Gentlemen,

As my manner of thought is currently unrestrained, I know not what will come of this writing. As I have more than a few matters upon which I wish to tread. Please, bear with me for you may find this to be of considerable interest. There has been much upheaval for my person these past years and I have not put these thoughts to paper. Further, I have not communicated them with anyone. Though we may find ourselves to be Gentlemen I find that, in this day and age, we often lack the company and companionship of Gentlemen. Thus, I come to you. For where better to turn at this juncture? I am sure I know not. For you see sirs, though I may count myself among your distinguished multitude I did not start out that way. If you have the inclination please read on.

It wasn't long ago that I had a change of fortune. I say fortune but, in actuality, it was deliberate machination, determination and as much elbow grease as a man can muster whilst managing to retain his dignity. I had a change of careers. A change for the better but a change nonetheless. With change can come the discomfort of the unknown. This put me in an enviable position of seeing an order of magnitude increase of compensations combined with a substantial decrease in the labor put forth to obtain such. This career change came was not merely a change in employment. Nay! Were it only that simple! There was a litany of change to which I had to become accustomed to post-haste. Professional jargon, a peculiar manner of correspondence, obscure and proprietary technologies to master and, I swear it to you Gentlemen, a secretary at my beck and call. Were that not enough, and let it be known I'm sure that you already expect this, gentle reader. There was to be a substantial change in my manner of dress.

Indeed, it was made clear to me, that dress shirts, suits, ties, polished shoes, cuff links, over coats and similar manner of gentlemanly accoutrements were the order of the day. Anything less? Why no one would entertain the thought. And so, dutifully, I made the change. A visit to my local Mens Shoppe had me set up with pants, shirts, ties and shoes. I felt a little uneasy being what I considered at the time to be 'dressed up' constantly. Indeed, as it were, I was inclined to 'dress down' on the week ends. Perhaps some beat up denim and a t-shirt. That was I at my most comfortable. It wasn't long, however, that I learned that I was never truly not at work. Indeed, colleagues and clients would contact my secretary or the company answering service on any day. I could be assuaging the concerns of a client over the phone on a Sunday after dinner! Soon, I gave up the habit of dressing down. One too many times I had been 'caught out'. Running into colleagues looking as though they had just come from the office or a business lunch while I looked as though I had come from a game of dice in some back alley. Well once was enough!

It was now to be seven days a week. Crisp shirt, creased pants, tasteful tie and polished shoes. The sentence previous became my mantra. I now believed myself to be up to snuff. Of course, then I began to notice other things. Why does my shirt not fit the way Reginald's shirt fits him. As creased and ironed as my dress pants are, why should Leopold look sharper? Thus it dawned on me. How can a Gentleman assume his clothes shall fit perfectly off of the rack? A trip to the tailor was in order. It was there whence upon discussion with the tailor on matters concerning style and the evolution of gentlemanly style that I came to understand and appreciate the art of combining the accoutrements. I now boast a fine assortment of tasteful pocket squares, cufflinks and tie bars.

As an aside, please forgive me if you find this stream of consciousness to be gauche. I did not intend to speak of consumption and money. However, with that said, one can dress like a Gentleman without being one but one cannot be a gentleman without dressing like one.

So, let me say this. When considering the dress of a Gentleman. Do not underestimate the skills and necessity of good tailor. Does your sports coat or suit jacket cuffs cover the cuff of your dress shirt? If so, make an appointment with your tailor at once. Let me also say, for the cost of a decent bottle of scotch you can purchase some very tasteful accoutrements that will sharpen any outfit. A pocket square or vest or tie bar can add a touch of classic style to outfit and make it your own. Is your wallet too bulky for that evening out? Perhaps it distorts the cut of your finely tailor pants or jacket. If so, a fine money clip may be in order. A Gentleman pays attention to the big picture and the small details.

If this post is well received by you fine sirs. I should like to further discuss my delving into the Gentlemanly ways of life. I think a post on proper shaving would be in order.