Stoic Style · Real Men Real Style Community

Stoic Style

Gentlemen, I'd love some feedback on an idea I had which I may publish to my blog. I'm not as active on here as I would like to be I put hard limits on my app times. So I may be an unfamiliar name to many. I will be grateful for any and all feedback. Thank you!!

Many may know the tales of Epictetus. Many would apply it to themselves in the same way. But there may be a deeper meaning to apply to our goals.

The classic tale goes as follows. In the days of ancient Rome many men especially those of status would dress to show their worth in how they were draped. The most elegant clothing signaled to the people that you were a man who was to be respected. This came with a burden of arrogance. Feeling like one lived on a higher plane of existence. So and an exercise Seneca the Younger advised Epictetus to challenge his own image. He advised setting aside days to live with "coarse and rough dress" to ask: "Is this the condition that I feared?" This isn’t about self-punishment, but about testing one’s inner strength against societal expectations.

Dressing poorly for a day can be a form of mental training, helping to detach self-worth from appearance and reduce anxiety about judgment.

A modern Stoic might choose to dress poorly—or simply wear simple, unremarkable clothing—for a day not out of vanity or rebellion, but as a voluntary exercise in indifference to external appearances. This aligns with the Stoic practice of voluntary hardship, where one deliberately embraces discomfort to build resilience and clarify what truly matters.

But in today's world so many are so casual. The counter signal of high status individuals wearing sweats and t-shirts to conferences has flipped the agenda. Now so many don't step up and dress well at all. Now the discomfort lies in dressing up not in dressing down.

We all know it's easy to blend in. But taking time with your dress sense can be a sign of respect to those you interact with. Subtly saying, I respect your time and attention and wished to dress properly to reflect that.

My challenge to anyone trying to level up their style would be to spend a few days a month dressing a little better than one should and a little nicer than normal. To the point of feeling over dressed. On these days ask yourself "Is this the condition that I so feared?"

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