Judge no man by his clothes, but by his wife's clothes
This saying was probably more appropriate in the days when men were the main bread winners but with a hint that the ladies were more in control than might be thought. Men generally are less concerned with their own appearance but take a pride in the attractiveness of their womenfolk. In some societies it was the custom for a man who was making money to buy gold as a form of saving and investment that was then worn by his wife in the form of jewelry.
A tradesman in dingy work apparel might have a well dressed wife at home proud of the fact that her skilled, hard working, though somewhat unkempt, husband was earning a lot of money. His pleasure coming from the happiness and enhanced attractiveness of the girl he loved and who enjoyed spending his money.
Nowadays many women earn more than their husbands so perhaps we will have to reverse this saying.
PS
And yes, you can make up your own jokes about this!
Proverbs store the wisdom of ages in short, memorable lines with several layers of meaning. This blog states a weekly proverb and explores its meaning. Sir Winston Churchill, the former British Prime Minister, war leader, writer, painter, historian, bon viveur, whose mother was a United States citizen, recommended that people lacking formal education to learn proverbs. "The Wisdom of Nations lies in their Proverbs... Collect and learn them". William Penn, founder of the State of Pennsylvania.
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