My name is Tanner Guzy and I want you to dress better.

I grew up in a family where a reputation mattered. It comes with the territory of having a unique name and, whether a man likes it or not, the way he dresses affects his reputation.

When I was in junior high I made sure that all my T-shirts were from the BMX companies whose parts I owned or the punk bands whose shows I attended. As I got older, I learned that my clothing reflected more than just my status within my chosen hobbies and I had to adjust it accordingly.

Now I wear a suit and tie to work every day. I’ve done so for almost ten years and it’s as comfortable to me as the cargo pants and baggy UGP T’s I wore as a punk kid. The suit just better reflects on who I am.

A lot of men don’t like to admit to themselves or anyone else that their image matters, so they pretend to just ignore it. But even someone as slovenly as Jeff Lebowski wouldn’t walk out in public in a dress or just a garbage bag. On the most basic level, all men know that their clothing communicates who they are, what they think of themselves, and the respect they command (or fail to) from the world around them.