert at Madison Square Garden looked like a fantasy Madison Avenue Landlubber ad brought to life. The only ones spotted who didn’t look like Tenant Farmers were Bob and Sue Rolontz of Atlantic Records and writer Lorraine Alterman, all of whom were in something black and slinky... At George Burns’ concert at Philharmonic Hall, nearly everyone tried to get in the proper mood, clothing wise. Alice Cooper even wore a 24 carat gold can opener around his neck; presented to him for service above and beyond the call of duty no doubt. . . . Buddah Prexy Neil Bogart wore a spiffy black suit trimmed with white, the piping matching his white shoes and shot turtleneck ... Bearsville’s Paul Fishkin had on another one of those divine things he’s picked up in Philadelphia. (He’s not telling the name of the store.) ... CREEM’s own Ben Edmonds looked gorgeous in a black velvet suit with floral print blouse, and very surfing looking hair . . . Writer Henry Edwards was sporting the entire Rod McKuen Casuals line: the sneakers called “runabouts,” pants called “muckabouts” and jacket titled “knockabouts.” The slogan for the clothing line of America’s favorite poet is “You don’t have to see the rest of him to know he belongs in Rod McKuen’s pants.” Cute. And Marion Somerstein was proudly showing off the photos taken at her nephew’s recent Bar Mitzvah which she attended with the New York Times ’ Ian Dove. She had a reason to be smiling, for Ian looked splendid in his tuxedo and Marion looked very Scarlett O’Hara in a floor length, flowered Nina Ricci gown. Even Steve Paul in his blue velvet said, as he was observing the pix, “Isn’t it nice that people are dressing up again?” @

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