What is this? Why am I posting things with this title?
I’ve been thinking about how I can improve this blog lately. A few months ago I had some quasi-grandiose plans for it, and while I’m not on track to get where I had envisioned back then, I do have some ideas that I’m going to implement this summer.
My personal experience in developing my taste in clothing has been just that—personal. I’ve never been somebody who has assumed anybody would want to hear what I have to tell them. Originally this blog was just an outlet for my enthusiasm for menswear. Actually, at first it was just a piece of paper taped to my interior window at work, with quotes from blogs like Die, Workwear written in dry erase marker on top of it. I started the Tumblr after a few months, and since then it’s been primarily a place for me to post “what are you wearing today?” posts. But as I’ve matured in my style, so, too has my follower count grown, and my Internet profile among menswear types as well. “Maybe I have something to offer that people would actually appreciate reading,” the thought has slowly dawned on me. The response I got to the recent profile I wrote at Styleforum.net encouraged me quite a bit, and so I’m pursuing my ideas for improving this blog.
Which brings me to this feature, Menswear Musings Recommends. The posts you see now with this title are a forerunner for a regular section of my blog where I’ll post links to stuff I dig and would buy. Do you like my style, do you dig my approach to men’s clothing, do you appreciate my perspective? If so, the Menswear Musings Recommends section of the site will be a place where you can go to find recommended products from me. Sort of a personal shopper without the “personal” aspect of it. I’m constantly reading about menswear, shopping sites online and bookmarking stuff, so why not take that effort and put it to some use? My style is necessarily one of both high-end tastes as well as low-end, out of budget concerns, so there will be expensive products, inexpensive products, and “high for low” selections.
I’ll openly admit that there is a financial aspect to this feature as well. I use affiliate marketing services, which means clicks and purchases made from clicks on my blog earn me money (not every link, just from companies that participate in affiliate marketing. I regularly post links that make me no money). To a cynic, the Menswear Musings Recommends section might look like a nakedly opportunistic money-grabbing scheme on my part. But that is not the case. This clothing hobby of mine consumes a lot of my thoughts and energy, and this blog is my way of creating value out of that hobby. That value is hopefully primarily in quality writing, advice, posts, photos and personal satisfaction in being creatively productive. But if it’s also value in the form of side cash for me to put back into that hobby, who could argue with that?
So if you’re a follower who digs this blog, I’d like to ask: Are there any other features or types of content you’d like to see me do?
