August 2012

Over the last couple years, there has been a resurgence of men disregarding ideas of what he is “supposed” to wear and becoming more innovative as far as adding more colors to their wardrobe. This is apparent with the button ups, polo’s, or even t-shirts that they wear. It can most importantly be seen in the choices of trousers. The idea of a man wearing pants that are different colors than denim seems ridiculous to many; it seems “feminine” to wear colors beyond the cultural norms of what a gentleman should wear.

I am here to say it is bogus! It is constricting to ones wardrobe to not have varying colors of slacks. Only having khaki and denim as the types of color in the closet doesn’t show depth to the creativity of an individual’s style. Very frequently, I look at my wardrobe and wonder, “how can I make the outfit that I am wearing today have more flavor?” This is wear my red pants come into the picture.

I come across a lot of people who are just baffled as to why I would want to wear red pants. To me, I have always liked the color and the way that it makes certain colors, like navy, stand out more. It makes one’s outfit stand out more and it shows that they have creativity in the clothing that they choose to wear. It can be hard to pull off, but if one sticks to colors like white, navy, or other neutral colors, it can become appealing to others. *You don’t want other colors in your outfit to outshine the pants – make them the focal point!

Style Blogger did an article several years ago on the appeal of wearing bright colored pants. He claimed that confidence was the key to wearing pieces that stood out (In his case, pink pants). I agree with his statement in that I feel that way about most clothing that men wear. We are often self-conscious of the things we wear; a man must be self-assured. They can’t fear what others think or the clothes that they choose to wear won’t seem real to the people around them. This is an important aspect also in individual style.

Don’t fear the red…

Classically yours,

ZRH

I have gone to the same barbershop for over two and a half years. The fascination with going there stated from the Art of Manliness blog, in which they share the importance of a man going to a barber and having a good haircut. I was getting tired of the messy hairstyle and wanted something that had a focus more on the professional side.

My barber Paul, who is one of the nicest, greatest, barbers in town, has helped me to achieve this look. His barbershop, Parkcrest, is located at the southern end of Springfield, toward Nixa. The shop has masculine yet old-fashioned décor, including posters of old cars and barber chairs.

I find it very important for a man to have a relationship with his barber because his hair is one of many important things in representing himself. Because of my friendship with Paul, I feel confident in him cutting my hair because he knows my style and what looks good on me. As men, we are often thrown into what women think looks good on us and not what we value. When I talk with my barber, I feel like we can come to a general feeling of what is important in the style I chose for my hair. This is not to say that what a woman says looks good in a man’s haircut doesn’t matter, but as individuals, we should know what looks good on us and to be very confident about it.