Blogger Feature: Blake of The Mark of a Gentleman

Good day everyone! My name's Blake (CEO, chief writer, and janitor over at the the Mark of a Gentleman blog) and I'm a fellow blogger friend of the Daily Dani. It is an absolute honor to be offered a chance to write for the aforementioned sartorial duchess here in her corner of the world wide web and to be counted among the masterful style bloggers that have been featured here before me. So as to keep me somewhat in my area of semi-competence, I would like to offer a bit of a departure from the norm of the Daily Dani with a post mainly centered around those often far less fashion-inclined members of our species--men.

 A Case for the Gentleman
You've all met them.  The dingy white sneakers, duct tape belt, Old Navy t-shirt from 2003, and acid wash Lee jeans in a regular rise that merely accentuate the four-inch long mutton chops extending from underneath the eye sockets.  They are the Apathetics--those self-proclaimed "enlightened" males who have reached a point of arrogant disdain for a worldwide submission to rules of fashion. Unfortunately for them, however, their most common arguments are absolute nonsense. Which is why I've taken the opportunity to debunk the 3 most common excuses men give for indulging in such barbaric sartorial chaos.

1. "I just dress comfortably, dude."
This is perhaps one of the most common excuses I've heard from guys unwilling to improve their atrocious style choices.  My only guess is that a traumatizing childhood experience involving parachute-like, pleated polyester trousers, awkwardly blousing shirt and tie combos, and 3-inch suspenders may be to blame.  Your mom was just trying to impress her friends on Easter Sunday. It was the 90s, ok?  But as hellish as that time may have been for you, in reality, tailored clothing is some of the most comfortable imaginable.  Leave the hoodies and tennis shoes at the gym, and try dressing like a blasted grown man.  As much as you hate to admit it, the world makes first impressions.  Don't be written off as an unintelligent slob just because you opted to invest that $40 in the newest Call of Duty rather than a decent pair of oxfords or a navy blazer.   

2. "Man, chicks think you look lame when you dress like that."

Perhaps one of my favorite responses to this absurdity is this: "A boy makes his girl jealous of other women; a gentleman makes other women jealous of his girl." Write this down, Mr. Dudebreaux Toolbag, some of the most effortlessly cool, bad-to-the-bone dudes in all of history have mastered the art of sharp dressing. And I think the lady readers of this blog would agree, "Tall Dark and Handsome" ALWAYS beats out "Tall, Rank, Scruffy, Baggy, Bone-headed, and Living with Mom."  Rock the art of  looking good, even when you may be up to the complete opposite.

3. "There's nothing 'Gentle' about me!"
I know, I know...God gave you more testosterone than me so you'd have an insatiable desire to rip through pairs of trousers simply by flexing your gargantuan glutes and enjoy hulk-smashing small dogs that have been unfortunate enough to cross your path.  I get it.  But being a gentleman doesn't mean repressing your inner Schwarzenegger in favor of manicures and Hello Kitty lunch kits.  It simply implies being "gentle" in certain areas--less abrassive, well-behaved, polite, holding in your "irrefutably expert" political opinions, and (hold on to your manlies) being a little sensitive to people around you.  It's time to refine the caveman into a presentable and admirable member of civilization.  So if you or someone you love is suffering from the anti-gentleman epidemic, don't panic.  Grab a GQ, surf some men's style blogs and the men's section at Target for starters.  Together we can take a club to the Neanderthal...because it's high time to evolve, gentlemen.  Your swagger is waiting. Cheers.