Canine,
Certain things changed very slowly; each place at its own pace. Some things are to be taken with their context. If you moved to America before the war, you don’t want to stand out, being the only one in your hemisphere with a beard and Reckel. Many people today who wear Hoizen Zokken have/had a father who wore a down hat with no beard. Take a look at pictures of the 50s in America.
I don’t think it’s appropriate to make a sweeping statement like that when most people are simply dressing in the same manner with which they were brought up. When someone changes his dressing style, that is where you can see the group he is trying to identify with.