Slob Love – Celebrating the so-called “schlubs” for good reason
Bill and Ted are hiking through the forest when they suddenly stumble upon a grizzly. The bear rears back and roars, looking ready to charge. Ted quickly unzips his pack and changes out of his hiking boots into a pair of running shoes.
“You idiot,” Bill says, “You can’t outrun a grizzly!”
“You’re right,” Ted replies, “All I have to do is outrun you.”
Slobs or schlubs. We all know the look. Ill fitting, overly casual, clunky shoes, etc. And while they are certainly the majority of the male side of the population, they get throttled on style websites and forums for how they choose to dress. There are two reasons why the schlubs should never be spoken poorly of by those who spend a little more time and effort on their own personal style:
- The stereotype. People think guys who dress “well” are judgmental pricks who look down on someone’s character or intelligence because that person chooses to dress in a widely accepted more casual way. Of course that’s not always the case. But this scenario isn’t out of the question either: Dude A wears a baggy t-shirt. Dude B wears a lightly structured sport jacket. Dude A thinks Dude B is an asshole, while Dude B thinks Dude A is a dope. It’d be better if this wasn’t ever the case.
. - They make us look better. Sounds harsh, but it’s true.
It’s a balancing act. Being a perpetually overdressed that guy is all too easy when most men hate putting on anything but a graphic t-shirt. Looking and feeling your best is priority #1. But at the same time you don’t want to purposely outdress the room to such a level that you’re alienating all the other guys. And if one of these other guys asks you where you got your shoes, or why your suit fits so well, that’s a hell of an opportunity to be an ambassador for this side. It takes guts to ask another guy about his look. Almost all of us were in that position at some point.
90% don’t care – And let ’em.
8% care way too much – And that’s not a label any of us want.
Landing in that final, well balanced 2% is the goal.