It’s a bit of a funny time to be a man.
Not in the sense that we are hard done by -because we are not, just thought I’d mention- but in terms of Identity.
We grew up with our father’s and grandfather’s generations having a very different outlook on what was acceptable in terms of gender roles, political views, views on sexuality. However most of what we perceive to be masculine is fairly backward when you think about it. A lot needs to be left behind as we stride into a newer, better, healthier, more social world.
That’s not to say we can’t crack a beer whilst changing the tyre on your late 1960s Dodge Charger, wearing the aviators from top gun, lighting a match off your stubble and setting light to a super smooth Marlboro gold, all the while flipping burgers with your spare hand. No we can still do all that and its cool. It’s tough. It’s not necessarily big nor clever but it’s just great.
Anyhow I rarely do all of those things at once, apart from maybe the drinking and the smoking. I grew up in London, raised mostly by women, went to private school for a bit, got kicked out and went to state school, not that I really saw much of a difference. School is shit and you just have to crack on. Ended up at art school in Scotland and returned to London after. Since then I have spent time working in fashion and getting to the know the industry a little.
So to the point, I like clothes, watches, cars, good alcohol, good food and just generally anything cool and out of the ordinary. However most of what is out there in terms of clothes especially is generally not very good, for a number of reasons; Most of it is cheap fast fashion crap, not that there is anything wrong with cheap (I love saving cash if I can) but in the sense that it is poorly made which is as far as I’m concerned the cardinal sin.
Clothes didn’t used to be cheap when you bought something it lasted and you fixed them and you looked after them. Thankfully the market and general taste is returning to quality over quantity and in this journal I will try and help one navigate it.