Turns out, I enjoy clothing and fashion. I make use of a couple distinguishing accessories – a bow tie and cuff links.
The bow tie is as much functional as it is an identifier. It does not dangle in my work the way ties did for my first year of practice and most anyone that sees me wearing it is somewhat amused. I’m happy to amuse the masses and also to be able to go to sleep at night and not worry that my tie did or ever will dip in my bowl of soup – at least not until the day I die face down on my desk!
The cuff links and requisite French cuffs are borderline not worth the hassle and extra time they require throughout my day – flipping the cuffs back, finagling the prong of the link through four shifting holes of fabric, my habitual pressing down of the link against my arm, and their snagging on the edge of my laptop computer. They don’t have the practical appeal that the bow tie does, and for that they may be retired or phased out at some point. I haven’t yet decided, as they make for a good gift and I enjoy wearing the variety of cuff links I’ve acquired to this point.
Going forward, I’d like to develop more of a uniform and I’d like it to be a well-fitted navy suit and white shirt. As it stands, I have four or five very different suits, which I have to switch between burgundy and black belt and shoe combinations. I don’t appreciate having to have both colors and would rather eliminate the black belt and shoes.
And finally, what initially got me onto this subject was the following sock selection advice that I read this morning in Valet Magazine: “As a rule, match your socks to the clothes, not the shoes. Meaning you should wear socks just a shade darker than your pants, but not as dark as your shoes.”