Sorry for the delay in new posts, everyone. I’d like to say that I took a few days off for Memorial Day Weekend, but, unfortunately, that’s far from the truth. I had meetings almost every day. On the way to one meeting, I blew out my tire and had to change said tire in the boiling heat. Needless to say, it’s been a couple of very busy and stressful days, but I’m back and ready to get writing and posting.
I was having a discussion with my wife the other day about the purpose of this blog, and how I explain what I’m trying to do. Every day that I’m out and about, whether in the suburbs or the city, I look around and watch people. It’s something I’ve always done. I think it’s from my restaurant day keeping in tune with everything going on in the dining room. Regardless, I see so many guys running about in suits or slacks with too much extra material bunched up around their ankles, guys wearing black sneakers in place of a pair of dress shoes, guys struggling with skin breakouts, or guys that are just dressed sloppily. I want to be the gentle voice that offers the suggestions. By visiting a tailor and hemming those pants, you could extend their life while, at the same time, look more put together. Swap out those black sneakers for a pair dress shoes; sure, they’ll cost a little more, but take care of them and they will last years after your sneakers have worn through. Check out a face wash designed for men or look into the world of traditional wet shaving, and you might see a surprising improvement in your skin (and save a bit of money too!). My problem is that saying/writing these things can come across as condescending, elitist, etc., but I really want to be able to say it in a way that helps. If a guy were to take my advice, and doing that helps him get the job, the date, the promotion, whatever, that’s a success for me. Sure, I’m doing this as a business, but I think over the past forty or fifty years men have lost a sense of pride in their appearance, and I want to help bring that pride back. In my opinion, there’s nothing wrong with caring about how you look. The problems only start when you place more focus on how you look over the truly important things in life like family and relationships.
The trouble with most men’s style magazines, blogs, ads, is that the items featured become unrealistic objects of desire for guys. Would you look great in a Brioni suit? Most likely. Now, how likely are you to spend over $6,000 on a suit? I know I’m not going to. (If you can, more power to you, I bet you will look fantastic!) Of course these are the types of brands that are most often featured. I’m sure part of the cost of these clothes go towards the marketing budget. Or consider this, do you think the Creed Green Irish Tweed shaving soap performs well and smells incredible? Probably. But why would I recommend a $90 product when shaving soaps from D. R. Harris, Barrister & Mann, and Dr. Jon’s are available.
My goal with this blog is to build a brand and build a business by helping everyday guys who have a desire to enhance their own personal style, which includes clothing, grooming, reading, personal development, and so on. I, honestly, will only consider this venture a success if both aspects are fulfilled.
So sometimes I might come across as lecturing or condescending, but my goal is to help, to inspire, and to offer suggestions. I’d really love to hear from you in the comments or on social media. What do you think?
Regards,
