Your grandfather’s style: why men need to find their roots

By Ryan, February 25, 2016

By Brady Walter // Staff Writer

Trends, designers and labels – this is what defines fashion and clothing nowadays. For today’s young men, getting the “best” designer brands for suits, shirts and even accessories have never been more personified. Imagine a world, not even 50 years ago, where men were dressing better than any men who have come before them and certainly after them. A simpler time, if you will, where men cared about their appearance and stood for something other than what car they drove or how big their house was. Imagine opening up your grandfather’s closet to a world your eyes have never seen before.
One peek into your grandfather’s closet and you will be sure to find not only vintage pieces, but also eclectic and well-maintained ones. Flannels, tweeds, ties and suits are what you will most likely find, as most professional, polished donned these items religiously during their years in corporate America. You are even bound to stumble upon a double-breasted or even a three-piece suit that was your grandfather’s “go-to” for big meetings. He, your grandfather, of a period now far in the past, cherished his clothing, much more than you do today. Regardless of what you will find, you will not find designer labels such as Ralph Lauren, Ermenegildo Zegna, and yes, you certainly will not find any Vineyard Vines for all you High Point University students out there; I hate to disappoint. It used to be the “norm” for men to wear suits daily and now if someone is wearing a suit, it’s commonplace that someone immediately asks them, “Why are you all dressed up?” For a period of time, it did not matter “who” you were wearing as you strolled down Madison Avenue on your way to a big meeting with high-powered executives; it only mattered how you wore it.
Men don’t dress up anymore. This isn’t an opinion; it’s fact. Everyone knows that one gentleman they are friends with who likes to “dress up” when he goes out. But for all those “one guys,” there are hundreds of thousands of men who not only dress down when going out in public, but they simply do not know how and end up making a fool out of themselves without having the proper guidance. It has become a world epidemic, knowing that the overwhelming majority of men can not dress themselves when they wake up each morning to go to work, and yes, these men include CEO’s of Fortune 500 companies, professional athletes, movie stars and everyone in between.
Whether you are a man in his early 20’s here at HPU or a man in his late 60’s, you should take pride in how you dress and how much your appearance can affect other people. Face it – most of us are not millionaires right now, but that shouldn’t stop you from aspiring to dress like one. All it takes is a little bit of guts and character to make a lasting impression on anyone. Always remember that fashion isn’t clothing. Fashion isn’t style. Fashion is character.