In another twist on my two worlds colliding, there is this strange world of men's fashion that I call Grayman fashion. Now, people who do this will NOT call it that, because that's way too sissy. No, these men consider themselves the most operatey of operaters, the tips of the spear, possibly even tier 1 (and some actually are!) but the point is, you can't just be a badass. You also have to look the part too. As Garand Thumb (a military YouTuber) loves to frequently joke, "If you don't look cool, then nothing else matters."
But while I could try to describe the style, it might be easier if I provide pictures for visual aid. Let's start with Daddy Flannel himself, Garand Thumb:
However, maybe this image is a better depiction of what I think the fashion itself looks like:
Of course, most people don't walk around in plate carriers while slinging rifles, and so, take those away, and you have Grayman fashion in a nutshell, which I think this following 5.11 ad picture perfectly illustrates:
So, why am I bringing this up? Prior to retirement, I was surrounded by a lot of highly impressionable young men who are really into stuff like this. Regardless of who they are, or what their actual skill level is, they still want to look and feel like a badass. And as such, there will always be companies who are more than happy to help them look the part, in exchange for unreasonable amounts of money. One such notable brand name is the one I just mentioned, which is 5.11, though they are not the only one.
5.11 used to be an online-only gear and apparel shop catering to the military, law enforcement, and first responder crowd, but they have gotten so popular, they are even opening regular retail stores now! How do I know this? Well, I finally got around to visit the (relatively new) 5.11 store near me:
As I'm sure you can imagine, the place is EXPENSIVE. For example, a cheap pair of trauma sheers, ones you might find packed with your first aid kit bundle for free, are being sold individually for $15 USD! But yeah, sure, it's in "tactical black" and lovingly etched with their fancy 5.11 logo, so I'm sure that more than makes it worth the money....
Now don't get me wrong. Most of their products are all high quality. However, does one really need to spend all that money for quality and function? I personally believe I'm just as functional and operatey as anybody in my old man sweat shirt and sweat pants, along with my plain jane T-shirt with holes in it, that I think I might have gotten from Goodwill years ago.
And to be fair, I'm not saying it looks bad at all. Right? Paul Bunyan meets Special Forces has that certain quaint look to it? Or better yet, I personally prefer this look:
Can't beat a man looking sharp in highly functional suits, right? You know, actually, even Jason Momoa looks very badass and operatey in this photo, which is mostly why I chose to share this one. But don't worry. While I might have to fix my wardrobe some day, for now, I am still comfortably sporting my cheap, homeless hot garbage look. And I kid you not, even when geared up, literally NOBODY suspects me of being anything other than hoping you'll spare me a few coins for a McDonald's value meal.
February 28th, 2026 at 02:59 pm 1772290782
"cheap, homeless hot garbage look" - LOL. I grew up right outside Beverly Hills, and a favorite family weekend entertainment was to go browse the shops along Rodeo Drive, always ending up at Brentano's Bookstore next door to the lobby of the Beverly Wilshire hotel. They had a little coffee bar at the bookstore way before that became routine. Anyways, my Dad would sometimes (to my mother's chagrin) go to Beverly Hills in his sweats. When my Mom would try to get him to change, he always said, "they'll just think that I'm rich and don't need to care what people think."
March 1st, 2026 at 04:52 am 1772340721
March 1st, 2026 at 03:49 pm 1772380168
March 1st, 2026 at 06:04 pm 1772388258
March 1st, 2026 at 10:17 pm 1772403477
I always felt like the wealthier kids in my high school tried to "out-Gucci" the Beverly Hills high school kids. Bentleys, Jaguars, and Porsches were common in the hillier neighborhoods. One friend used to sneak me into her father's garage to show off his Rolls Royce Silver Shadow. That status symbolizing was really as glitzy as it got.
The kids I knew from wealthier families weren't living in "glitz and glamour" but their homes were larger and more upscale, and they had access to more resources. As I've learned in a career where most of my clients are "IRA millionaires" at the very least, people are people wherever you go and wealth doesn't prevent major problems.
March 2nd, 2026 at 03:37 am 1772422657
March 3rd, 2026 at 04:10 pm 1772554209