I get asked more often than weekly how many of this or that a man needs in his closet and there is no simple answer. As in most things budget generally forces a trade-off between quantity and quality. I take a layered approach to that which is, get the quality to a respectable level for the peer group, get the quantity required, and then usually strive to improve the quality further over time.
That is good advice, or so I think, and complementary to another belief which is that a man should have at least one single perfect ensemble for every one of life's occasions. Occasions to me are the events that end up in photo albums, to be taken out by the family and perhaps scanned by several generations. One's wedding is an occasion. Five days a week at the office are not. And occasions deserve a special approach.
Just a few items suffice for life's occasions, and for those a man should sacrifice to obtain the best. Depending on his lifestyle, they are likely to include his dinner jacket and accessories, a very good navy blue suit, an overcoat he can wear with the dj or the suit and one perfect odd jacket.
Wear these special things only for occasions, but if the occasion suits wear them over and over again. Always look great when it matters.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Always Look Great When It Matters
Photo: Henry Poole
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10 comments:
Sir,
You wrote:
"Always look great when it matters".
Allow me to suggest that we modify that to:
"Always look great, even when it doesn't matter".
I am certainly balancing quality and quantity. My compensation for lesser quality is to spend some of what I save on alterations to improve the fit. Second-hand suits, chosen carefully, have also allowed me the benefit of better fabrics and tailoring. It's a lifelong process, and I look forward to more and better.
I am constantly baffled by my (or anyone's) inability to distinguish those times that matter from those that don't.
That must be why monks always wear the same nice outfits.
I agree with OldSchool!
Always look great.
It always matters.
I agree with Old School, but I think what Will is driving at is the importance that needs to be placed on certain days in our lives, and making them special.
It is sort of sad that for many men, their wedding day will be the occasion in their life when they want to look their best, but instead it will be one of the few times when they dress entirely in rented clothes.
In fairness, most men are married young enough that they have not yet developed their own personal style, and are likely to be victims of what they see on TV when it comes to choosing apparel for their wedding.
EG wrote,
"...most men... are likely to be victims... when it comes to choosing apparel for their wedding."
Which is exactly why it is incumbent upon us, their elders, to develop our own sense of style, and then to guide our young men when the time comes.
I was influenced by my grandfather and father in my personal style, even if only by example, and I am sure I will influence my son in turn. However, I plan to play a more active role than my father did with me in my son's sartorial future--to the extent that he'll let me.
Offering to buy wedding duds and pick up (some) wedding costs are two excellent ways to exercise control at that particular event.
Bob,
That is part of the decay of our civilization that the reigning ideology has forced upon an increasingly ignorant population. Another factor is the cult of "equality" that the ideology imposes as well.
One way to fight back is to maintain higher standards for ourselves, sartorial or otherwise.
Let's face it most young men buying clothes take some time to find themselves and it's easy to go off track.....Guided by older and wiser heads I was very trad in the 60's and then in the seventies drifted off into some abberations (still have the pictures to prove it) before coming to my senses at the end of the decade....in reality given budgetary and fashion pressures you're inevitably going to make bad decisions and end up with clunkers in the closet....I have a magnificent polo style coat in the closet purchased in the 80's which is perfect in every respect but has Schwarzenegger shoulders....it's a process that has to be gone through
I tend to think that one should look his best every day. But then I also try to make every day an occasion.
That said, this is splendid advice and I've posted it to my Facebook page.
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