Of A Fashionable Color And Quality

from the journal of Henry David Thoreau:

March 26, 1860/

The walker and naturalist does not wear a hat, or a shoe, or a coat, to be looked at, but for other uses. When a citizen comes to take a walk with me I commonly find that he is lame, disabled by his shoeing. He is sure to wet his feet, tear his coat, and jam his hat, and the superior quality of my boots, coat and hat appear. I once went into the woods with a party for a fortnight. I wore my old and common clothes, which were of Vermont gray. They wore, no doubt, the best they had for such an occasion,--of a fashionable color and quality. I thought that they were a little ashamed of me while we were in the towns. They all tore their clothes badly but myself, and I, who, it chanced, was the only one provided with needles and thread, enabled them to mend them. When we came out of the woods, I was the best dressed of any of them.