Are we Metrosexuals?

[acstoon]

Personally I don't care a lot what anybody else wears.... There are limits, however. Grease-stained overalls at the symphony don't cut it. But within some sort of rather wide "norm", I don't really judge a person on what they wear. To me a gentleman is not the guy who "looks good", but who treats others with honor, decency and civility.

Looking good and decency don't always go together. Also, looking scroungy and being a jerk don't always go together, either. I might also add that fancy degrees and big titles don't always go with dressing nicely, and there's no correlation whatsoever between those things and how the person treats other people. At least that's how it works in my isolated environment here at Stanford.

Most of the guys who throw at the Games are anything but "natty". A lot of them rip the arms out of their t-shirts, make sexually inappropriate jokes on the field, insult each other in the beer line, and pass gas a lot. They're definintely not "gentlemen" status and "metrosexual"??? NOT. For professions they do anything from policeman to bus driver to harbormaster to software engineer. But "metrosexual"???? I don't think so.

However, I've seldom met as welcoming and as inclusive a group as the Masters Highland Athletes around here, and the women athletes are absolutely outstanding in that respect. Scroungy? Yes....but gentlemen and gentlewomen? You bet.

Amen.
There's an old saying that goes something like:
"Those that spend time in front of the mirror, have no time to spend on others".
While I do not advocate sloppiness, I certainly would not put much stock in a man who assesses another's value, based upon appearance... too many variables. A well dressed drug dealer, perhaps? A hard-working farmer, fresh in from the fields? One sharply dressed, the other, a bit tattered looking. Both give a firm handshake, look me in the eye, and introduce themselves in a positive manner.
Sorry, nope, the clothes do not make the man.
Vanity is not an enviable trait, in my book.

[Colin]

This is a funny exchange considering it's taking place on a forum populated by men talking about clothes and accessories.............

[JessicaMurray]

I think it has to do with ignorace and envy... Ignorace on what the kilt really is and who wore it. The envy has to do with men in kilts looking so very dashing...

[Bugbear]

This is a funny exchange considering it's taking place on a forum populated by men talking about clothes and accessories.............

Don't forget the hose and garters.

[davedove]

Looking good and decency don't always go together. Also, looking scroungy and being a jerk don't always go together, either.

Not all that glitters is gold.

Some of the most honorable and decent men I have known, and women for that matter, never owned more than one set of good clothes in their lives, and that was reserved for weddings and funerals.

Appearance does affect first impressions, but so often those impressions don't reflect the real person. And, we must always remember, there is a difference between taking care of your appearance and putting on an appearance for others.

[Bugbear]

Not all that glitters is gold.

Some of the most honorable and decent men I have known, and women for that matter, never owned more than one set of good clothes in their lives, and that was reserved for weddings and funerals.

Appearance does affect first impressions, but so often those impressions don't reflect the real person. And, we must always remember, there is a difference between taking care of your appearance and putting on an appearance for others.

A good deal of the way you see someone is from the way you have been trained to see people in your cultural upbringing. Not sure if there is anything you can do to change that, but you can choose to not behave in a outrightly negative way toward someone who is dressed in a way outside of your world view. You could also choose to be negative for that matter...

It's funny, though, how the world can sometimes turn the tables on you, and you are suddenly the one on the recieving end of peoples' negative judgements.

* Edit:
Not sure who is responding to what, But to clarify, this was continuing the theme of my first post and I was also pondering the way I was raised to view the dress and grooming styles of other cultures in a negative way.

Metrosexual... I'm just a little country boy living out here in the desert, so I don't know much about those big city things.

I agree with Panache, but no several people who thrive on picking out problems in everything and everyone around themselves to the point that they can only see flaws. So, what can you do...

I'm not a member of the BSA and don't know too much about the rules, so I won't comment.

*

[Panache]

I submit to the the members of X Marks the Scot:

That while "quality shines through" , it is certainly easier to see if it isn't hidden under a bush!

Presenting a neat appearance to the world shows both respect to others and a respect for one's self.

It isn't a matter of either money or time (it takes very little of either to be presentable).

It does require a certain amount of care though.

Cheers

Jamie

[davedove]

Presenting a neat appearance to the world shows both respect to others and a respect for one's self.

I think you're closing in on it Jamie. I certainly believe this statement and try to at least look neat, even when dressed down.

My thought is that it is the person's motives for dressing the way they do. If you are following the statement above, that's the right attitude. Too many people, however, seem to want to dress better than others to imply that they are themselves better and that's the wrong attitude.

[Panache]

...My thought is that it is the person's motives for dressing the way they do. If you are following the statement above, that's the right attitude. Too many people, however, seem to want to dress better than others to imply that they are themselves better and that's the wrong attitude.

Dave,

I think I can understand your point of view in terms of those that flash name brand clothing about, then dress becomes a sort of economic (though vulgar) display.

There is so much informality and inappropriateness allowed nowadays in apparel. I sometimes about those that disdain the well dressed.

Could it be that the well dressed / appropriately dressed ladies and gentleman act as a mirror to show how poorly turned out these people are?

Who mocks manners save those that lack them?

Who mocks quality save those who don't possess it?

Could it be that those boldly stating that they don't find any importance to how an individual presents them self is because they do it so poorly?

Cleanliness, grooming, attire, neatness, posture, manners, diction, self confidence all reflect well on the individual who possesses them. They are facets that make a gentleman or lady sparkle a bit brighter.

An uncut diamond has strength, but the cut and polished ones shine bright as well.

Cheers

Jamie

[BoldHighlander]

Not all that glitters is gold.

Some of the most honorable and decent men I have known, and women for that matter, never owned more than one set of good clothes in their lives, and that was reserved for weddings and funerals.

Appearance does affect first impressions, but so often those impressions don't reflect the real person. And, we must always remember, there is a difference between taking care of your appearance and putting on an appearance for others.

In other words the old adage of "don't judge a book by it's cover"

Case in point, back in the day I would drop in to visit my mother at work while out riding, wearing my leathers & greasy denim jeans/vest. The people my Mom worked with would later tell her "I'd hate to meet him in a dark alley" to which she'd laugh & say "if you were in a dark alley he'd be the one you'd want there by your side"