Strive to be as versatile as the wingtip.
Dear Son,
I don’t know what the hip new style will be when you read this, but I can venture a guess it will be something similar to what it is now–sneakers. As your much older and wiser father, I have more advice for you: wear wingtips.
By “wingtips” I mean any type of shoe (usually leather) featuring the wingtip pattern (as shown). These might not be as popular as the neon-colored, cheaply-made, hip new sneakers on the market–but that’s an asset, not a liability.
Wingtips are the classic menswear staple that men have worn for ages. There’s a reason why this pattern has never fallen out of style, and that’s because it works with anything and adds volumes to a man’s look. Sneakers, on the other hand, add nothing and always detract. Imagine someone going to a job interview in a nice, well-tailored suit, but wearing some neon green Nikes. It doesn’t mean the applicant is a bad worker, per se, but it’s a matter of judgment. On the other hand, if you see someone in jeans and a button-down wearing some brogue wingtips, they have instantly improved their look and self-presentation. They are suddenly “dressed nice,” which leads to positive reactions: trustworthiness, friendliness, and the like. Someone in a suit and sneakers is suddenly “dressed poorly,” which leads to negative reactions: sloppiness, carelessness, and so forth. Jeans and sneakers, often paired together, have become the average look–for both genders. Just add a little touch of wingtip to the mix, and you’ve improved yourself.
Is it right that we judge people by how they look? Probably not. However, you shouldn’t walk around in mud and filth and try to represent someone at trial. I promise you, it won’t end well, and society won’t change because of it.
Wingtips are the perfect item for your wardrobe. I’ve worn them for years with everything from jeans, to suits, to even shorts. It really doesn’t matter what I’m doing, I’m probably in wingtips. This tendency of mine often results in people saying that I’m “dressed up” because I’ve chosen to remove myself of sneakers outside the gym or basketball court (my jumpshot is bad enough, let’s not make me do it in wingtips). This label of someone who dresses nice is helpful–people are generally nice to me, I don’t scare people away at bus stops, and I rarely have problems meeting new people due to self-consciousness.
Wingtips are versatile pieces of clothing, but they also make you a more versatile human being.
If you look great, you feel great, and you then perform great tasks. It’s simple. You’re looking for the secret to success? Fly with wingtips.
