If you take a look at a men’s fashion print magazine today, you will likely not see many men in their 40s, 50s, or beyond. Most models are barely out of their teens and mostly twens, and thus there is very little inspiraton for the seasoned or matured gentlemen who wants to look stylish but dress according to his age. You want to look good but skinny jeans, slim suits with short legs and short jackets with slim lapels are not your thing but that seems to be all you see online and offline.
We know that this is an issue for many of our readers and so we decided to interview David Evans, a lawyer turned men’s fashion blogger for men over 40. If you are in this age group, I am certain you will love it and learn a few things on how to be stylish, and what mistakes to avoid when you are a more seasoned gentleman, and even if you aren’t one of them yet – one day soon you will be and I am sure you have someone in your life who would love this kind of advice.
So read or watch the interview below. Please don’t forget to share and like it if you deem it worthy.
Welcome David!
David Evans: Thank you very much! It’s great to be with you.
Sven Raphael Schneider: It’s great to have you. Thanks for being here. I think you are on of the very few men out there who actually focus on not the 20-year-olds, or the 30-year-olds, but older men. How did that happen? Tell us more about that.
DE: Well, I have absolutely no background in fashion or menswear or anything like that. In fact, five years ago, if we’ve been talking, you probably would have thought that I was rather badly dressed. So, about five years ago, I decided I want to do some writing, and I thought I’d start a blog to practice my writing so the next question was “What should I write about?”
SRS: Oh, really. So you just said “I want to write a book!” but you have no idea what to write about?
DE: Absolutely, yes! And the blog was really just to practice my writing skills and perhaps, put together a few ideas and hone them. I thought of all sorts of things, I thought of a cycling blog and a host of other things, but I think I thought that it’d be interesting to talk about something I know very little about. Something that I can maybe talk about with a little bit of humor because, after the age of 40, men find it quite hard knowing what to dress, where to buy their clothes, so I just thought if it made the blog a bit of a sort of journey or discovery, then maybe that would engage the readers. So, that very briefly is how it started.
SRS: Alright! You know I went through your blog, and I looked at your inaugural posts, and you mentioned the influence of your mother and The Sartorialist. Tell us more about that.
DE: Indeed, yes! Just trying to find inspiration for how I should dress to look a little bit better than I did. I went on to Google as I suppose most men would do, and I very quickly found the Sartorialist. There’s one photograph he took a few years ago of all the men at Pitti Uomo in Florence, and that was really my first inspiration. Although I say I really have no interest in menswear or clothes, or so on, I think there must have been a spark somewhere because my mother was a very, sort of artistic and stylish woman and I suspect that some of that influence maybe, rubbed off on me when I was much, much, younger.
SRS: I see, that’s good. But your background is law, is that right? What did you do before?
DE: Yeah, I took a law degree at University and so, then became a lawyer. I was in the branch of law that we called solicitors, over here. I did that for, what, approaching 30 years, probably. And then about, 10-12 years ago, I decided I wanted to do something else and so I re-trained as a teacher. I taught in a primary school which for us, over here, is for children up to the age of 11, for a few years. I still do a little bit of teaching, but otherwise, I’m now semi-retired really, so, I like to think of myself as a blogger who’s also an ex-teacher and an ex-lawyer.
SRS: Wonderful, that’s good! So, how old are you now?
DE: I’m 61 and a quarter.
SRS: Okay, so yeah, you definitely did go through the stages of 40 plus, 50 plus, and now, 60 plus so you have the experience.
DE: Indeed, yes.the demographic of the readers of my blog on Google Analytic because the largest chunk of my blog are sort of aged about 40-55 or something and then it became 60 and so I’m wondering whether I’ll ever get to the stage where I’m much, much, older than the vast bulk of my readers which could be quite interesting and maybe at that stage, I’d have to hand over to somebody younger, I don’t know.
SRS: Oh, well. At least, you’ve been there. You’ve been in your 40s, so you know what it felt like. If I write about men’s fashion in, you know, for 40 plus, and I’m in my 30s, I think it’s less credible.
DE: I’m not so sure really. I think, nowadays, menswear has such a sort of classic basis. You can be almost any age to write about it. To my surprise, I’ve got quite a high percentage of readers in their 20s. I think from the few that I spoken to, what they appreciate is the suits, the brogues, the ties, the pocket squares. There is a sizeable number of young men in their 20s and 30s who do dress that way, and it’s the same with you over in the States. So either way, I’ll advise you, almost whatever age you are to write about those things.
SRS: That’s true! And sometimes you know, maybe if you have a babyface, and you intend to actually want to look older, so dress can be part of that. There is this tendency in fashion ads to go young but sometimes, especially for men, it’s advantageous to look a little more seasoned. You mentioned Pitti Uomo, we did in fact, do a piece on the more seasoned gentlemen and how they dress versus the 20-year-olds because it is different. It’s more, I would say, flashy and flamboyant than the average 60 year old would dress but I think everybody at Pitti Uomo is dressed differently than the regular person. It just makes sense, and it kind of fits in.
DE: Yes! I suppose what’s interesting is that most of the men at Pitti Uomo are probably involved in some way in menswear and fashion industry, so they probably tend to dress that way. I think, probably what I’m trying to look for is something,is a style that men on the street can dress in without necessarily feeling too self-conscious. You can take elements from what the men wear at Pitti Uomo but perhaps, not go quite as extreme.
SRS: On a more personal level, what were the challenges you experienced with your wardrobe once you turned 40?
DE: I think when I was 40, 21 years ago, I certainly didn’t have the interest in clothes as I do now but, thinking back to that period of time, even without that interest that I have now, the passion for clothes, because you’re in that transition from being young to being older, there is a worry about whether you can wear that t-shirt or those shorts. Now I’m older, should I really be wearing these things? There are concerns that seem to sort of come to dominate your existence in many ways. I think, it’s all sort of encouraged by the menswear industry which you’ve touched on earlier, tends to just advertise too much younger men, most models are probably in their early 20s in menswear adverts. I think that it probably promotes a slight feeling of concern in the older men. if it’s only younger men who are wearing these things, what should I be wearing?
SRS: Exactly! There’s this kind of void where you just don’t know what’s going on.
DE: Precisely, yeah!
SRS: You probably have a chance to speak to your readers or exchange emails, what are the concerns or challenges they have? What do you hear over and over again?
DE: Interestingly, it’s quite often price. A lot of men, particularly over here, I don’t know whether it’s the same with you in the States, Is it right to buy cheap clothing? So, if I write about something which is fairly pricey, I will certainly get a few people commenting that they can buy similar stuff from X on the high street for sort of a tenth of the price. So, although I try and cover on the blog, clothing of all prices, I do find it’s one of the most regular comments I get from my readers. The price of something, I do occasionally try to make a point, that something cost more for a reason is because it’s good quality, it’s going to last longer, it’s going to fit better, the quality of materials is going to be better.
SRS: That’s true. When you say made in UK, you mean mostly made in England, is that right?
DE: No, I mean made in any countries of the United Kingdom, that’s what I’m talking about, really. I have on my blog a list of British-made menswear, and I’m really looking at companies that supply or make menswear within those four countries.
SRS: So, how do you think this is special compared to, let’s say, made in Italy, France, Germany, made in US, made in Japan. What makes it special for you?
DE: I don’t think I’m claiming it’s special in the sense it’s better. I’m writing about it because it’s my country and I suppose, I’m interested in it because this is a British thing. it would be equally easy to write about the menswear that was made in Japan, or France, or States, where there are very similar movements, I understand. Even in China, I gather there’s a rise in the sort of pride in made in China clothing and some of it is very quality. So, if I lived in the States, I’d probably be doing something very similar but for American-made menswear, sort of little artisan workshops that are producing denim and so on, would be a great interest to me.
SRS: You’re right! There’s a big movement here too, like just having this kind of boots, and jeans, and shirts, and so forth.
DE: I think there is a sort of pride to wearing stuff that is made in your country, and you can sort of think, well, I am helping the economy, I am helping employments, and in a way, maybe that’s more rewarding than helping the economies of countries that are thousands of miles away.
SRS: So, we take a step back from the British, UK made and more about age appropriate clothing. How would you define that?
DE: I think, looking at it from my perspective as the older man, to me, and many may disagree with this, age appropriate clothing is something that’s fairly classic in terms of its cut and its style. Not too extreme but having said that what interests me is that, I know men of my age who do wear Converse and very tight jeans, and Harrington jackets, so whatever and they look great in it. So, one of the things I haven’t yet quite got my finger on is why they look so good in what, with otherwise, clothing which would be worn exclusively by younger men. Some men manage it, and others don’t.
SRS: So, would you say, never get too old for denim and sneakers?
DE: No. I don’t think they do. Denim has been around longer than any of us and jeans have been around longer than any man on the planet. Seems quite wrong that it should just be seen as something that’s exclusively for young men and the older man may want to choose the slightly more relaxed fit because you get to an age where your shape changes, you may not look great enough in a tight pair of jeans, but I don’t see why men of any age shouldn’t wear jeans and the same with sneakers and trainers.
SRS: Okay, so, when men get older, things change. Your hair, it turns gray, your metabolism slows down. Let’s assume you’ve already developed a wardrobe in your 20s and 30s, will that have to change once you get into your 40s and 50s?
DE: I think that’s a slow process. I don’t think you wake up one morning and throw open the doors of your wardrobe and think Oh, I can’t wear any of this. it happens slowly, suddenly, you’re no longer a 32-inch waist, and you might become a 34-inch waist and then a few years later, 36, it goes on like that. I think it sort of happens slowly so, you adapt your style slowly, and as your clothes wear out, you change them.
SRS: Are there any colors that work particularly well with gray hair, in your experience?
DE: I quite like that gray, silver vibe with gray hair. So, maybe, a gray flannel suit but then you can pick out a bit of color, pocket square and the tie and so on. I like dark blue, I’m wearing a denim shirt and a sort of chambray pocket square with a sort of silvery gray, denim jacket. I think the great thing about gray hair is that almost anything will go with it, so you probably want to try bringing out a bit of color, maybe just pops of color around the tie, accessories, and so on.
SRS: Do you find that there are certain patterns that work better for you now that you have gray hair than before?
DE: That’s quite a difficult question because I think patterns as a concept is something that I never really thought about longer than 5 years ago anyway and so I have no real experience of how I would have treated pattern when I had in my original hair color. It can, I think probably, I can’t really see that having gray hair would make a great deal of difference to be quite honest. I like patterns! I like checks, Glenn checks, and herringbones and so on. So many of them do have a gray base to them, so they do go well with gray hair. As I was saying earlier, you could bring out the color in a nice paisley tie, or a pocket square, or striped shirt or something.
SRS: That’s a good point! How about socks? I’ve heard like older men tell me, you know I got these socks with some color, and now I get compliments all the time, is that something you’ve experienced as well?
DE: Yeah, I do wear colored socks. I tend to wear plain, colored socks. I’m not a great lover of patterned socks, I think that’s something you’ve got to be very, very, careful with. I remember in my less educated days, in the 80s, I used to wear with my pinstripe suit as a lawyer, I used to wear a sort of Disney pattern socks, which, you know, I think about now, and I just cringe. So, I think that probably gave me a disliking for patterned socks. Yes, I think it can be really interesting to play with, with color because we were talking earlier about the gray suit, the gray hair even may be a white shirt and then you could wear a bright blue paisley tie and a bright blue pair of socks with a pair of black shoes. Suddenly, what is a very gray look is just lifted by two items of clothing, two accessories which bring a little pop of bright cobalt blue or whatever it is to the look. I think it can really work well.
SRS: There’s always a kind of series of questions that we ask people, and it’s a simple one or the other and so let’s start. Oxford or Derby?
DE: For me, Derby. Simply because the shape of the oxford isn’t so suitable for my poor injured foot so Derby.
DE: Either! For me, it’s going to entirely depend on the color, the shape, and so on. I have no particular preference on the type of cloth in that sense.
DE: Unfortunately, I put bowties in the same category as cravats. it’s something for me to experiment with some time.
SRS: Absolutely. Belts or suspenders?
DE: Well, it’s interesting. I just thought to experiment with what we call braces, and you call it suspenders. I just had a suit made with buttons or braces for suspenders. I really just tried them out for the first time last week, so this is a very timely question. I have to say, I really enjoyed the experience. Inevitably, I had the braces too tight to start with, I loosen them and loosen them, and loosen them, and ended up with something that was very, very comfortable. So, I think, I’d probably be using those a lot more but for the time being, I’d have to say belt.
SRS: Alright! Barrel cuff or French cuff?
DE: Entirely depends on the circumstances. I’ll wear a French cuff, what we call the double cuff, for something fairly formal. So it’s sort of horses for courses on that one, for me.
SRS: Undershirt or no undershirt?
DE: Generally, no unless it’s very cold in which case, I will wear an undershirt, what we call a vest but you call the vest something else. We sort of got this transatlantic terminology clash here, haven’t we? (laughs)
SRS: Exactly! So off the rack or bespoke?
DE: I’d love to say bespoke but like any other man, I couldn’t afford to be bespoke all the time, and so I’d have to say off the rack although my preference would be to have bespoke.
SRS: Tell us more about you current wardrobe. What does it consist of? What does it look like in terms of ratio, bespoke, made to measure, ready to wear?
DE: At the moment, there’s very little bespoke. There’s a fair amount of made to measure suit, but the vast majority of it is off the peg. Of course, being a blogger, I get quite a lot of stuff given to me. Having said that, I think it’s actually probably a smaller wardrobe than you’d expect from a blogger because I tend to have this rule that some stuff that comes in at the bottom, it goes out at the top, and I take it off to a charity shop, I think what you would call a thrift shop. So, I try and keep a fairly small selection, partly because my wardrobe is physically quite small.
SRS: So how many suits and sportcoats do you have right now?
DE: I’ve probably got about 4 or 5 suits, maybe 6. About the same number of sport coats, maybe 20 shirts, 2 or 3 waistcoats, vests as you would call them. Probably about 15 pairs of brogues, hundreds of pairs of socks, what else haven’t I mentioned? Probably about 40 ties, something like that, probably about 60 pocket squares all stuffed in a drawer, maybe 5 or 6 pairs of chinos, a couple of pairs of denim jeans, a pair of trainers, about 4 or 5 bags of every sort, leather, tweed, shoulder bags, handbags… Not a huge wardrobe really. Probably, if I was going to have a wardrobe of choice, it would be three bespoke suits, one for summer, one for very formal, and one for sort of in between. Maybe ten handmade shirts from Turnbull & Asser or something, you know but it never quite works out like that, does it?
SRS: You mentioned a suit that was being made for you, tell us more about that, the pattern, who makes it?
DE: My first, sort of proper bespoke suit was a very nice tweed suit made for me by a tailor in East London, which, very unfortunate, I lost the trousers, I lost the pants on the bus somewhere after I’ve taken them to be repaired. So, my one bespoke suit is just a jacket at the moment. I’ve got three of four suits which were made for me, offered to me as a blogger, made to measure. Various services where one of them is a service where you all your measurements online and the suits eventually appear. Another one was a combination of that. It’s quite interesting, those suits are, you know, they fit reasonably well but not as well, obviously as a bespoke suit. I am having a bespoke morning coat trousers made at the moment by a tailor called Cad and the Dandy in Savile Row, and that’s for my daughter’s wedding. I’m also in the middle of a very interesting project with Johnstons of Elgin who are in Scotland, and they weave cloth. They very kindly invited me to help, to work with them, to design cloth and are then going to have that made into a suit by Dege & Skinner, who are very well established tailors on the Savile Row. The cloth is sort of a Prince of Wales check sort of variation so that, for me, is very exciting because it’s a new departure for me to have a truly Savile Row bespoke suit.
SRS: That sounds very exciting! What are things you’re planning for the Grey Fox blog in the future?
DE: Well, one thing I started to do last year was a photoshoot where I borrow or call in, or I’m given clothing by a brand and I work with a friend of mine who’s a superb personal stylist and a photographer. I’m just photographed wearing their products and the reason I do that is linked to this concern I have that these brands are using just young models to sell their products, so the older men do not really get a chance to see that they do look good on older men, hopefully. So, that’s something I want to do a little bit more of, and I’m also interestingly being asked to do various talks and hosted events, which is quite interesting, being put forward as the guru, the expert, which I don’t really think I am but that’s a very interesting experience for me to sort of pass on the results of my journey so far to all the men in a similar position to. So, there’s plenty happening in a way, almost too much. I think being a successful blogger when you’re on your own can be great fun, but it also brings a lot of pressure. Every day I get a dozen or two emails asking me to work with brands or to write about products, I’m sure you get exactly the same thing. When you’re on your own, it can be very difficult to deal with that simply because you haven’t got enough hours in a day to deal with the administration, and the emails, and so on. All that is a challenge which I’m trying to work on at the moment. Thinking about whether a blog should be commercialized because I think when you’re a personal blogger in my position, people do like to think that what they’re getting is your personal opinion rather than the opinion that’s being paid for. I don’t want to stunt the blog development by being suddenly too commercial so, I’m not complaining, it’s a very interesting period to be going through as a blogger, I really find the whole thing very stimulating and enjoyable.
SRS: Wonderful! Thank you very much for the interview, David. I thought it was very interesting.
I’m not impressed with this guy at all. Sure, its easier to dress like a neo college-aged fashionista when you’re 140 pounds, long-legged and have a head full of hair. To me its both sad and opportunistic. What’s his advice for the 290 pound, short, bald 73 year old? Or the round-shouldered 70 year-old bookworm with thick glasses and while slight of build still sports a persistent pot belly? Or the old man with back problems and a limp. None of these conditions are rare, and neither are many other anthropomorphic maladies that attend advancing age. Instead of trying to adopt a style of dress that imparts a desperate [and diaphanous] desire to cling to a youth long gone, classic British style is both timeless and flatteringly tailored to older men, much like a well-shaped beard, or a Homburg or Bowler hat. Canes are a great accessory, and often a necessity – much style and aplomb is available there, as with eyeglasses such as pince-nez, rimless, monocles, Santa claus half-lenses, or small photo-grey aviators. A tattersall vest or weskit serves a prominent belly well. Thick sideburns, fountain pens, pocket watches with great chains, eye-catching cuff links, the appropriate medals and/or pins, gorgeous braces (suspenders) and fine over-the-calf socks are as mandatory as a lapel flower and pocket square and an outstanding scarf. No jeans EVER, but turtlenecks are fine, and demure footwear works best. If you still have the filthy tobacco habit, cigarette cases, Dunhill lighters or the right pipe (preferably never lit) are correct. Cigars are not. A properly impressive, masculine ring is good, but not on the pinky, and not more than one. For casual wear, ditch the pocket watch for a formidable (as formidable as you can afford, at any rate,) wristwatch. For the thin – bulky cable-knit sweaters, and for the portly, properly draping silks and linens. Immaculate grooming and attention to detail fits the 65+ better than J Crew styles ever will.
Please check out this guide about suits for big heavy men.
Count,
I didn’t get the impression David was out to ‘impress’ us. Simply to open a conversation many men are about as open to discussing ( in a public forum anyway ) as they are divulging their divorce settlements. Becoming a regular reader of GG really has been a life changing experience for me, but always felt we older fellows were being somewhat neglected?
That said, your post is something of a resource in itself! Any piece as candid and humorous and lovingly detailed about man’s battle w/ aging as yours, is well worth the time. A watch couched as formidable? Let’s just say there are things you can’t un-read! Thanks.
I looked forward to reading this interview, which I thought would pertain to me, a 60 year old man, who has broadened around the middle as he aged. The matter of waist size was touched upon, but the style of clothing, how to get away with that new, bigger belly and still look good in clothes, was not there. I felt it did not go into enough depth, and was biased toward a particular reader, thinner and having the opportunity to wear more “dressed-up” clothing, with a bent towards the bespoke (who wouldn’t prefer that?). Perhaps in another blog, the matter of dressing for your age AND body type has been or will be covered. I’d like to know how to dress for myself too.
It would be too much to cover all kinds of bodytypes for one age group in one post. We will come up with more, in the meantime, read our guide to suits for big men.
Us more rotund types should generally stick with blocks of colour. Consider angles a good deal. Don’t entertain horizontal stripes. Buy v neck t-shirts. Avoid spread collars. No ticket pockets on jackets. Look for angled pockets. It’s all about angles that flatter. Look to draw attention away from your middle. Splashes if colour will help – a tie, a pocket square, socks etc.
Thank you Raphael for targeting a market that very few of the bloggers that I have read even touch upon. This surprises me in that the “baby boomer” generation now comprises one of the largest contingencies on the planet. In your interview with David Evans.You hit on many areas of style and “attitude” pertinent to this group and found David engaging and refreshingly “genuine”. I immediately went to his site and,I am sure,will continue to do so. Well done Raphael!
Richard,
Boomers may comprise a large demographic, but sadly we’re what economists refer to as “past Peak Consumption”. Even though we have more disposable income than any other age group, manufacturers ( at their own peril! ) fall all over themselves to please & appease the 18-30 crowd while dismissing us entirely. Hardly confined solely to clothing. For years I felt reduced to scrounging through vintage shops, acquiring (1) piece at a time. At that rate I figured I’d be deceased before well dressed?
It’s hard to imagine any soul searching on the part of major apparel mfrs., but encouraging to see more niche shops taking advantage of their, inefficiency? And agreed, DE was most refreshing and already added to my faves.
Thank you Raphael for targeting a market that very few of the bloggers that I have read even touch upon. This surprises me in that the “baby boomer” generation now comprises one of the largest contingencies on the planet. In your interview with David Evans, you hit on many areas of style and “attitude” pertinent to this group and I found David engaging and refreshingly “genuine”. I immediately went to his site and,I am sure,will continue to do so. Well done Raphael!
I won’t be as brutal as a couple comments have been but I think this is a dangerous subject to treat as mono-dimensionally as the photos here seems to. Easy to alienate folks. We’re already used to being treated as not worth marketing to in many ways. It wouldn’t be too hard to have added one or two examples to illustrate a range of mature shapes. But you have one image and one skinny man’s take on maturity presented. Most of the styles seen on this one man would look just as great on a larger, less GQ form as well, with the right tailoring. And jeans? Forget they exist unless you work on a farm! I’m 59 this year and 6′, 245# with a bad back and the beginnings of a stoop. I found TONS of web sites and books dedicated to style that I was able to gain inspiration from, including Alan Flusser’s excellent works. (IE: “Dressing The Man”.) I also started a working relationship with a local tailor with a British house style and an excellent eye. Mr. Evans probably doesn’t have much bespoke because he can practically wear off-the-rack at his size. I’m a difficult fit so bespoke is the best approach and all my suits and sport coats are bespoke commissions. Being older presents challenges to style but I have the advantage of not having to work with a college-grad budget anymore either. Most men can still get away with Made-To-Measure and pay less as long as the house offers a traditional fit, and doesn’t try to stuff you into a slim Italian cut.
BTW: You mentioned most print rags won’t have anything at all about mature men and that may be true, but who looks at print anymore? I sure don’t. Embrace the search engine in your Web browser. Mature Men’s Style Inspiration is a click away.
Cheers!
Joe,
Granted, print’s been DOA for some time, but style blogs for older men has to be about the last space on the internet to be fleshed out. About 10-15 years back or so ( as the Old Navy look just wasn’t working for me any more ) style blogs for older men seemed few and far between.
I couldn’t be more pleased there’s a growing marketplace of ideas out there, and someone bound to suit your tastes. I’m not far behind you, 57 y.o, 5′ 9″ around 200 lbs, so our BMI’s ( and challenges ) are probably identical. If I’ve learned nothing else, moving up the ladder is great but that desk job is not your friend!
The older one gets the more effort one makes with appearance. Having followed fashion all my life I dress according to the current trends. There is not really any age cut off if you plan your attire carefully according to your size and looks . It is all about demeanour and self confidence. I really enjoyed this video as it shows it is down to the individual to make his own fashion statement .
What a bunch of whingers you guys are – but 10 out of 10 to the Count’s response…it made my day.
You can’t blame David for being thin. Good luck to him.
I had not heard of his blog. I’ll have to check it out.
For those of you not sure what to wear get a copy of the book Dressing The Man and sift through it and pick out what you think would work for you. And read GG, of course.
Learning how to dress is important,b it so is learning how to eat. As it turns out we likely know little about eating or dressing for our body type. We all know we need to eat better and exercise more. We often don’t because of not knowing how or maybe we tried before and failed. Most of my time these days is spent helping others avoid what is all too commonly accepted as normal aging. Turns out about 90% is totally preventable and reversible. Glad for the help from GC and the grey fox in learning how to dress better. Here’s to feeling better, looking youngerand, living longer.
Tim,
Agreed. As a Guard member, we’re required to keep our Waist measurement 39″ or less. I usually tape in around a 37. Hopefully. They must know what they’re doing because after the holidays my clothes and uniform fit awful! Your shirt constantly rides up on you and I’m lucky to get my jacket buttons done?
Sadly as we move up in the world, a desk job awaits! Then… the inevitable downward spiral. It’s been my good fortune to put a stop ( or at least a temporary ‘hold’ on aging ) and the compliments keep one motivated. But lately I’ve read a great deal about many of us over-exercising and that health & fitness benefits from that, have their limitations.
Matt, exercise creates inflammation which promotes healing and tissue growth. The problem is without proper recovery we go from acute to chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation is associated with disease. So, too much of a good thing is not healthy. Also the type of exercise is important. I talk about junk exercise as well as junk food. Neither help reach or maintain a healthy body weight.
I’d be eager to learn more. Perhaps you can open it as an OT ( off topic ) on Sven’s next post?
Only last week I came across another ‘casualty’ at work. We only have to run a mile and half for our annual test. But a friend of mine ( chronic over trainer ) finds it necessary to run 5 and 8+ miles several times a week!
What’s w/ the leg brace? Oh uh, doctor’s orders! Limp.., limp. So yes, if you had a link or site I’d be open to checking it out. At the end of the day, I don’t believe the military gives a RIP about our “long term health benefits” and is more concerned over how flabby members look in their dress uniforms!
And as Sven notes, looking good is its own reward!
Everyone ages differently. Some stay in shape even beyond 60. For some of us, we still look as though we are in our early to mid 40’s but in fact are over 60. ( The Christie Brinkley syndrome, lol). With that said, some of todays men’s fashion doesn’t even look good on the 20-something’s that model them. Especially suits, the short waist, high cut legs as though anyone that puts one on looks like Pee Wee Herman caught in a flood and the suit shrunk all around them…so to look good and to appear elegant, no matter ones age, it’s best to dress traditional classical styles with contemporary accents with color ,ties, etc.
I follow the “Grey Fox” and like what he writes.
However this article “The older man struggles to find fashion” is bull! now that I am a bit older I am more comfortable and confident.
So I dress FOR ME and wear what I like. I also have more money than when I was younger so now have more choice, I know more about fabrics, cut and fit of clothing and what quality is!
I always dress as a gentleman should and have encouraged my children to do the same.
So gentlemen, go out and get what YOU want, and if you don’t have a “regular” body shape (whatever that is!) find a good tailor to alter you clothes so they fit you well.
I think that Grey Fox does have a few fair points, but overall I think that the older gent can easily dress well and feel ‘in fashion’ if he looks in the right places.
As someone who got into bespoke tailoring nearly 40 years ago, largely as the result of much dissatisfaction with off-the-rack clothing here in the U.S., and then having a tailor make me a suit (of my own design), all I can say is, having something that is 1) made well, and 2) fits you properly is the foundation of dressing well. The next thing would be wearing clothing that fits who you are and your lifestyle. My one and only tailor told me (as a 21-y.o.!) that if he couldn’t make me look better than I was and 10 lbs. lighter, he hadn’t done his job. That has essentially been my goal with my male and female customers ever since, and seeing older men (like myself) in well-cut and fitted 2- or 3-piece suits, for example, only supports my point. Having a paunch doesn’t at all mean one can’t dress very well (Churchill is only the most immediate one who comes to mind). And being thinner doesn’t mean one doesn’t look execrable. Unfortunately, we have lost a general ability to know what this is, going instead for “fashion”, which can as often as not have you looking like an a**, regardless of money spent. Whether it’s going back to older photos, or finding current older men who know how to dress properly, it would be doing us all a service who have to deal with what happens rather naturally as we age.