Good afternoon gentlemen,
I'm RP Owens (but you can call me Ryan); I am a Canadian 23 year-old living in Charlottetown, PEI but born and raised in Moncton, NB (not that this will mean much to most). I currently work as a wardrobe consultant at a chain retailer of men's wear (my North American friends will probably know what I'm talking about) and, while the income is marginal, I love my job. My primary focus, then, is dressing men appropriately for all situations and that's a passion I carry with me. This was not the first area of traditional men's fashion that I latched onto. It should come as little surprise to most of you that my first jump into the modern past was through wet-shaving. Like so many young men in my generation, I suffered from a problem wherein the links between myself and previous generations were severed by a generation which preceded me having no discernible interest in the fineries of life. To my father (God love him), the ideal shave was one that was quick, painless and yielded passable results. His wardrobe was one that was "comfortable" and functional (both excellent and inescapable qualities in a good wardrobe) but lacked any kind of character or sense of beauty. Hair was always cut in an appropriate way, but was never styled. It was a wasteland for tradition. Then I came across several blogs about traditional men's lifestyles and it all changed.
I bought myself a three-dollar shaving brush, a tub of Wilkinson Sword shaving soap and a bottle of Brut aftershave. I couldn't find a good safety razor in a brick-and-mortar shop so I opted to buy cheap, two-blade disposable razors (if I couldn't have a good safety razor, I thought that I should, at least, a) save some money and b) go with the fewest blades I could find). I have since abandoned Wilkinson Sword and now I use Proraso shaving cream for sensitive skin. I have no complaints about it. However, much to my shame, I've yet to buy a safety razor and I'm still using that cheap three-dollar shaving brush. I suppose that's where you come in: I need some help finding an excellent razor and an excellent brush at a fairly modest price.
What else do you need to know about me? I'm a short 5-8 and I weigh in at just over 130 pounds. I am a Tottenham Hotspur supporter and I referee football as well. For my hair, I use Brylcreem which, frankly, I have never had a complaint about and always keeps my hair held well with the obvious benefit of pliability as well. While my formal-wear selection is extensive, I am sorely lacking in the casual clothing department and that is something that I aim to fix over the coming months (especially as we get into the warmer seasons and my wool suits begin to grow too warm for the climate). Of course, there's so much more to say but I can't think of anything else so if you've got any questions, I'd love to answer them. If you have any advice on anything: shaving, grooming, style, clothing, etc then I'd be all ears. I guess you should also know that I am a Scotch drinker and I smoke like a chimney (cigarettes are my go-to, but I also own a few low-end pipes and I have enjoyed cigars on the rare occasions I've had to smoke them).
Likewise, if anyone is ever in my neck of the woods, I'd love to arrange a meet-and-greet so we can have a few drinks, share a few stories and, most importantly, help one another improve our ability to look good, feel good and present our best selves that we can every day.
Thank you for welcoming me, I look forward to meeting you all through the magic of internet.
I'm RP Owens (but you can call me Ryan); I am a Canadian 23 year-old living in Charlottetown, PEI but born and raised in Moncton, NB (not that this will mean much to most). I currently work as a wardrobe consultant at a chain retailer of men's wear (my North American friends will probably know what I'm talking about) and, while the income is marginal, I love my job. My primary focus, then, is dressing men appropriately for all situations and that's a passion I carry with me. This was not the first area of traditional men's fashion that I latched onto. It should come as little surprise to most of you that my first jump into the modern past was through wet-shaving. Like so many young men in my generation, I suffered from a problem wherein the links between myself and previous generations were severed by a generation which preceded me having no discernible interest in the fineries of life. To my father (God love him), the ideal shave was one that was quick, painless and yielded passable results. His wardrobe was one that was "comfortable" and functional (both excellent and inescapable qualities in a good wardrobe) but lacked any kind of character or sense of beauty. Hair was always cut in an appropriate way, but was never styled. It was a wasteland for tradition. Then I came across several blogs about traditional men's lifestyles and it all changed.
I bought myself a three-dollar shaving brush, a tub of Wilkinson Sword shaving soap and a bottle of Brut aftershave. I couldn't find a good safety razor in a brick-and-mortar shop so I opted to buy cheap, two-blade disposable razors (if I couldn't have a good safety razor, I thought that I should, at least, a) save some money and b) go with the fewest blades I could find). I have since abandoned Wilkinson Sword and now I use Proraso shaving cream for sensitive skin. I have no complaints about it. However, much to my shame, I've yet to buy a safety razor and I'm still using that cheap three-dollar shaving brush. I suppose that's where you come in: I need some help finding an excellent razor and an excellent brush at a fairly modest price.
What else do you need to know about me? I'm a short 5-8 and I weigh in at just over 130 pounds. I am a Tottenham Hotspur supporter and I referee football as well. For my hair, I use Brylcreem which, frankly, I have never had a complaint about and always keeps my hair held well with the obvious benefit of pliability as well. While my formal-wear selection is extensive, I am sorely lacking in the casual clothing department and that is something that I aim to fix over the coming months (especially as we get into the warmer seasons and my wool suits begin to grow too warm for the climate). Of course, there's so much more to say but I can't think of anything else so if you've got any questions, I'd love to answer them. If you have any advice on anything: shaving, grooming, style, clothing, etc then I'd be all ears. I guess you should also know that I am a Scotch drinker and I smoke like a chimney (cigarettes are my go-to, but I also own a few low-end pipes and I have enjoyed cigars on the rare occasions I've had to smoke them).
Likewise, if anyone is ever in my neck of the woods, I'd love to arrange a meet-and-greet so we can have a few drinks, share a few stories and, most importantly, help one another improve our ability to look good, feel good and present our best selves that we can every day.
Thank you for welcoming me, I look forward to meeting you all through the magic of internet.
