Have It On My Desk By Morning

The Three Most Overlooked Necessities That Should Be In Every Gentleman's Drawers....(the Ones In Your Desk.)

The sound of a bell begins it all.  The screaming children, the rustling papers, the smell of inspiration, the temptation of the fire alarm--school has begun for another year.  And yet despite my tireless preparation within my classroom and mind  for the coming months of baldness-inducing stress and turmoil, I have surrendered to the fact that I am as ready (and as unready) as I will ever be.

However, I must confess that such preparation has been an unbelievably eye-opening experience for me in the realm of essentials.  It seems every day of preparation must inevitably end with yet another paper filled with "must get"'s and "desperately need"'s.  And while my mind now consistently aches at the constant listing of possible supplies for every conceivable scenario, my absolute favorite part of this ordeal has been the acquisition of my own personal desk in my classroom.  To be honest...it's beautiful, with drawers and holders, and even a CEO chair that tilts back and swivles--an utterly meaningless and disdainfully self-important feature that I would never have missed but now seem to find it incomprehensible to ever be without.  It has everything.  Or so I thought.  You see over the past few days I've had the opportunity to recollect all I've ever been told to always have handy at the office (or classroom) in your desk.  Of these epiphanies, I've narrowed it down to the three I believe to be the most commonly forgotten and overlooked essentials for every gentleman's desk drawer:

#1: The Spare
I've observed this little piece of advice everywhere from GQ to MadMen, and it makes so much sense the great apes have been at it for years.  Keep a spare dress shirt in your desk for those Tuesday Sloppy Joe lunches or that hellishly scorching July afternoon when your air conditioning goes out minutes before a meeting.

#2: Keep the Good Stuff Within Reach
Senile Boss? Narcissistic cubicle mate? Parent-Teacher Conference? Keep the tea or coffee along with a giant value sized bottle of aspirin in close range.  It might be the sole savior of your career.

#3: Always Be Ready to Whip Out Some Gratitude
To be honest, until recently I'd have given myself a deliberate paper cut for suggesting such a notion.  Thank you notes?  As a gentleman?  The idea seemed absolutely dripping with juvenile femininity.  And yet upon finding some unbelievably refined stationary left over in my desk this week from my predecessor, I decided to skip the standard and lifeless e-mail option and opt for a more traditional, hand written approach.  I loved it.  And upon further research into the idea, I stumbled upon several sites for refined men that unashamedly condoned and encouraged the nearly extinct art of a hand-written thank you.  A true gentleman understands the science of appreciation should be done in the same refined manner as everything else and should keep the tools for doing so close at hand.  And I mean, as long as they're in my desk, I might as well use them...  

Style History #1

My first video in a series that journeys through the origins of the most common manly fashions.  First up: The Origin of the Gentleman's Shirt Collar.  Enjoy!

"Please Report to Q-Branch"

A Rundown of My Favorite Gentlemanly Accessories

Concealed handgun, watch, knife, ring, keys, 6 flash drives, lighter.  The emptied pockets of an international super-spy or merely one of my many tech-savvy I.T. friends?  Well, both, in case you're wondering.  You see, I've recently become addicted to an inexplicably entertaining game of attempting to guess the contents of my friends' pockets:  the gadgets, the accessories, the tools--all building upon each other to provide an astoundingly accurate visualization of that person's personality, hobbies, quirks.  To be honest, it is a far less stupefying past time than trying your luck at guessing the incomprehensible and baffling contents of a lady's purse, but it does afford the player some interesting conversation and a considerable lack of headache-inducing bewilderment.

However, in the course of packing up all of my belongings in preparation for my weekend relocation to a dwelling closer to my newly-acquired teaching position (YAY!), I found my little fascination had turned against me.  In short, the moving process has forced me to condense my once diffused array of accessories into a lone cardboard box, which has now seemingly become a window into my very quirky being.  Having turned the looking glass upon myself, I've gained a new appreciation for the little details of my wardrobe I often take for granted.  And so, I present to you, three of  my personal favorite accessories you'll likely never catch me without:

1.My Rocket-Powered Tie Bar

Tie Bars and I have developed an insatiable love-driven relationship for a couple of years and things always seem to heat up whenever we get together.  Most notably after I grabbed this jet-plane shaped 1.5" silver tie bar last weekend for only $5 at a thrift store near Houston.  My Style-o-meter just buzzed the tower at Mach 3, Goose.  And yes, I do feel the need.... 

2. My Adopted Family Crest

I honestly have no idea when or where I got this wicked cool crest pin, but I remember finding it inside a tweed jacket I scored from a thrift store back in high school.  I also have no earthly idea whose family crest is engraved inside, and despite aimlessly Googling it a few dozen times only to ensure it wasn't mine by some eery cosmic coincidence, I've decided that it is now my adopted family crest.  Regardless, I can't help but love the beautiful antique feel and versatility of this piece.  Rock it as either a tie or lapel pin and it never fails to boost the swagger of any look with that distinctive vintage charm.  Here's a good place to start quenching your crest fever. 

3. My Wedding Bling

James Avery - Scripture of Ruth Band

Now I'll try to resist getting all mushy on this one, but I absolutely love my wedding band.  Why?  The truth is, gentlemen have been jipped on the wedding band front for years, and an actually unique option is practically out of the question.  Fortunately, if you look hard enough (like my lovely wife did) it is possible to find wedding bands for men that exude charm, meaning, and style.  Hands down, nothing I've ever worn has elicited more compliments than this little jewel.  I guess it's a good thing I'll have it on my finger for a very, very long time!

What are some of your favorite gentlemanly accessories?      

So Long: A Eulogy For My First Suit

Easter.  A season of pastel eggs and Springtime, of spray-painted baby rabbits and hollow chocolate ones, of shiny pink slippers and dashing clip-on ties.  It is a season not even remotely relevant to a post written in August, but yet one that marks a definitive beginning in a young boy's life.....or, at least for most.  You see, I've come to realize over the last few weeks that I may, in fact, have been the only male child in the 80s that did not have an Easter suit--a fashionably tailored little delight from JCPenney complete with white dress shirt and a sparkling red, paisley tie.  Obviously, it is a bit difficult to recall such traumatic past events, so I believe I might have had some sort of navy blazer get-up, but for the sake of this post let's say that I shamefully fail to remember ever owning a suit growing up.  (Mother, if you're reading this, I greatly appreciate the sartorial maturity you possessed in opting to deck me out in a navy blazer outfit....you'll hopefully see soon where I'm going with this...)

Although I had been seemingly robbed of an ultimately forgettable memory as a child, the time finally came at the glorious age of 16 to invest in a proper gentleman's uniform.  So, as if to rectify my childhood deprivation of the aforementioned "little delight," I found myself fully trusting in the somewhat capable hands of a Men's Department tailor at JCPenney to outfit me with what was to be my most stylish statement for the next half-decade.  In hindsight, I know now that you should never trust a man who perpetually quotes lines such as "You'll grow into it."  and "Yes, the cuff of your jacket should lightly graze your fingertips when standing straight."  As my style knowledge grew over the coming years, I became increasingly disturbed by these "rules:"

Yet, despite the perhaps initial misguided tailoring, I developed a fondness for my first suit much like you gentleman out there can understand a nostalgic bond with your first car.  Sure, it may have been a smoking. primer-covered deathtrap, but you never seem to fully appreciate it until it's gone--driven off to the junk yard as your trade-in for your family minivan--an exchange for something of greater value obviously, but lacking in the power of reminiscence.  In much the same way, today I parted with my first suit.  We had an incredible run together, and as you can see from the picture from my good friends, Jess and Pat's wedding (above) I'll  never forget my first in a lifetime of suits.  

How did I part with my suit you ask?  Well, a few days ago, my good friend James told me about a nationwide event put on by Men's Warehouse called The MW National Suit Drive.  This in an exceptional campaign that seeks to help unemployed gentleman get back on their feet by providing them with a full suit with which to hit the job market.  You can read some of the success stories here. Confronted with the decision of freeing my first suit from the confines of my closet (having not been worn for many a year) to the promise of a new life making a difference, I gave in and drove my suit to the nearest Men's Warehouse this morning.  (It also helped that for a donation they give you a 50% coupon off anything in the store.  But let's keep that between us since I told my suit this was a very hard decision for me)

And so, here's to my first suit.  May his next life be filled with fun, happiness, and memories--as I will take ours and hold them in my heart for all eternity. Cheers!