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.
well put. balance is the key, but to each their own.
Holy hell those socks look awful on the middle guy… well, all three.
Hope your vacay was good, Joe. Again, you preach the simple truth. Esp. about being an ambassador for the side of well-dressed. I have a couple of the guys at my job asking about my style and in turn I ask my manager about his style.
Case in point – I really wanted to assemble my outfit around my brand-new Indochino navy gingham shirt going out for drinks this weekend with the girlfriend, so I paired it with a dark blue tie to break up the pattern, a well-fitting vest since it was a going to be a bit chilly, and dark jeans. I got comments anywhere from “Whoa, where are YOU going??” from my roommate, to “I just saw the new David Beckham cologne commercial, and I’m pretty sure he’s wearing that exact outfit.” from one of my girl’s friends.
I’m not (really) trying outdress anyone – it just kind of happens based on what’s the norm for guys my age. I have some semblance of putting an outfit together, and I like to look good when I’m squiring my lady about town – is that so bad?
In the not so distant past it could easily have been me in the top picture. It is for this reason that I hold no grudges and try to keep my “ugh”s and “yikes”s (that’s right, yikes’s) in check. Speaking from experience, it’s hard to get out of the college rut. Especially in a rural or suburban setting where conformity is key and unique style choices and well fitting garments are considered “fancy.” I see this as more a lack of education (with perhaps some apathy sprinkled on top) than an aggressive anti style movement. It was for me.
This also holds true for the argument about “gays”. Why do men have have homophobia? in the end it benefits heterosexuals as it decreases sexual competition therefore increasing your chances of getting laid. Can you imagine competing with well dressed gays if they were to become straight?
Lets talk about posture. The three “gentlemen” in the picture dont have it. The guy on the looks knock knee’d, the guy on the right look pigeon toed and the guy in the middle looks like a caveman sticking his chest out. While they are all dressed like pathetic losers living in their moms closet their posture doesnt help matters. The girlie tattoo on the left guys leg is a nice touch.
Posture gentlemen . .lets work on it.
I don’t know what you’re talking about, I’m a total judgmental prick.
“While they are all dressed like pathetic losers living in their moms closet their posture doesnt help matters.”
Dude.
“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.”
You are KILLING me smalls.
Tact, gentlemen…let’s work on it.
+1 for the Sandlot reference.
Every year, a friend throws a theme party. This year it’s “dress like you did in High School.” The only problem is most of the people going to this party still wear the same t-shirts and jeans they did back then.
Ryan, have you read the “why are you so dressed up” article here on dappered? I think its exactly what you are running into.
Its a little insight into those kind of comments. http://dappered.com/2011/07/deciphering-this-question-why-are-you-so-dressed-up/
the echos of this article are resounding though the bricks of my work building! Great post!
I’m really, really hoping that his tongue was planted so firmly in his cheek its in danger of eroding a hole.