A Distinctive Taste

Per my cliche dilettante sensibilities, I was having my ritual cup of hot tea this morning on the porch of one of my favorite coffee houses when I ran into an older gentleman who commented on my clothing and choice of beverage. I quickly greeted his unexpected compliment with a warm smile of gratitude as he set his coffee down at the table next to mine. Due to his proximity to my table I decided to strike a conversation with him, and to my delight I was surprised to find we actually shared the University of Virginia as an Alma Matter. 

As our conversation developed, he framed my University’s rather detailed past and explained to me that during his undergraduate years young men and women actually had a strict dress code that required males to be in suits at all times and young women to follow apropos. As he continued to recount his recollections of what student culture was like, I could not help but envy this picturesque perception of my school that was slowly building in my head.

My envy stemmed not from a cliche nostalgia of men and women being forced to conform to stereotypes or dress normatives, but rather from men expecting more out of what they wore. I am beginning to find that with what you wear, there comes a unique inner epiphany that sheds light as to how others see you and how you perceive yourself. When you dress like a gentlemen, it is usual that your behavior follows suit (no pun intended).

What I feel that our current culture lacks today is that modern man dressing and conducting himself like a gentleman. I am certainly not saying that suits and pocket squares make the man, rather that when you truly strive and meticulously push yourself to reach a higher standard there is a noticeable discernment of effort you place into other components of your life. This concept encompasses more than just fashion. As these minute executions in your life continue to build, you will see the manner in which you conduct yourself in the various stratums of your life, whether it be business or personal, greatly improve. 

Gentlemen, take the time.

Take the time to adjust that windsor, to placate the “distressed jeans” for those tweed slacks, to have a firmer handshake and a stronger voice. We are gentlemen after all.

This is our time, and it falls upon us to take it.

Shout out to:carlpierre