The Six Blogs Every Man Should Know and Read

Inspiration can come from anywhere, regardless if it's good or bad.  I once decided  to wear absurdly loud floral shirts and brown jeans because I thought myself the real life incarnation of Eric Foreman from That 70s Show--helplessly skinny, "oppressive" veteran father fluent in detailed threats to kill me or break his foot off in an unmentionable part of my anatomy, a friend group that included idiots, geniuses, and foreign kids....you understand.  In hindsight, however, this was an unforgivably poor sartorial decision that luckily only lasted a few nine months.  The point is, the truly refined man finds positive inspiration for every facet of his being.  Be it style or just general manly knowledge, the wrong information can shame even the most dapper.

So it with this in mind that I present my favorite blogs for drawing information in both of these areas.  Now as a disclaimer I should mention that I will not be listing the ridiculously abstract, intellectual-acclaimed, hipster jolly-exploder "blogs" that merely post out-of-focus portraits of street signs and grub worms from which to draw "color inspiration."  The information and inspiration in these blogs are practical, helpful, and downright swagger-boosting.  Now, let us begin.....

1.  Inspiration for Your Digs    

• TheStyleBlogger: Practical street style of the business and business casual variety from an up-and-coming New York designer.  His posts are as sharp as his wardrobe, and I've yet to read a post without an insatiable desire to steal at least one of his looks (see right).
• Street Etiquette: These guys are veterans of the street style scene and have been featured in everything from newspapers to GQ--and with their undeniable knack for style centered around their cultural heritage, it's not hard to see why.
• TheMidwestyle: Owned and operated by three friends from the Midwest, this style blog is by far the one I find myself admiring  the most.  The looks are simple, yet refined, and still have enough emphasis on youth and bargain resale pieces to interest those on even the tightest of budgets.

2.  Inspiration for Life 

• ManMade: You've heard of Pinterest, right? This is Man-terest. And no, there's no cute wedding ideas or sewing patterns for skirts--this blessed miracle for grown men is saturated with absolutely brilliant manly skills from building a rustic coffee table out of 2x12's to carving a 1-foot Darth Vader from carrots! Making a coat rack out of a tree you sawed down in your front yard; Creating a radio out of spare parts; the complete, detailed guide to creating the perfect double-barreled rubber band shotgun out of common office supplies in your cubicle--their How To section will seriously blow your mind! Trust me, check this out....but give yourself at least an open window of about 8 hours--or a whole day at work to soak it all in.

• The Art of Manliness: Exactly as it says. This blog provides skills, advice, and essential knowledge for recovering the lost art of manliness. If you want an all-inclusive encyclopedia of what it means to be a gentleman, this is your place.

• The American Gentleman: Quick and to the point. If you're not into all the pictures and ramblings (in which case I'm sorry you're reading this blog) then you might have a look at this site. Written by a veteran lawyer and cultural enthusiast, the American Gentleman answers countless questions a day from readers who post relevant questions from all sorts of manly topics from fashion to date etiquette. 

Of course, I should also take this moment to mention that if you're reading this, you've so graciously given your time to read THIS blog, for which I am truly grateful. Please feel free to send any friends you may make along your blog-reading journeys back this way. And until next time, happy reading, my friends!