PS. Don’t forget I’m running a deal on Basic Consultations all month this month as a back-to-school special.
High/Low Briefcase
I’m working on a consultation right now for a man who runs with both a creative SWPL and a blue-collar crowd. He has to be able to come up with artful, attractive ideas and then build them himself as well. It’s been a fun consultation thus far as his situation is pretty unique and challenging.
One of the things I’ve found for him is something that can be used for almost any man who wants to mix white and blue-collar worlds together.
It’s still a briefcase and is aesthetically pleasing and it’s a carpenters bag that’s made of durable materials you’re not afraid to throw tools or books into or leave lying in the dirt for a few hours while you work. The blue is deep enough not to pop and it allows the leather to do so.
PS. Don’t forget I’m running a deal on Basic Consultations all month this month as a back-to-school special.
Which are You?
While this advice applies to any man, I’m specifically talking to those of you who will be entering a completely new situation this Fall – whether that’s going to college for the first time, starting an internship or new job, or moving to a new high school. As humans we tend to take our time and feel out the water first before we really dive in to any situation. I understand the philosophy behind it, but there’s a more masculine way to handle things.
When you head to your first day of class/the new job/that internship go in like a shark into a school of fish. I’m not a blank-slater but I do believe that the majority of people are inherently good. That being said, I also believe that the majority of people are happy and content being a fish who fits in with the rest of the school. It seems our world is continuing to value uniformity and safety more than uniqueness and freedom and this just makes the contrast of a shark that much more apparent.
You will have people who resent you. Being a shark will win you friends and respect but it will also get you enemies and hatred. You have to be willing to handle both. A fish in the middle of a school doesn’t have either – he just is. I don’t fault people for taking that route, but this site is geared towards men who want to be the shark.
For me the hardest thing about being the shark is that there is no time off. He can’t turn into a fish when he’s lazy or doesn’t feel up to hunting because he’s already established himself as the shark. It’s an all or nothing situation and you have to commit to it. But, if you’re up for it, the rewards are so much more than you’d ever get by just fitting in at school.
PS. Don’t forget I’m running a deal on Basic Consultations all month this month as a back-to-school special.
Back to School: The Pack
I had a friend in high school who once wore the exact same outfit every day for a month just to see if anyone would notice. We did. He looked stupid and smelled even worse. While variety is the spice of life, sometimes there are items that you only buy one of. As great as it would be to have a different car to drive every day of the week, most of us just get by with one.
The pack you use for school will fall into that same category. Your clothes will change but you’ll carry that same bag almost every day. So it’s important to make sure it’s one that works and looks good.
Just like with the other Back to School posts, the first thing you’ll need to determine is your level of formality. A third-year law student should avoid a skater pack and a junior in high school doesn’t want to carry a leather brief case around.
Skate Pack
If you’re hard on your stuff or you use your backpack in precarious situations, you’ll want a skate pack like the Nixonone above. Don’t go easy on it as it’s built to withstand some abuse. The skate pack has evolved into something more simple and streamlined so it doesn’t stand out like a sore thumb if you’re wearing one with a blazer and some bucks. Perfect for high school and undergrads, it’s time to upgrade if you’re a grad student though.
Rucksack
Trail packs and rucksacks have been using by adventurers forever. Think of them as the still-stylish cousin to your ratty cargo shorts. The military history gives them a distinctly masculine feel and the extra pockets go a long way in helping you carry things like phone chargers, sunglasses cases, etc. The beauty of a rucksack is that it mixes utilitarianism and tradition perfectly so you can carry one of these your first day of high school or in your last year of med school. It’s the perfect High/Low pack.
Canvas Messenger Bag
This was my personal choice my whole time in college. It fit a laptop and the occasional book or two without bulking up too much. I also liked having the one strap instead of carrying two on my back. A canvas option is going to be more casual and it’s also going to cost you considerably less. And, while it’s not as bulletproof as the Skate Pack, these things were originally made for hard-riding messengers and will get the job done. There’s an unspoken association between messenger bags and college so I won’t recommend this for a high-school kid.
Leather Messenger Bag
Works the same as the Canvas Messenger but steps things up in the formality, durability, and price departments. Since they are more formal this is something you’ll want in your last year of your undergrad or in grad school. Think of it as Indiana Jones’ briefcase. It’s nice and will keep your documents/laptop safe but it will survive a bike crash or being chased by the natives. With anything you do in leather, choose brown instead of black. It’s still formal because it’s leather but it’s more versatile with what you’ll be wearing and the situations you’ll be in by going with brown.
Briefcase
The most formal on the list is obviously the briefcase. You want to avoid the hard cases that were ubiquitous in the 60’s and opt for something softer and all leather. These can range from a couple hundred bucks to thousands of dollars. The thing about a brief case is that it communicates you’ve already arrived. If you start carrying one too young or without the right confidence it’ll be easy for everyone to tell. It is just a bag, but a brief case is still a symbol that demands a certain amount of respect so make sure you have the acumen to demand that same respect yourself.
A pack is going to be used everyday so you also want to make sure the function fits your needs. It’s pointless to have a beautiful briefcase when you ride a motorcycle to school and don’t have any shoulder straps for it. Lastly, look to historical men’s bags for inspiration. You will find classic shapes and functions along with visual references to masculinity by sticking with something tried and true.
PS. Don’t forget I’m running a deal on Basic Consultations all month this month as a back-to-school special.
Taking Your Style to the Next Level
It’s all about attitude… and weight, and skin tone, and hair and everything else you could possibly think of. But mostly it’s about attitude.
We’ve talked before about the difference between an outfit looking natural and looking like a costume. I want you to look at the two pictures below.
Notice how goofy this guy looks. Now it may just be that he’s not very photogenic, but I doubt it. He’s wearing a submissive smile, his haircut makes it look like he’s trying to hide the fact that he’s balding instead of embracing it. It also looks boyish instead of more adult. His stance is awkward and the colors are all wrong for his skin tone. The light tones make his freshly-resurrected-from-winter pasty skin look even more pale.
Contrast that with this guy. Yes it absolutely helps that he’s a lantern-jawed male model. But notice the other thing that are hard to quantify. His hair is cut like a man instead of a hipster. His posture is very commanding and he’s obviously very comfortable with the woman in the picture (these two models may have just met two minutes before this shoot but he sure doesn’t seem intimidated by her, does he?). His smile is knowing instead of supplicating. His clothes are honestly just as goofy as our first gentleman, but he pulls it off so much better.
Dressing better is one of the easiest things a man can do to improve himself. It just takes a little bit of instruction, some funds, and some creativity. But in order to really step up your style game, you have to improve yourself. You need to get into shape, develop social confidence, groom yourself properly, be comfortable in your own skin and not look like you’re constantly seeking validation.
I’ll admit that developing all those takes a lot more time and effort. As a man, you shouldn’t let either one intimidate you. And while you’re developing them, you should act like you have them. Developing an attitude can often preclude getting where you want to be. Having that attitude can make even a T-shirt and jeans look good and will make your improved style look even better.