A Fistful of Style

Don’t let anyone tell you how to live your life

Having gotten some pertinent questions about getting into #menswear without being overly manly, I thought I’d drop some pearls of wisdom from my mind oyster.

If you’re growing up the single most important thing I can advise you is this.

Learn how to take advice.

What do I mean?

You’ll meet people your whole life who will try to pass off their opinion or taste or feelings as fact. People who will make you feel stupid for doing something normal, or smart for doing something stupid. People who will entrench themselves in awful, indefensible positions and then pass them along as fact to anyone who will listen. It could be parents, professors, bosses, friends, enemies, bloggers (especially bloggers), anyone.

So learn how to take advice. If someone tells you something that makes you say “wait a second…” wait that goddamn second.

The most frustrating thing I find about #menswear are bloggers posting some wealthy, conservative, Italian guy’s opinion of what people must wear with no commentary and see it reblogged thousands of times without thought.

Surprisingly few people are wealthy old Italians. They don’t have a monopoly on opinions, nor should they. And their opinions are not fact.

Becoming an adult, developing a style, getting a job, everything else, that’s on you. Just because someone tells you something doesn’t make it so, no matter how many followers they have.

So next time someone gives some pedantic, bullshit advice, take a second, think about if it actually has any relation to you, then act with extreme caution.

Always remember, whoever gave you that advice, they’re not you, they don’t live your life. And they never will.

Whether it’s #menswear, public policy, dating, or anything else you’ll be better at it on your terms than someone elses. You’ll be a better person too.

Take advice, when it’s good advice. Ignore it if it’s shitty advice, even if it came from someone important, even if you asked for it.

Or don’t, that’s just my two cents. And what did just I tell you about listening to random assholes on the internet.