According to this girlaboutOtown‘s unofficial style council (or gang of girlfriends) – dapper, debonair and style confident men have traditionally been a rare local species here in Ottawa.
However, there is some evidence this may be changing. While utterly unscientific, promising signs have been observed that this uncommon population may be on the rise.
On the street, an increasing number of grown up men appear to be emerging unafraid to express a bit of personality through their sartorial selections. Starched shirts, sharp ties and smart shoes have also been spotted.
This trend might be attributed to a more “conservative” context here in town, or it could be the result of some kind of generational or demographic shift.
Regardless of its cause, the effect is downright positive!
Lets face it – grown up men walk a fine line. Those who walk it well stand out.
For most women, there is nothing less attractive in a man than obsessive vanity, but slovenly nonchalance is equally unacceptable.
Stuck somewhere between a deep fear of fashion and the everyday necessity of getting dressed to go to work in a town where its casual Friday every day, too many men fall back on their chinos. The golf shirts demand no thought or foresight and the sport coats are an effortless accompaniment. In some locations, white socks and baseball hats are de rigueur, and suits are reserved for “the suits”. Unfortunately, once these unspoken dress codes are established by a group of men, their patterns are difficult to break – especially if left to their own devices.
(Hint: The girlaboutotown style council reports that typically, it is at the early stages of mating that these behaviours can be most successfully influenced. Later on in a partnership may be too late!)
Anyway, I count myself fortunate to call a few of Ottawa’s best dressed men my friends (you know who you are!).
These are not business heroes, movie stars or famous politicians, and they’re not made of money. Instead, these are great guys who take care with their appearance without taking themselves too seriously, and who make sure their outside look matches what they’re feeling inside.
I congratulate these men for raising the bar… and encourage the rest of Ottawa’s male population to follow their fine example!
For more details on “how to”, check out these basic men’s style rules from a trusted source on the subject: Holt Renfrew.
Images from from The Sartorialist, selected as one of Time Magazines’s Top 100 Design Influencers.
