Read the intro to the series here.

The Rugged Man is one who is physically masculine. He bends nature to his will by means of his brute force and has a cave-man attitude that brooks no nonsense. There is nothing subtle about the rugged man and everything in his life exists for a specific, direct purpose. He is the adventurer, the mountain man, the gladiator, and the blue-collar worker.

Throughout almost every age of man, the rugged archetype has been a necessary and crucial form of masculinity. Without the infrastructure and technology we have available to us today, individual men were required to physically, forcefully, and violently bend nature to their will in order to provide for themselves and their families.

If you wanted a home, you built one; if you wanted meat, you killed it; if something threatened you, you dealt with it. There were other men for you to rely on, but the vast majority of your place in the world was carved out by you and you alone.

All men, by virtue of our biological makeup, have this element of rugged masculinity within us. Even the basement dwelling gamer has it, he simply satisfies it through virtual substitutes as opposed to real-world activities. The Rugged Man is why shows like Man vs Wild and Survivor Man fair so well. It is why football and other contact sports are so popular. It is why Everest was climbed and men skydive from the fringes of space.

The Style

A rugged style is defined by complete versatility. From a Danger and Play perspective there is all danger and no play. A Rugged Man’s clothing never sacrifices function for form, even if the function is a bit more subtle than what is readily apparent. His clothing:

• Allows for full body movement and range of motion – nothing too tight.
• Shows off his physical stature making him a more imposing foe – nothing too baggy.
• Is made of materials and weaves that can withstand daily abuse and nature’s defenses – denim, leather, tweed, and rough weaves.
• Has no excess for display or show – no excessive frills or embellishments

The Tricks

Focus on traditional clothing. Because we live in a world where the Rugged Man is not as necessary as he once was, clothing has not changed as drastically. For inspiration try to find old photos of men from the turn of the century. Don’t focus on their suits or city clothing so much as their work clothes. Most likely they will consist of jeans; cotton or tweed trousers; waffle-knit henleys; flannel shirts; wool stocking caps; heavy wool coats and jackets; leather belts, suspenders, and boots; and simple, natural colors with little-to-no patterns.

Look for military-inspired clothing. Things like field jackets, trench coats, earth-toned colors, and functions like epaulets or flapped pockets all originate with the military and give off a Rugged impression.

Look also for hunting-inspired clothing. Traditional hunting patterns like buffalo plaids, gun-club checks, and others are all rare these days and have a visual link to their heritage. Similar to military clothing, hunting gear was functional and the clothing had extra reinforcement in seams, close-able pockets (and more pockets), and thicker materials.

Don’t worry about wrinkles. Rugged clothing is casual and not appropriate for dressed-up events. This also means some of the preparations necessary for dressed up events are unnecessary  now. A pressed shirt isn’t any more functional than a wrinkled one – it just looks better. Therefore, your appearance will be more Rugged by allowing the natural wrinkles their place.

Embrace frayed edges and minor damage. These are work clothes, they don’t need to be perfect. A frayed cuff or collar gives Rugged clothing some character.

When there is major damage, patch over it or repair it rather than replacing the garment.

Shop at stores like LL Bean, Sierra Trading Post, and Duluth Trading Co. They cater to outdoors activities and traditional makes.

The Risks

More than any other type of clothing, the Rugged wardrobe has been co-opted by limp-wristed sissy boys gallivanting as men. The term “urban lumberjack” is on the rise for a reason. A generation of boys who grew up with the idea of masculinity being a bad thing are at odds with their own natures and the world they grew up in. Rather than embracing the virtues of true masculinity, they trick themselves into believing they’re men simply by dressing in a traditional manner. This frees them up to continue to act in any way but a masculine one and they can call out their manhood if it is ever questioned.

Because this is on the rise, you will be accused of being an urban lumberjack if you embrace the Rugged style too heavily. This can be mitigated by lifting heavy things and building your physique; actually participating in traditionally masculine activities like hunting, working on vehicles, and blue-collar work; having the body language that comes from knowing you are capable of being a physical threat to those around you; and being consistent with the same brook-no-nonsense attitude your clothing indicates.

The Reward

You will be a polarizing force. People will either hate you or love you. Many will call you trendy or hipster while others will see you as genuine. You will intimidate some and earn the respect of others. You will be physically imposing. People will joke with you less, socialize with you less, but depend on you more.

Below is a gallery of photos showcasing different elements of Rugged Style. Not every man in every shot is going to epitomize masculinity but all of them have elements of a Rugged Style.

Remember that Rugged, Refined, and Rakish styles are not all polarizing. You are free to incorporate an element of any or all three of this into your style as you learn to adequately express exactly who and what you are as a man.

For the rest of the series see:

Refined Man,

Rakish Man

Conclusion

PS – Whenever you’re ready, I have three different ways I can help you improve your style.

If you want the easiest approach that tells you exactly what you should be wearing, check out my Effortless Style program.

If you want to better understand how to use your appearance to better communicate with others and build your own confidence and mindset, pick up my book The Appearance of Power.

And lastly, if you really want to get this dialed in without going through a ton of trial and error, you may be a great fit for my 1-on-1 coaching and can schedule a call with me to learn more about it HERE.

UPDATE: The bag I was sent was the Safari as the Sahara only has one internal compartment. The FHT website is currently showing both as out of stock, but Matt has said they will be getting more in within the next couple of days.

For some reason finding a suitable every-day bag is difficult for us as men. We’re too old for backpacks, too masculine for totes, but we still need something that will look sharp, carry our gear, and stand up to some abuse. Essentially we need a bag that comfortably sits in both the rugged and refined camps.

The resurgence of menswear has led to a similar expansion in all things style related for men. While there are companies out there who make the ideal bag, paying upwards of $500 is a bit much for a lot of us.

Thankfully there’s a company who can offer a quality product at about half the price.

I first heard of Far Horizon Traders on Style Forum. The reviews were all favorable in both how the bags look and how they hold up. I reached out to the company to learn more and had a great time getting to know the owner.

Matt is a world traveller who has spent a lot of time in Central and South America. During one of his adventures he purchased an old, weather-worn saddle from an antique shop. Knowing the condition it was in, he took it across the street to a humble leather worker. A day later he had a perfect replacement along with a satchel waiting for him. Now, a full decade later, he has expanded and is selling his hand-made goods from artisans all over the subcontinent

Matt sent me over the Sahara a couple of months ago to try out and I’ve loved this thing. My situation covers both extremes. I work in a refined environment that requires a certain aesthetic. However, on my off time, I have my fair share of casual days and needed a bag that can withstand a bit of abuse. The Sahara has filled both of these requirements perfectly.

It comes with two main, interior compartments. The larger and closer to the back can be closed with a zipper (the only movable part) and is the ideal place to keep anything large that you want people to keep their hands off of (laptop, iPad, etc.). The second compartment has a few interior pockets for things like pens, your sunglasses, and other small items that can get lost in a completely open bag.

The back has a small sleeve that is ideal for magazines, a paper, or a portfolio, and each side of the bag has another small, exterior pocket for any extras you need to access quickly.

The Sahara also has an attached handle to carry like a briefcase and a large, thick detachable strap for when you need to throw it over your shoulder.

The first thing I noticed when I got this bag was how thick all the leather is. This is not some dainty, fused leather concoction that will rip apart the first time you take it out of city limits. That being said, the cleanliness of the shape and the warm coloring of the tan leather make it classic and clean enough that you can take it with you to the office. You’ll want something more streamlined for when you’re in the big city meeting with the higher-ups. But this beauty will be great for the daily grind.

Since I’ve had it I’ve taken it with me on trips out of state, to work every day, and now that we’re in spring, on quite a few motorcycle rides. The detachable strap has been a lifesaver here. For years I’ve been stuck with straps that either didn’t adjust or just slid along D rings. Since this strap is punched and works like a belt, it means I can set the length exactly where I want it and not worry about it getting longer because I have more weight in the bag. It seems like such a small improvement, but not having the bag fall over the side of the bike as I’m taking a corner makes my rides both more enjoyable and safer.

There’s only one thing I would change and that is the prominence of the logo on the covering flap. Thankfully it’s just branded in, and the longer I’ve owned the bag the more it’s faded. It just detracts from the overall cleanliness of the look.

All in all I can 100% recommend one of these bags. It works just as well in the office, a weekend in the city, or a road trip and will just get more character as it ages and you put it through its paces. The Sahara sells for $250 but FHT has other options that start below $200 and are made of the same leather with same attention to detail.

PS. For updates and insights follow me on Twitter.

One of the most common complaints I see about my site on online forums or other areas on the web is that what I advocate is too hipster. Oddly enough, these accusations will usually come from men (or their women) past their mid 30’s who are still content to wear a T-shirt, cargo shorts, and flip-flops. I get that someone who has taken no real concern for his style is going to see everyone who dresses with care as a hipster – even if the accusation couldn’t be further from the truth.

In my Danger and Play series I spoke on the differences in attitude between dressing with an element of danger and dressing with an element of play. These two can be mixed and matched to accomplish certain effects and the same man can wear both styles on different days to drastically change the physical impression he gives.

That being said, the distinctions between styles can still be taken a step further.

If you think about the apex, alpha male that most men aspire to be, there are a few different categories under which those men fall.

The Rugged Man is one who is physically masculine. He bends nature to his will by means of his brute force and has a cave-man attitude that brooks no nonsense. There is nothing subtle about the rugged man and everything in his life exists for a specific, direct purpose. He is the adventurer, the mountain man, the gladiator, and the blue-collar worker.

The Refined Man is one who is financially and influentially masculine. He bends the world of men to his will by means of his connections, his money, and his political/social power. He is capable of mixing both direct and subtle elements to accomplish his ends and has so much clout that he very rarely has to adapt to situations going out of his control (because they never do). He is the titan of industry, the politician, the hedge fund manager, and the 1%.

The Rake is a man who is socially masculine. He influences individual people to his will by means of his attitude, his charisma, and his disdain for following the rules of society and being beholden to another man. While he is capable of using direct elements to accomplish his goals, he lives largely in a subtle world and is always thinking two or three steps ahead of the people around him. He is constantly adapting to new situations and thrives in his ability to do so. He is the playboy, the rock star, the outlaw, and the vigilante.

Any individual man can embody any or all of these different types of the alpha male. Take Teddy Roosevelt as an example. The man was the epitome of a Rugged man. He was physically tough and imposing, even completing a speech after he’d been shot. At the same time, he was a refined man who knew how to dress in a way that met his station as president of the United States. He did not attend meetings or address the nation in his work clothes but did so in a well-fitting suit that fit the styles of the times.

Depending on what kind of man you are, you can build your wardrobe to better communicate it. There are elements of danger and play in all three of these men and the following posts in this series will break down each type of man and how to dress accordingly.

For the rest of the series see:

Rugged Man,

Refined Man,

Rakish Man

Conclusion

PS – Whenever you’re ready, I have three different ways I can help you improve your style.

If you want the easiest approach that tells you exactly what you should be wearing, check out my Effortless Style program.

If you want to better understand how to use your appearance to better communicate with others and build your own confidence and mindset, pick up my book The Appearance of Power.

And lastly, if you really want to get this dialed in without going through a ton of trial and error, you may be a great fit for my 1-on-1 coaching and can schedule a call with me to learn more about it HERE.

PS. For updates and insights follow me on Twitter.