Things every self-respecting man over 30 should have...

[Raithe]

Heh, so I saw this and thought I'd throw it over here buzzfeed - Things every self-respecting man over 30 should own, with the varied crowd of folk here I'm both curious and amused at what people think should be added to this list or removed from it.

 

Let alone how many of us have items from this list..

 

 

 

 

You aren’t a kid anymore. So stop acting like one, and start being the grown-azz man you ought to be.

1. A tailored black suit

 

A plain black suit is an essential part of any man’s wardrobe. Tailoring is also important, because an ill-fitting suit makes you look like you’re playing dress-up.

 

 

2. Black dress shoes

 

 

OK, maybe not a pair of Tom Ford dress shoes, but something similar. Just remember that you get what you pay for, so invest wisely.

3. Brown dress shoes

 

 

You need something to wear with khakis, or that blue (tailored) suit, right?

4. Stocks

 

 

Who cares if you know how the market works or not?

5. A tool kit

 

It doesn’t need to be the most expensive, it just has to have the necessities: hammer, screwdriver (both Phillips and flathead), wrench, pliers, and a tape measure.

6. A nice wallet

 

 

If your wallet has any Velcro on it whatsoever, burn it.

7. Cologne, NOT BODY SPRAY

 

 

Use sparingly, of course.

8. A watch

 

 

Because checking what time it is on your phone is sooo 2011.

9. A proper bed with proper bedding

 

 

If you’re still sleeping on a futon, this list may not be for you.

10. A flashlight

 

 

Now you see the light.

11. Duct tape

 

For when that tool kit just seems too difficult.

12. A weekend bag

 

 

Throwing your crap in a plastic bag or backpack when heading to Las Vegas won’t cut it anymore.

13. Proper glassware

 

The essentials being rocks and wine glasses. The rest are for when you finally get that wet bar together.

14. Grooming kit

 

 

Those nose hairs aren’t going to trim themselves.

15. Double-hinged wine key

 

 

Oh, stop whining and get one already.

16. Multiple towels

 

 

If your one towel is cracking, then it’s time to man up and invest in super soft and luxurious spa towels.

17. A chef’s knife

 

If you own one knife, it better be a chef’s knife. Like shoes, investing in quality is a smarter move. So make sure the blade’s steel runs through the handle.

18. A passport

 

It’s better to be prepared than disappointed when you win that trip overseas in that radio call-in contest.

19. A flask

 

See, Derek knows what’s up.

20. Sewing kit

 

 

Your mom isn’t going to be around forever to fix the holes in your sweater. Also, if that sweater keeps getting holes, it might be time to get a new sweater.

21. An umbrella

 

Just in case, ya know?

22. Buy an ironing board, and an iron.

 

 

Oh, you don’t have the room? Explain that during your job interview while you squirm in your wrinkled pants and shirt.

23. Jumper cables

 

 

I don’t even care if you own a car or not; just own them.

24. Undershirts

 

 

And when they start to get yellow in the armpits, toss ‘em.

25. Playing cards

 

So you can do stuff like this.

26. A lint roller

 

Just because you have cats doesn’t mean you have to showcase it to the world. Same goes for dandruff.

27. A leatherman

 

It screams, “Move out the way. I got this.”

28. Sunglasses

 

 

Keep it classic with Wayfarers or aviators. No shutter shades, though; your face is not a bay window.

29. A record player

 

 

It doesn’t need to be fancy, it just needs to be able to play The Clash’s London Calling without it skipping.

30. Football/soccer ball/basketball, etc.

 

Just have something that says, “I leave my house occasionally and have a somewhat active lifestyle.” Even darts work.

31. A French press

 

Nothing says “I love you” more than making your significant other coffee in a French press. If you don’t have a S.O., screw it, more coffee for you, then.

32. Good socks

 

 

Basically, no holes, OK?

33. Good underwear

 

 

As with socks, if they have holes then they goes. In the trash, that is.

34. A cast-iron skillet

 

And at least one good recipe to go with it.

35. Multiple sheet sets

 

 

With at least a 300-thread count.

36. A bar set

 

If you’re asking, “Why?” then just move on, because I’m done with you.

37. Matching dishes

 

Hey, at least they match.

38. A decent car

 

 

If you live in a city that necessitates you driving, of course.

39. A solid book collection

 

Nobody is saying you have to read them all, but just having them speaks volumes.

40. A decent bottle of booze

 

For when the president comes over, right?

 

 

 

[Malcador]

Seems reasonable, barring all the booze related stuff. Tailored suit would be handy, though would make sense to reason out how much you'd wear it - I have a suit just for interviews and funerals which don't happen that often, for example. Agree on the Leatherman, those things are nifty.

[Amentep]

I've never had to have a suit since I was a little kid.

I've never not gotten a job if I got an interview (so far, knock on wood) going in with khakis, shirt and tie.  Getting the interview was a struggle sometimes (in fact I went about 7 years working PT jobs because I couldn't get a FT job interview).

[Nepenthe]

Yyyeah, call it my lack of self-respect, but never gonna own a black suit. Navy and charcoal are as close as I'm gonna get.

 

And, well, a dinner jacket.

 

Of course, I'm wearing khakis, a good shirt and a military type sweater right now.

[Guard Dog]

Now that IS a decent bottle of booze at the bottom. As for the rest... yeah I have some of those things.

[Raithe]

My parents had me wearing full formal dinner jackets and bowties and the like from when I was 8. I grew up with that whenever we went on a cruise ship , so dealing with that has never felt like a chore to me..  And wearing a nice suit can certainly make you feel sharp. But I wouldn't wear one every day..

Edited October 1, 2013 by Raithe

[Humanoid]

I won't wear anything that can't be machine washed.

 

 

Am currently 17/40, but I still have a little bit of time to improve my score.

[Nepenthe]

My parents had me wearing full formal dinner jackets and bowties and the like from when I was 8. I grew up with that whenever we went on a cruise ship , so dealing with that has never felt like an obscure to me..  And wearing a nice suit can certainly make you feel sharp. But I wouldn't wear one every day..

 

Tbh, my objection was more towards "black" as a suit color than anything else.

 

I have a bottle of 18yo Highland Park (as well as Bruichladdich and Auchentoshan Three Wood). If those aren't good enough for the president, he can go **** himself.

[Nonek]

I have multiple frying and saute pans, will they pass muster for whatever a skillet is or is that thing somewhat wok like?

 

I would add a nice little bit of land to that list, and a well trained hound, a home is empty without one.

 

Edit: Oh and a good cutthroat, i'd never employ anybody with even a hint of stubble.

Edited October 1, 2013 by Nonek

[Rosbjerg]

A passport? There are seriously educated 30+ people in America who doesn't have a passport? ... wow...

 

Otherwise, I agree with most of this list. I'll never wear a watch though, but I have 4 tailored suits and 3 waistcoasts, so I guess that evens it out.

[Gfted1]

Don't you only need a passport for international travels? I would assume the vast majority of people don't have one.

 

Fun list. I think I have most...except underwear. j/j

[Raithe]

A passport? There are seriously educated 30+ people in America who doesn't have a passport? ... wow...

 

Otherwise, I agree with most of this list. I'll never wear a watch though, but I have 4 tailored suits and 3 waistcoasts, so I guess that evens it out.

 

The statistics are quite low for North American's to have passports. I think it's around 30-35% of the population have valid passports. Although if I remember the statistics, that doesn't count foreign-born American's who have moved into the country. That and it usually comes down to around only 13 million American's travel abroad - as in, serious travel as opposed to just a quick jaunt across the border to Mexico or Canada - each year.  It's something like 30 million trips abroad per year, but most of those are by the same people, such as regular business travel.

 

Edit: And for the quirky trivia - Apparently of the 18 states with the highest number of passports, 17 of them voted Obama at the last election. The one that didn't.. was Alaska.   And the 11 states with the lowest number of passports issued all voted Romney.

Edited October 1, 2013 by Raithe

[Malcador]

A passport? There are seriously educated 30+ people in America who doesn't have a passport? ... wow...

 

Otherwise, I agree with most of this list. I'll never wear a watch though, but I have 4 tailored suits and 3 waistcoasts, so I guess that evens it out.

Big country they can travel around in, if most can afford it, I suppose. Why never a watch ?

[Blarghagh]

Every self-respecting man over 30 should have the intelligence and self-confidence not to listen to a random list on the internet to tell them what a real man has. I'm still a few years away from 30 and I already feel more confident and self-respecting than anyone who took this seriously.

 

You should own a book collection with the addendum that it doesn't matter that you read them or not? Why even bother? This list is for fakers, for the Barney Stinson wannabe's who can't get a girl without pretending they're better than they are. Do what you are comfortable with, what makes you feel confident. If it's on this list? Great. If it's not? Just as good.

Edited October 1, 2013 by TrueNeutral

[Rosbjerg]

I don't think anyone is really taking it that serious TN..

 

Don't you only need a passport for international travels? I would assume the vast majority of people don't have one.

 

Point was that I was a little disappointed that the average US citizen apparently didn't "get out" more. It's super important to see the rest of the world and not just your local country/culture.. Even if USA is pretty big - you guys are important, you should be well traveled. I would be disappointed at a European never leaving Europe too.

 

 Why never a watch ?

 

It messes with my head when I check the time too often and if I have a constant reminder on my arm I end up stressing too much about it.. In essence, a watch gives me the sensation of having far far less time.

[Gorth]

Heh, so I saw this and thought I'd throw it over here buzzfeed - Things every self-respecting man over 30 should own, with the varied crowd of folk here I'm both curious and amused at what people think should be added to this list or removed from it.

 

Let alone how many of us have items from this list..

 

1. A tailored black suit

 

- Pass

 

2. Black dress shoes

 

- Pass

 

3. Brown dress shoes

 

- Pass

 

4. Stocks

 

- Pass... company started offering stock to empoyees early 2008. I turned down the offer. Colleagues said I was nuts. GFC struck mid 2008. Gorth laughed at colleagues who accepted the offer.

 

5. A tool kit

 

- Got some basic tools. If you can't fix it with a hammer it ain't worth fixing.

 

6. A nice wallet

 

- Pass. Got a wallet. Barely kept together and coming apart at the seems. The zipper for the coin section can't keep in the coins, so it always have to have the same side up in my back pocket.

 

7. Cologne, NOT BODY SPRAY

 

- Girls smell nicer anyway, why bother?

 

8. A watch

 

- Pass. Haven't had one for 15 years.

 

9. A proper bed with proper bedding

 

- Check. Just spent $3300 on a new mattress last month.

 

10. A flashlight

 

- Check. Comes with the recurring thunderstorms and power outages.

 

11. Duct tape

 

- Check. When a hammer just doesn't cut it.

 

12. A weekend bag

 

- Pass. Got some nice sportsbags though.

 

13. Proper glassware

 

- Pass. Got some good coffee mugs though.

 

14. Grooming kit

 

- A what?

 

15. Double-hinged wine key

 

- Is that a distant relative to the cork screw?

 

16. Multiple towels

 

- Check.

 

17. A chef’s knife

 

- Pass. Cooking is not my thing. Got a one knife slice all thing.

 

18. A passport

 

- Duh, I'm an ex-pat

 

19. A flask

 

- ?

 

20. Sewing kit

 

- Pass. Though I did learn how to make improvised tourniquets during my time in the civil defense.

 

21. An umbrella

 

- Check. Frequent showers appearing with less than 20 minutes warning means, you usually have one within reach.

 

22. Buy an ironing board, and an iron.

 

- HAHAHA!

 

23. Jumper cables

 

- Pass. If I can't push it, it isn't going anywhere.

 

24. Undershirts

 

- Pass. Got lots of t-shirts.

 

25. Playing cards

 

- Pass. Got lots of dice. Even the six sided ones.

 

26. A lint roller

 

- Trick question, right?

 

27. A leatherman

 

- Pass. My Swiss Army knife can do the stuff it needs to do in a pinch.

 

28. Sunglasses

 

- Pass. Doesn't fit under the helmet.

 

29. A record player

 

- Pass. Gave it away a decade ago (when moving abroad).

 

30. Football/soccer ball/basketball, etc.

 

- Pass. Got some gym equipment though, including an exercise bike.

 

31. A French press

 

- Le Figaro...

 

32. Good socks

 

- Check. If I have plenty of time, I can find matching pairs amongst them too.

 

33. Good underwear

 

- Check. Hot and humid climate makes a large stockpile a good idea.

 

34. A cast-iron skillet

 

- No idea what the outside is made of. Don't buy anything without Teflon on the inside (I need it idiot proof) and 10 years warranty.

 

35. Multiple sheet sets

 

- Check.

 

36. A bar set

 

- Pass. Real men drink from the bottle.

 

37. Matching dishes

 

- Hmm... some of them matches.

 

38. A decent car

 

- Pass. Got a motorcycle.

 

39. A solid book collection

 

- Check. Very solid. Especially the old tomes on SQL and C++.

 

40. A decent bottle of booze

 

- Check. Got a nice stock pile of decent stuff.

[Nonek]

Important note: When the pitter patter of little feet echo in your home half or more of these possessions will be broken or ruined by sticky finger smears, vomit or nappy napalm, enjoy.

[Malcador]

I'm surprised they had to mention an umbrella. Though it would explain why people panic when it rains here and then can't walk two blocks.

[Lexx]

I am 26 and I have half of the stuff on the list. Cool.

[Gorgon]

I reject the concept in its entirety. 

[kgambit]

I reject the concept in its entirety. 

 

Even the duct tape?  You can't reject duct tape.    

[Orogun01]

Every man over 30 should have self respect, cause as soon as you hit 35 and the beer gut grow it will be gone. 

Seriously Raithe, what are you doing perusing girly web sites reading articles by gay men?

[Gorgon]

I approve of duct tape, but not because it's on the list, and as Orogun suggested the manly thing is to be your own man. ei. not be concerned with lists and women's magazine quizzes et al.

[Woldan]

I don't agree with most of the things on the list, IMO that list is a pile of utter fashion conformist crap. (not dissing the OP here)

 

What has booze and a flask to do with self respect?

 

Not being childish? Self respect is about accepting who you are and not pretending to be someone else. If you are a little bit childish (like pretty much every grown up man) than man up and accept who you are. Now THATS self respect.

 

Why is there no fitness equipment like bicycles or weight lifting stuff mentioned on the list? Trying to stay fit, healthy and good looking is pretty much what self respect is all about, not drinking yourself fat and ugly with booze.

 

What has a pure fashion item like an expensive watch to do with self respect? I have a goddamn phone that shows me the freaking time. Carrying around two devices that show me the time is inefficient and inefficiency has no place in the life of a self respecting man. 

 

Undershirts? God, why?

 

What about a tool to defend yourself? Shouldn't a self-respecting man be able to defend himself properly?

Edited October 1, 2013 by Woldan

[Walsingham]

What you should have is enough self respect not to take advice from internet lists.

 

The measure of a man is more than his stuff.

 

No offence, Raitho.