A friend turned me on to this publication some time ago. He came over for a dinner party at my house and said “I know you will appreciate this, talk about being swell, well this is it it’s all in here.” Well he was right I was all in… Well once I got past the title that is. I am speaking of Garden & Gun, for those of you in the know, I don’t need to tell you how great this magazine is Garden and Gun really is about all things swell, specifically in the south.
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Category Archives: What to Read
William Jones and his Swell Motivation
There are a number of places to learn about how to be swell. If you look around the walls of your dentist’s office you might see one attempt that has been made. I am sure many of you are familiar with the obligatory motivational posters that became popular in the late nineties starting with “success” printed below all sorts of thematic pictures. Even Barney Stinson has dipped his toe into proverbial the motivational poster pool. The motivational posters that we are all familiar with are symbolized by the Sharper Image Store staple, the Sucessories. They are usually the butt of the office joke, but back in your grandfather’s day, they revered as sound advice.And some of these original posters are now considered art.
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Frederick Douglass on Being Swell
Frederick Douglass was an American social reformer, orator, writer and statesman. He had a lot to say about the world around him, as well as the people occupying it. Drastic changes were happening in society and culture in his day which helped to thrust him into the role of a great leader. After escaping from slavery, he became a driving force of the abolitionist movement, gaining note for his dazzling oratory and anti-slavery writing. I am going to share with you some of Frederick Douglass’ wit and wisdom on being a man and ultimately being swell. Continue reading
The Effortless Gent
Here is another swell blog for you to read. The Effortless Gent . The Effortless Gent is a site “dedicated to helping dudes figure out what looks best on them”. It was founded and run by a guy named Barron Cuadro, who also co-founded Fifth&Brannan, a menswear label based in San Francisco. EG is a fantastic analog of How to Be Swell, their forum is for men, and their personal style, whatever style that may be. They promote classic looks and themes, pieces that are timeless that will keep the women interested year after year. Most importantly the site is full of good advice on what to buy that is good quality on a fair budget. They lay out every thing in a simple tasteful manner helping men look like gents effortlessly, so check it out because to me the Effortless Gent is very swell.
Barron Cuadro
Top Ten Watches of Historical Significance
I was searching on the internet the other day, stopping at my usual haunts and watch blogs. I was reading all of these great stories of watch histories and it struck me, where can I find the top watches that have really made a mark in history? I did a quick search and I didn’t find any satisfying list compiled, so I took it upon myself to do it.
Here it is; the first thing you’ll notice is that there are more than ten here. Well I took some liberties, and I can, because its my list. I wanted to choose pieces that made an impact, that was he first at something, or contributed something to its legend. I didn’t want to base it on popularity, although the two #10 watches kind of are. Continue reading
The Art of Manliness
Here is a quick plug for a new blog that I’ve found. These guys have a fantastic site to visit, it is an open forum type of blog, with a number of great groups (nearly 600). They discuss everything from scotch to bow ties, and from books to guns. I think it is a perfect accompaniment to this particular blog you are reading. Check it out: The Art of Manliness is truly swell. You can also sign up for a daily dose of manliness in your e-mail. If you sign up they send you some free stuff to read as well.
How to be Swell 