First thing in the morning is a time of utmost importance to the fashionable gentleman. Many men who enjoy their clothes and take pride in their appearance relish this time – its often the only point in a busy working day where one can find any time for himself. Its a time that should not be taken for granted – clothes should not merely be thrown on thoughtlessly and one should not head out the door without having taken a little time to preen; styling hair, getting yourself spic and span, trimming nails and shaving . Its a time for grooming, dressing and styling your day and the process of getting dressed each day allows for the well dressed man to take the time to look their best and feel comfortable within themselves.
Adhering to this doctrine rigidly, I find that an important part of this process, is taking the time for a real, traditional wet-shave. Its perhaps the most caring part of the process – its a pleasingly luxurious and gentle five minutes in the otherwise grinding dash out of the door and onto the speeding train. It evokes a very gentlemanly tradition for a few minutes – and I’m not talking about whizzing over your stubble with a Mach III Turbo either. There is a real pleasure to be had in making your shaves an event in the morning (or even evening?) using some luxurious products – its an inexpensive, yet real moment of self-indulgence.
There are a wealth of traditional shave creams, soaps and oils out there, hundreds of designs of handsome traditional chrome, ebony and ivory saftey razors (or cut-throat razors if you’re feeling brave) to choose from – and the process of working shaving cream into a real lather using your own shaving bowl and brush allows shaving to become a real event, as well as a few moments for reflection. Contrary to the mind-numbing hum of the soulless electric trimmer, wet-shaving offers the welcome opportunity to take a few moments of calm, and gather one’s thoughts at the start or end of the day.
This doesn’t have to extend solely to those who are clean shaven either. I wear a beard most of the year, but thoroughly enjoying trimming it by hand with a pair of hair-scissors and using a safety razor to keep it in shape. Its just a nice thing to take the time to do for yourself – and there’s something rather therapeutic about it. Shaving and grooming as well as dressing well, ensures that you can feel comfortable, confident and self-expressive at the start of each day. Its a precious few moments, and every now and then it can be nice to be reminded of this.
