British designer decries "scruffy" British men.

[Fletch]

All good advice - in context. The Zeitgeist mostly buzzes right past me anyway. But now and then a chunk of it will smack you in the eye, and you have to think something, and if you're like me you have to tell somebody.

Now back to men, if I may...

I DNRTA yet - I'm not exactly interested in yet another puffy light news item designed to keep an industry and its professionals fresh and buzzy - but I do have an opinion. I believe there is something unavoidably masculine-gendered about the very word scruffy.

I'm scruffy myself fairly often. It's something only a male can do right. Females may be tomboyish or windblown or earth-mortherly, but scruffy is limited. It requires the ability to grow facial hair and perspire, then do nothing about either. It also requires at least a pretense that how you look has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with who you are - that even tucking in a shirt or lacing a shoe can be an act of vanity and, yes, pretense. (Yes, it's possible to have a pretense to a look of no pretense. If it weren't, it would be a very different-looking world.)

That idea is, I hold, thoroughly masculine - the idea that actually caring about your style can be an act of treason, either against your "true self" or, if not that, against manliness.

Ironically enough, though, a male's style is suspect only when it is honest. Pretensions to unstylishness will always pass.

 

[Missy Hellfire]

I think that assertions of the gentleman in the article are quite correct, very few people in the UK today seem to take care of themselves and take a pride in their appearance like people did in the past. In a way I think that it is irrespective of the style of clothing, the pride is not there. I am as guilty of scruffiness as the next person and the social acceptance of such is somewhat dismaying. I saw a fabulous documentary the other month on the Blitz and it showed some footage of a London street the day after a particularly heavy raid. The emphasis was supposed to be on the bomb damage (which was terrible) but I was watching the people; almost to a man, the men had shirts, ties and hats on and the ladies all had hats, gloves, makeup and their hair done and this is the day after their homes had been flattened. They had real pride. Yes, styles change but the populous at large doesn't seem to take pride in anything any more and that I think is where the problem lies. Nobody cares and it's a darn shame.

 

[LizzieMaine]

"Fashionably scruffy" to me describes a man who wouldn't be caught dead actually working with his hands going to ridiculous extremes to make it appear that he does. If I were wearing long sleeves, I'd be laughing up them at such fellows.

 

[Fletch]

But as a woman, and a self-professed working stiff, you have that luxury twice over. Under the current standard of performative masculinity, most men do not. Appearing manly is being manly for them. That or they join Fight Club.

 

[LizzieMaine]

But as a woman, and a self-professed working stiff, you have that luxury twice over. Under the current standard of performative masculinity, most men do not. Their reality actually depends on their appearance.

True. And yet another example of the degenerate, devolved culture that churns and writhes around us.

 

[Harp]

True. And yet another example of the degenerate, devolved culture that churns and writhes around us.

...otherwise euphemistically known as "upper management."

I am rather casual, personally and professionally; eschew neckties as often
as possible and like khakkis, shirts and sweaters for officewear; always
clean-shaven but my hair is a thick wild mop worn long, and I prefer my
leather A2 jacket over a topcoat; drive a convertible with the top down in winter.
Admittedly, I'm a sartorial adolescent psychologically stuck on campus.

 

[Tomasso]

drive a convertible with the top down in winter.

I love driving around the city neighborhoods on a quiet snowy winter's eve with the top down, bundled up with blankets on laps and a thermos of hot chocolate....with some holiday music playing......it's like an urban sleigh ride..

 

[Smithy]

I love driving around the city neighborhoods on a quiet snowy winter's eve with the top down, bundled up with blankets on laps and a thermos of hot chocolate....with some holiday music playing......it's like an urban sleigh ride..

I'm with you Tomasso. When my wife and I last had a convertible we drove it all the time with the top down. Roaring along in an open top sports car in winter, rugged up in a flying jacket and scarf is marvellous. Makes you feel alive!

 

[Fletch]

I prefer my leather A2 jacket over a topcoat

I think you'll find it goes much better over a sweater! lol

Kinda reminds me of James Lileks' remark about a corndog stand advertising "A Banquet on a Stick": "Wouldn't a chair be more comfortable?"

 

[Harp]

I think you'll find it goes much better over a sweater! lol

[huh]
...that's kinda snug, only wear my A2 jacket with a shirt.

 

[bumphrey hogart]

Why am I commenting on this thread?I clicked on the original link and it came up as 'unavailable' and Fletch put 'DNRTA' in one of his posts,so I am ignorant twice over in this thread,(one of my pet hates is text speak,let's at least write properly,assuming we all know these things when we have representatives from all over the world is a tad presumptious,no intention of disrespect Fletch,just haven't got a clue),but this thread is about me,I am a British male,so as Fred H mentioned a resume and comment would indeed be helpful.

 

[Pompidou]

DNRTA = Did Not Read The Article

 

[rue]

DNRTA = Did Not Read The Article

Thank you for that Pompidou, because I had no idea either lol

 

[anon`]

DNRTA = Did Not Read The Article

tl;dr for the text age.

 

[bumphrey hogart]

tl;dr for the text age.

Come on,what the hell?

 

[Tomasso]

one of my pet hates is text speak,let's at least write properly

Is it just text speak or do you hate on acronyms and initialisms in general?

 

[rue]

tl;dr for the text age.

Come on,what the hell?

Yeah.... I don't get that either lol

Is it just text speak or do you hate on acronyms and initialisms in general?

I know you weren't talking to me, but I don't text, so I have no idea what most of it means. I gave up on cell phones awhile ago.

 

[anon`]

Too long; didn't read.

It's what people say when they want to get in on the conversation but are too lazy to dig through what's already been said. Maybe I'm the only one here geeky enough to have encountered that one in the wild.

 

[Fletch]

Apologies to Hogie...er bumphrey...for being a little obscure. I anyway wasn't corking off about British style, with thich I have only a 2nd hand acquaintance, more about the baggage of being male in an imperial culture such as the US'.

And to anyone else who had to go look up an acronym, I likewise apologize.
Lucky you aren't in the military. Among their many other hardships, our servicemembers must speak entirely in acronyms, clichés, and cusswords. Even they have to be performative these days. [huh]

 

[bumphrey hogart]

Is it just text speak or do you hate on acronyms and initialisms in general?

I suppose it's laziness I hate,I think we have a wonderful language and I enjoy using it,with all the desire on the FL to retain the manners,style and attitude of what we perceive to be a greater age lets not forget how huge a part language had to play.At this moment I'm watching 'Gilda',these old films didn't have the special effects current films have so the writing and language was so much more important.Just think of the repartee between Bogey and Bacall.
Why, when we try to keep so much of what was special about that time alive,don't we try to keep the language alive aswell?
I just think these acronyms and short cuts are lazy,especially when there may be a number of people like myself who are unaware of their meanings,then of course it becomes inconsiderate, and then it contravenes the definition of a gentleman,'behave in such a way as makes all around you as comfortable as possible'.Not that I am accusing anyone of being knowingly ungentlemanly,just thought I'd mention these shortcuts go over my head and may go over others aswell.