The Wardrobe Lessons I Wish I’d Applied To Watch Collecting
In my latest article for Beyond The Dial, I compare my journey in building a wardrobe with my journey in building a watch collection. Here’s an excerpt:
About a decade ago, I decided to change what I wore. I would stop doing what I had done since I was in my twenties: buying the things I liked the most out of what was on offer at the mall or a fashionable boutique. I would learn about the principles of classic menswear and try to build a wardrobe based on personal style, quality construction, excellent craftsmanship and time-tested silhouettes. However, even with those lofty goals in mind, I made a lot of mistakes. I made spur of the moment purchases. I bought items because they were popular in the online menswear world or what I thought (read: had been told) I “should” have in my closet. I went extreme with my first custom orders, for suits, shirts and shoes – picking bold colours and exaggerated features – because I was caught up in the excitement of all the options. But having come out the other end with a wardrobe that fits my life and brings me joy, I don’t regret much of this (except, maybe, the retro styled tan suit pictured above). Not only did I learn about fabric and craftsmanship, I learned about myself. What I think works best for me and my life, what brings me the most satisfaction and, importantly, what builds towards a harmonious, versatile wardrobe.
Despite learning those lessons with my clothes, I made all the same mistakes when it came to watches. Buying what I read I should have in my collection. Being swayed by online hype. Going bold because bold catches your eye. I would have saved a lot of time, and money, if I had taken a slower, more deliberate route to building my collection. But it’s really not surprising, and it don’t beat myself up over it, because, like classic menswear, despite all the blogs and YouTube videos, our culture is not exactly a daily expression of horological education. In fact, when I think back to my teens and 20s, I had very similar experiences with clothes and watches.
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