It matters. But does it MATTER?

I’m starting this new wave of blogging with one of the most vital points of all when it comes to style.  The point being that while something may matter to you, it may not MATTER in the grand scheme of things.

For example, you need a pair of shoes for the office.  You might want that sumptuous, gleaming pair of Church’s shoes but all you can afford is a pair of anonymous black Oxfords from George.  Perhaps you’ve recently become attuned to the ways of men’s style, and whereas before your ‘awakening’ you wouldn’t think twice about dropping some brass on the bargain bucket of footwear, now you hesitate.  What will your colleagues think when you roll into the office in your boxy lace-ups?

In short, the idea of having a cheap pair of shoes matters to you.  But it doesn’t MATTER.

In other words, there are clothes you need and clothes that are nice to have.  For example, to fit in with the office dress code (so you don’t get sent home, and can therefore stick around to do some work), you typically need a dress shirt, a pair of suit trousers, a pair of shoes and maybe a tie.  It MATTERS in that case that you have those items.  It might matter to you if you’ve got them from Primark and not Polo Ralph Lauren, but it doesn’t MATTER.  That £6 polyester shirt, £10 pair of pants, £3 tie and £10 pair of shoes will still get you in through the door.  If they fit you reasonably well, you’ve got the shirt tucked in and ironed, you’re wearing the tie at the right length and the shoes are polished, no one will think of you as a tramp.

What’s more, the chances are that in the vast majority of places, not only will people not care, most won’t even notice.

It’s like the case with the shoes; it might matter to you that you don’t have the pair of shoes you covet but all that MATTERS is that you have a pair of shoes to protect your feet from the elements and the ground underfoot.

Beyond the clothing that you NEED, anything else is not a priority and can wait for later.  Don’t worry about what people are going to think about your cheap threads.