Hiya, Monday. It's like pea soup outside in Miami today. Thick and murky and
heavy like metal. Besides being annoyed by my curly bangs, I've been
thinking about the state of men these days- the metrosexual movement is part
of every day vernacular now- the striped button down, the eye cream, the
pride in appearance in general. That's all well and good but can't help
thinking we're ready for the next iteration of maleness. What would that be?
neat little categories is a wonderful thing. There will always be those that
live way out of bounds of what marketing peeps and society chooses to call
us and Lord bless that. I still want to talk about a new category that could
be media pervasive. But really this new male box I've created is self
serving. I have always had a thing for Southern guys. (I married one). I love the
accent, the laid back, non superficial, could protect me in a fight while
changing a tire type of dude. But what I love the most about Southern men is
the chivalry and manners. I am not mad at a man opening the door for me. Or
offering to carry something heavy for me when I am struggling. Or jumping
out of their seat on a flight to assist me with stowing my carry on. Or
saying "thank you" once in a while. Let's introduce a new male movement- a
return to chivalry and sweetness and syrupy charm to melt my cold
Northeastern heart. Enter the return of the gentleman. Yea yea you can still have your lotions and potions and fancy jeans (though
I myself am a Levi's girl). But instead of so much attention on your pores,
let's think about what it means to be a gentleman- to have lovely table
manners, compliment a lady on her perfume or sundress, and just genuinely be
a mensch and exhibit some charm. I'm dedicating this week's posts to
gentlemanly pursuits, fashion, values, lifestyle, and icons of gentlemen
past and present (though I suspect mostly past). I'm craving a return to some good male values- I'm all for the ladies and
our ability to kick ass at anything we want to do solo, but I still enjoy a
bit of the gallant from the boys and I for one am not too evolved or
empowered to have a man walk me to my car when it is late at night. Let's
celebrate the gentleman and talk about the noble pursuit of all things
related to such. If there are any boys reading this- do something
gentlemanly today- like open a door for a lady, dress up a bit, or try to
chew your food before speaking. And that's what's up this soupy Monday in
Miami. XO