A day in the life of a Dandy Daddy

Me and my son in our matching white button-downs

Me and my son in our matching white button-downs

One of Canada’s national newspapers, The Globe and Mail, recently published a short essay I wrote about being a dandy daddy. The article, part of their Father’s Day feature content, is a personal take on how I am trying—through inspiration rather than coercion—to introduce my son to a life of dressing well. Here is an excerpt:

Charles Baudelaire said, “The only true death of dandyism is fatherhood,” but that’s not true, not for me anyway. I only became a dandy after my son arrived. His presence kicked me out of my extended adolescence and into adulthood. But I wasn’t ready, so I changed what’s outside in the hopes of changing what’s inside. So far, it’s worked but it’s been far from easy. A good wardrobe requires time and effort, both to build and maintain. And I didn’t want that to take away from time spent with my son. So I’ve found solutions. Like less watching Netflix and more polishing shoes. Reading men’s-wear writer Bruce Boyer instead of scanning George Takei’s Facebook. Not only am I well dressed, I am developing skills I can be proud of, skills I can one day pass on to my son. “One day” because right now he couldn’t care less. His world is Lionel Messi and the Power Rangers, not chalk-stripe flannel and brogues.

You can read the rest of the essay on the Globe and Mail website.