For starters, I would like to thank Clint Townsend for welcoming me and letting me become part of this blog. It’s been stated a number of times (and can’t be stated enough in my opinion) that how you dress can have a strong impact on how people not only perceive you, but also how they perceive libertarians in general. Chances are, you will be the only libertarian a large group of people know or meet. And you want them to remember you for all the right, and not the wrong reasons.

So after coming back from the ISFLC here’s one thing I noticed with many men wearing a suit.

There is far too much of this:

And far too little of this going on:



It came up a couple of times during my stay in the States, and at the conference. Libertarian rock star Tom Palmer, for example, stated during his breakout session that he often had to stop interns in their tracks before leaving for a job interview, uttering the words: “you are not going there wearing those shoes!” He often courteously lent them a pair of his own to prevent further drama.

I deliberately over-exaggerated with the pictures, because I’ve noticed many-a-man who dressed quite well, but for whom all hope was lost from the ankles down. I’m something of a shoe freak. So when I meet someone, after quickly taking in the way they are dressed overall, I immediately look at the shoes. And here’s what I find : clonky, square tipped, and inelegant shoes are capable of destroying an otherwise meticulous and dashing outfit. Sometimes the shoes truly make the man.

So here are some basics thoughts for starters:

• Do not believe those who say that elegant shoes are by definition excruciatingly  expensive (or vice versa for that matter). They are either lying or don’t know what they are talking about.
• It may take you a while to find a pair that suits you and feels comfortable. But it is well worth the search! Also, elegant shoes needn’t destroy your feet. This is also patent nonsense.
• If you find shoes that suit you, but they are a little bit more expensive than you were initially hoping for, chances are they are worth the investment. And an investment is exactly what they are! For they can outlast your suits and shirts by years, depending on how well they are made, how often you wear them, and above all, how well you take care of them! So treat yourself to a pair of shoes and don’t feel guilty.

Having said this, there will be some more posts to help you when it comes  to choosing the right shoes and how to care for them.

~ Gilles Verstraeten 

We’d like to welcome our newest contributor to Sartorial Liberty, the ever-so sartorially gifted libertarian Gilles Verstraeten of Belgium, who will soon be posting.

   ”A young hoodlum, say, heaves a brick through the window of a baker’s shop.  The shopkeeper runs out furious, but the boy is gone.  A crowd gathers, and begins to stare with quiet satisfaction at the gaping hole in the window and the shattered glass over the bread and pies.  After a while the crowd feels the need for philosophic reflection.  And several of its members are almost certain to remind each other or the baker that, after all, the misfortune has its bright side.  It will make business for some glazier.  As they begin to think of this they elaborate upon it.  How much does a new plate glass window cost?  Two hundred and fifty dollars?  That will be quite a sun.  After all, if windows were never broken, what would happen to the glass business?  Then, of course, the thing is endless.  The glazier will have $250 more to spend with other merchants, and these in turn will have $250 more to spend with still other merchants, and so ad infinitum.  The smashed window will go on providing money and employment in ever-widening circles.  The logical conclusion from all this would be, if the crowd drew it, that the little hoodlum who threw the brick, far from being a public menace, was a public benefactor. 

   Now let us take another look.   The crowd is at least right in its first conclusion.  This little act of vandalism will in the first instance mean more business for some glazier.  The glazier will be no more unhappy to learn of the incident than an undertaker to learn of a death.  But the shopkeeper will be out $250 that he was planning to spend for a new suit.  Because he has had to replace the window, he will have to go without the suit (or some equivalent need or luxury).  Instead of having a window and $250 he now has merely a window.  Or, as he was planning to buy the suit that very afternoon, instead of having both a window and a suit he must be content with the window and no suit.  If we think of him as part of the community, the community has lost a new suit that might otherwise have come into being, and is just that much poorer.” — Henry Hazlitt

While the rest of the libertarian community is reveling in the latest numbers which show Ron Paul leading in Iowa, I’ve been out finding stellar deals on new suits. I seriously just came across the cheapest and highest quality suits I’ve ever seen. But because I’m a student of economics, I’m not going to tell anyone the website until I purchase mine! SUPPLY AND DEMAND, LOSERS!

For those of you interested in a new suit, you should be aware that a number of stores, including TopMan and Men’s Wearhouse, will be selling at up to 70% off certain suits the day after Christmas so make sure to “like” them on Facebook to stay updated. If you’re in Dallas or near an H&M, it’s likely they’ll have similar deals as well, but remember that you can’t buy online from H&M.

We don’t talk about skin care often, but for those of you who are concerned about this (and really most people should be) this is perfect!

When spring roles around again, this is what you should strive for.

THIS!