He Spoke Style: Rakish Resolutions

A love of menswear can be both a blessing and a curse. Especially, if like this author, you are a Libra. The sheer number of options one is presented with is, to be sure, one of its great pleasures. However, at the same time it can be overwhelming. And not only that, but I think the menswear enthusiast is a man who likes to tinker, a man who likes to go deeper, to explore, to refine that which he knows works for him so as not to become complacent while still retaining the core of what is his own personal style. As a result, there can often be a rush to acquire the new, rather than delight in the now. I don’t know about you, but this is an impulse I’ve more than occasionally had to tamp down. The ramifications of these urges on the wardrobe can be less than ideal. In order to distinguish oneself, it is possible to end up with a closet or drawer full of one-hit wonders. The tie, pocket square or blazer that seemed like a good idea at the time, but has proved through lack of use to have been bought on impulse rather than with a clear head and long term considerations of versatility in mind. As I have fallen victim to this before, I’ve decided that one of my rakish resolutions for 2017 is to think deliberately and practically when adding something new to my closet. And to also think classically. There are holes in my closet that simply shouldn’t be there. For example, how did it come to pass that I did not have a single flannel suit in my winter wardrobe? When you really get down to it, that omission is rather blasphemous, not to mention inexcusable. Which is why I rectified the situation with a certain degree of urgency. Will I continue to lust after and envy the gentleman who displays a singular item with an exceptional level of panache? Of course! And I’ll file it away. But for this year, I’m planning to be disciplined in building my personal wardrobe. Who’s with me?