What Every Man Should Own
An Enduring List
We’re in the middle of a crisis about how men should dress. There’s no accepted consensus and no place to learn the standards. The center did not hold. As a result we have men on the red carpet prancing in a low grade clown show. Classic clothing companies are bankrupt, out of business or lack the confidence to make a convincing case for their ideals. Men’s magazines have closed or focus on ephemeral trends supported by their advertisers. They don’t stand for any sort of enduring style.
And yet here we are, having to get dressed every morning with our dignity relatively intact. With that in mind I thought I’d offer a straightforward list of things every man should own. These aren’t rarefied Belgian shoes or velvet jackets for sartorial avant gardists (that comes later!). This is a core collection at home on every man. And they don’t have to be expensive or hard to track down.
I’m starting to refer to what I call the 90% Rule. I’ve adapted this from fly fishing, and that’s advice that works for most people most of the time. I think these clothes would work for 90% of men 90% of time.
And almost certainly you are one of those men.