Every day for the last few years, I have passed a guy who is very earnestly riding north as I ride south. I would say he is about 30, but it is hard to tell. Definitely outside the youth category, though.

In any case, he has numerous piercings and, above all, an ever changing array of hair colours. Meanwhile, his consistent style, no matter what the weather, is this:

only a tiny bit shorter.

He sort of has a bike courier look about him, so it could be that that is his job, but what I don’t understand is how, at his age, he can bring himself to put what looks like that much effort into doing his hair every day.

Seriously. I will go for weeks without shaving because I just can’t be arsed, and my hair regime consists of vigorously toweling it off after a shower.

Does anyone on here – particularly men over 25 – put any serious effort into having a ‘look’?

My hair looks like that if I don’t make an effort. It’s not a good look. Anyway – I think I got to about age 23 making an effort and have been maintaining that well crafted image slowly letting it go since then.

I would like to think that most men , regardless of their age, would make an effort with their appearance every day?
I don’t spend any time on my close cropped, Ray Reardon / Dracula style haircut but I probably spend as much time as the spiky haired despatch rider does on shaving every single day of my life, ironing shirts, polishing shoes etc.
Why wouldn’t you make an effort with your appearance?
Like it or not, the world judges you on how you look and treats you accordingly.

also, because I just can’t help myself…..

Saxon Riders attempt to dress “young”…….

I will go for weeks without shaving because I just can’t be arsed, and my hair regime consists of vigorously toweling it off after a shower

.

You are just a few steps away from Jack,stop embarrassing your family.

my hair regime consists of vigorously toweling it off after a shower

…..and then brushing my hair. 😉

Why wouldn’t you make an effort with your appearance?
Like it or not, the world judges you on how you look and treats you accordingly.

Okay, so my hair tends to fall neatly into place, and I have a beard. BUT, because what you say is true, what do we make of a 30-ish year old man still cultivating a look that would be more associated with a sixth-former?

Perhaps I’m just being stodgy. 😐

I’m quite depressed that you describe someone of about 30 as an “older person”

I was waiting for this weeks saxon riders stream of consciousness thread!

Why would someone over 25 not put any effort in? I’d be fascinated to learn what possible train of thought would lead you to think this.
And what about women? Why would a woman over 25 put makeup on?

Perhaps I’m just being stodgy old an grumpy about someone doing what they want.

Unkempt hair? Unshaven for weeks? What kind of look is SR going for?

Why wouldn’t you make an effort with your appearance?

Because it’s not important?

In fairness, the effort I make with my appearance is to ensure that I don’t need to make an effort. I’ve got stubble, so I don’t have to shave every day, what remains of my hair is grade 1, and all my clothes match with each other so I don’t have to choose an outfit.

im 35 and keep trying to rock a flat peak cap like the world cup DH glitterati… folk say i look a right gorp. jealous fools

I image molgrips dressed all in black, like the chap from Jurassic park.

I go for low maintenance, meself.

I find myself looking at my clothes and finding they’re a bit too close in style to my 3 year-old son’s… mainly t-shirts with bears/monkeys on…
I’m quite jealous of his trainers too.

I’d be fascinated to learn what possible train of thought would lead you to think this.

For better or worse, the world has certain expectations: that by a certain age, for example, we begin to sport a more neutral look that gains us entry into different segments of society.

So if we looked like this in our youth

we don’t grow into this

but rather tone ourselves down a bit.

too slow

but what I don’t understand is how, at his age, he can bring himself to put what looks like that much effort into doing his hair every day.

^ highlight for emphasis, no amount of anyone explaining it is going to make you understand is it?

For better or worse, the world has certain expectations: that by a certain age, for example, we begin to sport a more neutral look that gains us entry into different segments of society.

Sounds like a very specific expectation, perhaps with some of your own bias? Doesn’t sound like a society I’d want to integrate into much, I prefer the one where we celebrate each others differences, personalities and unique styles, and where age is just a reference point for when you were born, not something that defines you.

How’s about we just accept that another human being is doing something that clearly brings him (and probably others too) some enjoyment/satisfaction and leave it at that.

And much chuckling at you thinking over 25 is ‘older’

For better or worse, the world has certain expectations: that by a certain age, for example, we begin to sport a more neutral look that gains us entry into different segments of society.

What makes you think everyone WANTS entry into those segments of society?

I know the Mid-West USA is pretty conservative about this kind of thing, perhaps Canada is too 🙂

the effort I make with my appearance is to ensure that I don’t need to make an effort.

Aaaah! The Molgrips Paradox.

Mind = blown. 😉

What makes you think everyone WANTS entry into those segments of society?

Good point.

At the same time, no, I would say that Canada is pretty flexible with that kind of thing. But then, I would think that in different parts of Canada there are more ways of earning a living than those that would demand a certain conformity.

In other words, a man who maintains a ‘punk’ look in his mid-twenties to mid-thirties is unlikely going to get a job in a classroom, or a bank, or a surgical theatre, or even a trade in which he needs to engage with customers. BUT he could do just fine working as a tradesperson working for a company that does not require customer engagement, or a job that permits a high level of independence.

It’s not that I’m judging him; it’s a matter of how, at an age when most people need to earn a living, he is able to put the effort into maintaining a look that surely does not facilitate earning that living.

He must manage, though, in which case all power to him.

While I don’t spend a great amount of time making myself look polished & beautiful, it would be a bloody boring world if there weren’t people out there taking masses of care over how they look.

I love seeing someone with their own individual style, who has taken the time & effort to look they way they do.
I don’t mean people who try to look like whatever is the latest ‘fashion’ (last time I was on holiday, it depressed me the amount of British blokes who seemed to have gone into a shop and said ‘make me look like I belong on the set of TOWIE).
Rather, someone who has a style and knows how to carry it off.

I sometimes wish I cared a bit more about my ‘look’ rather than just slinging on whatever comes to hand & thinking ‘that’ll do’.

In other words, a man who maintains a ‘punk’ look in his mid-twenties to mid-thirties is unlikely going to get a job in a classroom, or a bank, or a surgical theatre, or even a trade in which he needs to engage with customers

Unless his job involves engaging with other people like him?

Or in an industry*/with people who aren’t so judgemental, I know you’re saying you’re not being judgemental, but you are, even indirectly by suggesting that someone with a unique look can’t or shouldn’t be able to have certain jobs <- that attitude is far too common, and is pervasive in society, it should be challenged, not accepted.

* there are plenty

I quite admire someone who still makes an effort in maintaining a look or allegiance to a culture. I like to make an effort myself in at least staying in shape, dressing in clean clothes etc simply because I’m married and to let yourself go is also to let down your other half.
There’s nothing worse than a bloke getting to the point where all he can muster is an ‘Old Guys Rule’ T-shirt and Tesco jeans.

even indirectly by suggesting that someone with a unique look can’t or shouldn’t be able to have certain jobs

I would argue more that it is the case they most often don’t; not that they can’t, and certainly not that they shouldn’t.

It’s not that I’m judging him

That you could write that with no sense of irony indicates a certain lack of self-awareness

I have exactly the same style now that I did when I was 17..

It has come back into fashion twice in that time 🙂

That you could write that with no sense of irony indicates a certain lack of self-awareness

There’s judging and there’s judging. Of course I’m making a judgement insofar as I am pondering what he does in relation to the expectations of the society he and I both inhabit.

Would it dawn on me to think negatively of him, though? No.

Seen a number of people who really are too old for the pants exposed, trousers half way down their arse look. Though I don’t think any age is right for that. It’s only acceptable when you’re utterly drunk and trousers fall down as you fall out of the pub.

If I had enough hair I’d be fussing with it all the time, sadly I missed my grandfather’s genes (full head of thick wavy hair til his death at 85) & got my mum’s side…i.e. double crown & male pattern baldness from 25 onwards 🙁

Every day for the last few years, I have passed a guy who is very earnestly riding north as I ride south.

….in all of these encounters, have you ever stopped to ask your spiky haired nemesis the burning question.

“Do you feel lucky?….Well, do ya?”

A thousand wasted opportunities.

I often wonder exactly the opposite. At what point do people ‘give up’ and think it’s ok to wear socks and sandals, farahs and trainers etc. ‘Youngsters’ don’t do it so when does that changeover of the mind happen? Fascinates me some of the sights I see….

At what point do people ‘give up’ and think it’s ok to wear socks and sandals, farahs and trainers etc

I don’t think people ‘give up’. It’s more a gentle slide from a your sartorial high point (20s?) to a point where you decide that will do for the rest of your life. How far you slide depends on you. So you could stop at something half-decent, or you could go all the way to socks and sandals.

…and beige sadexpunk, when does beige happen?

What helmet for punk hair?

I think it’s great that in this society we have that someone, for whatever reason, can dress just how they blooming well like.

It’ll be a sad day when we look back at our generation and think “blimey, I looked like my Dad!”

Celebrate whatever style you currently Rock.

a look that surely does not facilitate earning that living

There are tons of jobs where it wouldn’t matter if you looked like that.

Pretty much any creative or entertainment industry job including art or music, production for example
Shop owner
Tattooist
Charity worker

etc.

Chimney Sweep?

jeesus wept, just let people dress how the hell they want. where the fark does it say that by a certain age we must aspire to be part of the bland conformist mass of dross of “society”. I love the weirdos, the freaks, the geeks, the nerds, the tattooed pensioners, the ancient mariners with mad beards and crazed eyes, life is for living how you want, not to please somebody else and their preconceptions of what is acceptable

you don’t hear of people on a death bed saying “oo i really wish I conformed to other peoples ideals and done what was expected of me, even if it killed my soul and passion” do you

You do however hear of people expressing regret for not following a dream , taking a chance or being an individual.

*stomps of muttering about bloody sheeple*

I’m with yunki. I’ve got a wonderful brown 3 piece suit with huge lapels, wide flairs and a kipper tie waiting for when that look comes back.

Though I’ll probably stick with jeans.

SaxonRider wrote: “In other words, I’m being a judgemental arse but want to dress up my opinion as if I’m not being judgmental because I’m secretly jealous of the other guys ability not to give a sh!t what a judgmental old giffer like me thinks.

Fixed it for you 🙂

I’m closer to 50 than 40, still have the long hair I had in my yoof (OK, maybe not all the hair is left) and have held down a customer facing career in IT for the past 20 odd years – some even with a couple of High Street Banks. One of my friends is a senior accountant and has enough facial metal to scare airport security. In fact amongst my circle of oddball friends, they all pretty much hold down good jobs based on their ability rather than their choice of clothes or hairstyle.