EVOLVE YOUR PERSONAL STYLE - FROM BLUE COLLAR BEGINNINGS!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 มิ.ย. 2024
- In this video we discuss the method and ideology required to improve one's personal style, even though you may feel held back by your blue collar (working class) roots.
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Dent's Factory Store Visit: • WORLD’S BEST GLOVES | ...
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My father had no more than a high school education, and worked on the Canadian National Railway as a brakeman, shoveling coal into the boiler of a steam engine. And yet, when he wasn't working, he never left the house without wearing a suit and tie. He only owned two suits, and a handful of shirts and ties, and one pair of high quality leather dress shoes, which he only took off when he undressed to go to bed at night. In most ways, he was the living, breathing definition of working class -but he always wanted to look like a gentleman, and be treated as such by others in his community.
Excellent advice Ash! For a moment I thought I was listening to my father; your speech is a combination of common sense, noble principles and sound advice. Perhaps the most important part of your message was the emphasis on the character. A true gentleman treats everyone, regardless their social standing, with courtesy and respect. A gentleman does not seek approval or applause; his smartness and dignified behaviour is a reflection of his inner self. A friend of mine told me once: "We do not dress smartly to impress others but to please ourselves, what people may say or think about us is totally irrelevant".
Bravo sir. My sentiments exactly
At last! Excellent observation
I only came to your channel quite recently and enjoy it immensely. At home I dress rather ruggedly on purpose. T shirt, cargo pants, mules, that sort of thing. However, when going out, if only to the grocer, I will don a pressed shirt and trousers and smart shoes. On return I will slip back into my 'duds'. This habit has had three consequences. 1 my clothes are always in top condition even though some of my shoes and clothes are over twenty years old. 2 it ensures that every time I go out I really enjoy how dressing up makes me feel. 3 any wear and tear is done to cheap clothes I can easily replace. These habits I realise, came from my mother, who was quite thrifty and would insist I changed into my 'duds' as a child as, like most boys, I was undoubtedly boisterous. I am now nearly 70 and can boast a good wardrobe without the high costs. Your channel has assured me of how to do things properly. Thank you Ash.
“How can anyone say anything other then ‘thank you for your service’ for fighting to keep your country safe.” Unfortunately here in the states there is a wide variety of responses to someone saying they served in the military. Many of those responses are less then gracious.
I wish everyone would have respect for those who put their life on the line, even if we may disagree with the some or many of the decisions made by the military itself.
Love your content as always!!
My feelings exactly. I was a kid during the Vietnam era, and saw how that war tore the country in two. Whenever I hear someone today say “This country has never been so divided,” I have to chuckle. I remember when saying the wrong thing could earn a night in jail, a spot on the “enemies list,” or a trip to the ER. So I actually think we’re fortunate to live in a time when lots of famous people who’ve been in uniform have made it clear, via the MSM, that wearing a uniform is not a political statement, no matter how frantic the public rhetoric gets.
Thank you Ash for the reminder that it is manners make the gentleman.
From basic blue collar step up to any brown or ox blood dress shoe, chinos, and a polo shirt. You will still fit in with the jeans and t-shirt crowd. You could the add a sport coat on a date and be well dressed for anything. Take to wearing a shirt with a collar. Small almost unnoticeable steps.
Like you, I grew up blue collar. My dad was a hard working bus driver in NYC. I worked 10 years in blue collar jobs before I completed my education and began a thirty year career as an attorney. I went from a uniform with my name over my breast pocket to a three piece suit and a briefcase. I can report that there are men who dress well no matter their vocation and conversely men who do not. Your phrase, “intentionally well dressed” is important. If you want it, you can do it. Especially with a style guide like your channel.
Thank you very much for answering my letter Ash. I truly appreciate it.
My pleasure sir - may your journey to sartorial satisfaction be an enjoyable one.
Another comment: I’m a high school math teacher. The typical male teacher sadly dresses at about the level of many teenagers. When I upped my style game, wow did people notice. Many female contemporaries complimented me! Most of the males I think were taken aback and had the “what the hell is going on here” thought! I mean I didn’t come to school I. A suit and tie, far from it. I stopped wearing sneakers, always a collared shirt, chinos, and just dresses sharply. I did notice over the school year that some of my contemporaries upped their game as well!
A great example of style mentoring and leadership, even if in a subliminal sense, in respect to your students and contemporaries. Outstanding sir!!
I'm a teacher too, and I too always wear a shirt and tie (the jacket is usually in the closet as they keep the place as hot as a sauna). People do notice.
Ash, what a great video for explaining motivations for dressing well. Since I started my sartorial journey last year at 58, I’m shocked at how shabby the typical man dresses, and I include myself until last year. But I have noticed a difference in how my wife and I are treated when out and about when I dress well. Thank you for the encouragement and clarity in your videos!
Personal style evolution is intentional and never resting. Men that aspire are valued and recognize that personal style is a never ending attitude. These men attract others of the same attitude. Practice with intention and your net worth and self worth will both soar. I am living proof of this.
Mr. Bauer’s question reminds me of a gentleman I used to serve at my very first job when I was 14. I worked in a laundry and I ironed shirts. There was this gent who was a heavy equipment operator. This chap’s shirts would come in covered in grime and grit yet smelling of a masculine cologne. He wanted his shirts immaculately pressed and stiff as a board starched. No matter what one’s profession is, we can always look and act like a gentleman. We represent ourselves first then the organization in which we are affiliated.
A great example of personal pride in one's appearance.
Hear hear Ash. A positive about doing a job that doesn't make it easy to dress in style is that you can have a refreshing change of pace when you are off... and your good clothes last longer! I remember being told about an old (builders) labourer who used to wear a shirt and 2 piece to and from work and get changed into his work gear. Oh, and after buying two beautiful pairs of used Northampton made calf leather chukka boots (Cheaney and Crockett & Jones) I can't imagine a time when they wouldn't look absolutely magnificent ... other than a super formal event! Volume 6 for me is chinos, proper shirt, British made merino/lambswool or sea island cotton cardigan (John Smedley or Scottish mill etc), Welsh Corgi socks and brown/burgundy calf leather chukkas... a little smarter,,, stick a blazer on. thank for the video.
It is always good to listen to a well put together argument in this crazy world. Indeed we should be gentlemanly even in our pyjamas, the clothes are the coronation of our good attitude. Thank you
I really like the note you ended on. Being a gentleman is so much more than the clothes. I've found on my journey anyway that the clothes, while just a veneer, manifest the internal values that we prioritize.
Ash great advice with the volume wheel. I worked in factories for over half my career. My father and his father both worked in factories for their entire careers both dressed sartorial when out and about. Now granted this was a different time but I learned from them so I followed suit. My grandfather always wore dress pants with braces even when working in his garden. I have worn sports jackets tweeds mostly almost all my life. Your job does not define you. Always be proud of what you do and set a good example. This is a gentleman. Mr. Bauer dress to make yourself happy and it will give you confidence and self-esteem. Don't worry about what others may think. Being a submariner is something that not a whole lot of people can say they have done. Thank you so much for your service. Cheers Ron
One of the things i heard recently that really stuck with me was from the Robert Powers youtube channel and it went something along the lines of:
Don’t dress well to get a result, people can see through that as a gimmick, dress well to represent a positive change in your personal character, like I am a new man and my outfit, how i dress, is going to represent this new man.
It was very profound and not unlike what was said in this video.
I love your channel Ash, some very nice, positive and genuinely helpful advice.
Thanks!
All in all this was sound advice. I live in a semi-rural area where much of the population is summer vacationers and blue collar workers. The dressing style is very casual. Extremely casual. My advice is to take that very casual to the top of that game. That means never wear trainers, cargo shorts, or graphic T-shirts. Or any T-shirt as outerwear. Polo shirts, dress sneakers, chukka boots, boat shoes, espadrilles, plain front dress shorts, chinos, clean and jeans without holes, and the like for the general wear. And save the suits and ties for occasions where they seem less out of place. It's an upgrade to casual.
Good video. Your “volume” method is basically what I have been doing for the past 6 months or so. I began wearing polo shirts instead of t-shirts, a flat cap instead of a ball cap, and chinos in place of jeans. I like it, and plan to continue turning up the style volume knob.
Currently the bar is set so incredibly low that looking well dressed is easy. Any day of the week I can see people wearing pajama pants and bedroom slippers on the street. Or shorts and a t shirt. Wearing for example, any shoes better than sneakers, dark jeans, a shirt and sweater will beat 95% of the competition. Stepping up to a jacket and tie is considered “formal” by many.
I wasn't all that long ago that farmers and factory workers wore a collared shirt, neckties tucked in, maybe a waistcoat, with overalls on top of that.
Very true. On the railway they try to hem us into nasty polo shirts, but there are a small band of us who order long sleeves button down shirts and hang onto our old Driver's blazers.
I have been making an effort to dress better.
I find wearing a shirt, shoes and Trousers / chinos instead of Jeans / cargo shorts makes others act towards you differently. I am addressed as sir often ( even on low budget airlines).
I feel much better and confident and it is a journey which will evolve into new styles.
Thank you for thd advice.
I currently live in a hostel after becoming homeless and have very few clothes , its put me in a position where I need to buy new clothes , I now intend to focus my new wardrobe on the more sophisticated appearance , just because I am in a hostel I feel doesnt mean I cant dress well , always love the videos ash , chaps guide is my favorite channel on youtube , keep up the good work
Keep the faith brother - life always has a habit of turning a corner when things seem bad. Adding some nice clothes to your outfit will help boost esteem and propel you onto greater things.
*"There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self."*
- Harry Hart😉
Yes, I am a former history teacher and thus someone who has spent a lot of time in university, but as of now I'm *actually* "just" a craftsman, so nothing academically.
I also work in a *profoundly* working class city (Offenbach, deeply steeped in former leather working tradition, now we are but a remainder of the shoemaking industry; it died through the 60s and 70s, latest the 80s), right next to the banking-posh Frankfurt.
Nevertheless I always dress sharp, heck you people here have seen me, I'm dressing as much vintage as I dress formal, there's no reason to dress down.
Here's a kicker: I only truly started once I was *not* spending my life in the academical contexts anymore - dressing up for work in many ways is the signifier for me that I *truly* am superior to my former self.
A signifier, nothing else, but the important part is to do it for yourself - as Mr. Jones points out, you need to do it for *yourself* you do it personally and you'll do it in *your* style and it will be, most importantly, natural to you and thus you won't feel "costumy".
Define it from something, in your case your Navy service - for me it's a far distant connection, I decent from Huguenot nobility, they have not held a title since 1697 and the last male holder of the title in name fell on the field of *The First Marne* , the last female holder of the name died in 1985 so there is truly about as much noble blood of the House of DeBreford in me as is of Charlemagne, but it's a thing I remember - don't get me wrong my vanity is based on just being better than "my former self" but these things, like your Navy service, like my ancestors, they are things that you still hold - heck much closer I did my civilian service (back when Germany still drafted people for service, the cessation of this being a great loss in so many ways, not just militarily but don't get me started on that... ) in a diabetics focused clinic and thus over four or five corners ended up where I'm now.
But that all aside: define yourself, define your style and as Mr. Jones put it: ease into more ..err.. dressy modes of dress (elegantly formulated wow...). If it's warm wear a polo in place of the tee, wear a straw hat of any kind (they're all more purposeful and insanely more elegant than a baseball cap or trucker hat... and they keep you cool), maybe a sports coat with chinos when it's a bit colder, maybe a full coat, single or double breasted in winter, or heck a *pea coat* (!), as a former Navy man your predestined for this!
Ease into it. It took me over ten years to graduate from the Fedora to the Bowler and the Homburg - just ease into it, it's a life decision, you have time.
Hope anything here was moderately helpful!
Best regards
Raoul G. Kunz - just eas
Interesting what you said about how you dress can open doors. I worked in a large office where everyone dressed very casually. I noticed that the managers and directors always wore suits. So wanting to improve my situation I decided to dress like them in a suit, wore a tie, cuff links, polished shoes. After a year I got a very good promotion which was largely due to to the fact that it reflected my attitude which not only applied to my dress style but also carried through showing my approach to my job.
Te way we dress usually affects the way we act - it is a psychological correlation. Always does wonders for my confidence when I dress the part.
After three combat tours in Vietnam I was convinced that I was going to excel in all ways. I started as a carpenter and worked my way up to being and owning a luxury home design and build company. This success journey took me up the ladder dealing with higher and higher net worth people. It became imperative that my personal image reflected my clients personal grooming and style. As a result my net worth and self worth both soared. I’m now retired and working actively on my new retired gentlemen image. Many thanks to you Ash for your coaching. In addition I’ve started a mentoring plan to develop young professionals to become millionaires by the time they are 40. This mentoring includes an awareness of correct grooming and personal style. I’ve included your channel in our conversation. Thanks again to you for assisting me to pay it forward.
Good luck with your new venture sir.
Sir, you deserve all you have earned after enduring hell for the rest of us
Our jobs are Blue Collar, but we don't need to be Blue Collar. There are those men who work in a suit then come home and just want to get that dang tie off. For us, we get home from our jobs and when we go out for a bite to eat, to see a play/movie, for a few pints, or to see the sites, we dress up and look the gentlemen we are.
Good morning sirs. Some well put forward advice from the Grandmaster himself☕
Thank you Ash for covering this subject. I am a blue collar worker and also an US Army vet, and have always wanted to “step up” my style. Very good advice and I sure learned some things. I stumbled upon your channel and I sure do like the advice, instruction and positivity you give your viewers. I look forward to watching and learning more from your channel. Thank you sir!
Hi Ash
When I saw the title I knew it would be from over the Pond.
Blue Collar is not commonly used on these shores, I find.
Excellent advice whatever your flavour of the TransAtlantic persuasion you subscribe to.
Again I am in practical dress for a weekend at home comprising cargo shorts and a T-shirt. Next weekend I may well be in collar and tie.
Regards of outwardly appearance, I concur, it is what's within and how you treat and interact with others.
Great content as always.
🫡
Wow! Sir, the submariner core is an honorable profession and you should never be ashamed or embarrassed because of that! Please continue to Perdue your chap journey!
This was a very good video.....Answered the question very well. Good luck Mr. Bauer and thank you to Ash.
Although my father had a blue collar job at school we wore a blazer, tie and grey pants all the way from grade one to eleven. So I was no stranger to a collar, tie and jacket from an early age.
I worked with the public in a government office job for 30 years. At times a tie and a sport coat were mandatory and other periods not. Policy and standards waxed and waned over my career.
But I usually wore a jacket and tie regardless.
Can confirm its a subtle superpower.
A very good video Ash. Turn it up incrementally. We find our own style and preferences that way. When I respect myself through an improved appearance, it seems so much easier to show respect for others.
Well done as usual sir! As a retired stockbroker from long ago there is a quote from a favorite movie of mine and my time called Wall Street in which the father of the young protagonist Bud Fox is corrected about confusing one's net worth with one's self-worth, the self-worth being the important one! I believe this is an important foundation going forward with all matters discussed here!
Particularly well done, Ash.
Great video Ash. That is good advice for anyone starting their style journey.
Commented on your great videos before but I did want to say thank you for your service, Ash! Also, a good source of inspiration would be the fashion illustrations for the casual/resort styles of the 30s/40s. Sharp looking but not always as much of a jump as a suit.
Excellent video, im just discovering your videos and advice, its non-judgemental and balanced. Im currently falling between styles, stepping up from smart casual but with some country influence (grew up in a field!) but trying to embrace a more sophisticated style...its a challenge but your videos are helpful.
Hi Mr Ash another great video.Thanks Sir.
Thanks Ash for another great video. Very thought provoking. Following the herd is so easy and your comments stopped me with for an ‘ah ha’ moment.
My pleasure!
Hi Ash, what good advice today in your latest video. The difference turning it up just a couple of notches makes to one’s wellbeing, confidence and positivity is quite satisfying, a little effort goes a long way to feeling better about oneself, let no one dent your confidence by little sarcastic comments, rise above men ,, we can do this
Excellent video, thank you Ash! Much love from just across the border in Worcestershire
Glad you enjoyed it!
Well done ash
Ashe, I totally agree with your comments. You have nailed it perfectly.
When I lived in Italy (Naples) in the 70's I though it was humourous that even the garbagemen dressed in suits to go to work. I have since come to realize their dignity was on display and I now see how important it was to them.
One more way is to come to your job (and leave) smartly attired - and then change into your blue collar clothes.
Great video. I was wondering if you could maybe give your opinion on Great quality suit brands or quality clothiers you have encountered or heard of. I'm in the USA. Thanks Brother Ash!
Unfortunately I am unfamiliar with physical brands in the US for obvious reasons, but the best suit-buying experience I have had via the web has been with Oliver Wickes - perhaps that would be a good start point for you?
Well! At 11:32, the black Homburg with the, what is it, cream or light peach trim? Sharp! And is that a shawl collar overcoat? Inquiring minds want to know...
One's profession does not define you. Manners and style present a man to the world before a word is ever spoken.
Hi Ash. Thank you for your content. I’ve built myself up until becoming a major in the British army. I now work in the private sector and have the opportunity ti access bespoke clothing. Do you think it is the clothing that matters or how you assemble it? Yours, Robert.
Good tailoring is a combination of many things, the clothing quality is important, but so is the fit and acumen of the wearer. There are soldiers who wear the same uniform as their contemporaries, but somehow they just look scruffy. It is something of an intangible sense that makes a chap understand what looks good and how to achieve it.
👍
Your “volume knob” idea sounds a bit like my “one step up or down” rule. Given that the boundaries between different levels of dress seem to be disappearing, one can be very open and imaginative about choosing one’s clothes, but one should be extra aware of such matters as color, texture, and pattern. Items should fit together by complementing each other.
Wisdom
'promosm'
Dead right