I was discussing R.J. Cutler’s The September Issue with a friend and colleague recently, and the idea that clothes say more than words, or even body language (their assertion). I disagree, but it’s undeniable that there are some for whom fashion is a religion… or a church, let’s say. High-end or designer clothes provide not just a status symbol, or stamp of outwardly reflected, au courant modernity (though that’s it for some, sure), but a sense of actual order. Their understanding and engagement with the outside world is funneled through the external packaging. I know this because I’ve seen it in the askance glances or judgments on harmless professional attire of mine — shirts matched with ties, or jeans and Oxford button-downs — and I think I’m a fashion zero, more or less, tidy enough to look nice, but generally unadventurous enough to avoid attention. (Except when it comes to some novelty and/or hand-altered T-shirts.) I know many more women like this than men, but it’s not at all uncommon, and it’s not merely a social snobbery thing either. Part of the success of The September Issue, I believe, stems from the manner in which the movie embraces that enormously self-serious reverence, while also showcasing the capriciousness of its tastemakers and the all-too-familiar pettiness of its office rivalries. At any rate, something to ponder. To view the film’s trailer, click here.