Over the last while, I have been struggling somewhat with this site, the purpose behind it and my reasons for writing.
The idea for this blog grew out of a response to the number of men’s magazines that talked about style, fashion and issues that matter to men, like career and fatherhood from a perspective that I felt was flawed. While all magazines in this category are designed around advertising and marketing the latest trends and designs in fashion, I felt too little time was spent talking about things that most everyday father’s were concerned about. Namely, stretching a budget by making lasting purchases rather than blowing it on trendy purchases, trying to pass on values and wisdom to children and learning to appreciate the world as a fine and beautiful thing rather than chasing around for what civilization has deemed to be “the finer things.”
I have enjoyed this journey, and I think these issues are still relevant, but my focus has changed somewhat, and I think it only fair to be clear about it, even if it will only be for my own benefit.
I have realized that I want to blog about more things than the original narrowly defined topics. I want to explore ideas about sustainability, cycling, music, art, family, adventuring, travel, and so many more topics as they appear. I want to begin playing again with other writing forms, like the ocasional haiku or lyric poem. I want to write about the rugged and the refined and not feel like I have to figure out whether it is an issue of style or substance.
So that’s what I intend to do. If you have followed this because you loved my articles on building a wardrobe, they will still appear. If you have been intrigued about my perspectives on teaching values to my children, those will show up too. But so will a myriad of different things, things that I value, things that are part of my personal journey through life as I struggle to become a man my children can be proud of, my wife can be fond of and my friends can enjoy spending time with.
And I think that is what being a man of style and substance is all about.
Style, Substance and the Man of Today 