There was a time when deciding whether or not to put on a tie would have been like deciding whether or not to put on a pair of underwear.
That time has now passed.
It’s not just the fact I no longer work in a corporate setting. It’s not just the rise of startup culture and its celebration of hoodies and slides. It’s not just laziness, either. Something is happening in men’s fashion and style, and I’m launching Menswhere to figure out what it is.
My point of view changes depending on where I’m standing. And even if men wanted to stay in the same place, It’s obvious the ground has irrevocably shifted under their feet.
This site was inspired, in a sense, by a definition of style I read that was attributed to Tom Ford but I later learned was actually said by Richard Eberhart, a poet: “Style is the perfection of a point of view.”
I like that definition because it sounds great. Unfortunately, I can’t agree with it.
Even now, in my mid-forties, I feel like my sense of style is still very much under development. Although I think I’ve learned to dress better with age — I give thanks Instagram didn’t exist in my teens and early twenties — I’m constantly getting inspired by new approaches to cut, colour, fabric and detailing.
I’ve had moments where I felt I looked my best, but only best for a particular moment in time. My point of view changes depending on where I’m standing. And even if other men wanted to metaphorically stay in the same place, the ground has shifted under their feet considerably over the last few years.
What kind of style represents a point of view that’s appropriate in an era focused on rooting out toxic masculinity, or where the entire concept of gender is being debated? What we wear is an expression of who we are, but we have to be more careful, more deliberate about the way we express our identities than ever.
That’s why Menswhere will not just be focused on menswear. I want to use this platform to capture the way living a great life — a life that includes success in business, building strong relationships, acting with responsibility as a citizen — is being reimagined.
This transcends fashion and is really about how “life” and “style” becomes a lifestyle. It’s not an exercise in perfecting a point of view. It’s never-ending work in progress to determine what we need to do — including what we chose to wear — to be our best selves. I don’t know for certain how far Menswhere will take me, or to what destinations. But I’m excited to begin the journey.
Visit www.amazon.ca/shop/shane.schick to see my top fashion picks.