July 27, 2010

Looking the Part

By: AF Editors

Jeffrey Tucker, editorial vice president of the Ludwig von Mises Institute, is quickly becoming one of my favorite commentators on pop culture. Lately, I’ve read portions of his book, Bourbon for Breakfast, and come across his postings on Mises.org. Tucker usually writes to observe messes the government makes by implementing frivolous rules to every facet of our lives. While this is his area of expertise, I came across an article he wrote about menswear entitled ‘How To Dress Like a Man’ that I feel I should forward to many of my male friends.

You see, there are two types of clothing in this world, those for public consumption and those that exist for functionality. As Tucker explains, “The great dressing error of our time is to confuse the two. Or more precisely: people think that it is perfectly okay to present yourself to others in clothes which serve a purely functional purpose. They say this is fine because it is comfortable – as if the only thing that matters in life is comfort. Well, it is also comfortable not to shave and not to bathe, and we have a word for people like that: slobs. If you don’t want to be a slob, you have to live with a bit of discomfort.” Tucker proceeds to give a very concise explanation of what a basic wardrobe should entail, but I think it’s worth noting that women can always tell when men put extra effort in their appearance. Tailors are your friend, boys.