Althouse: "I have one drawer," says Facebook billionaire Zuckerberg. "Like men everywhere. Like men everywhere."

October 3, 2012

"I have one drawer," says Facebook billionaire Zuckerberg. "Like men everywhere. Like men everywhere."

"I mean, I wear the same thing every day, right?" The closet is used by his wife, and he just has like 20 gray T-shirts. And that's not 50 shades of grey. Just 20. All the same shade.

It's a miracle the fashion industry stays alive. If we — or I mean, you men — didn't have to get dressed up for work, what would you spend a year?

72 comments:

TMink said...: Not much. I have 4 pair of shoes. Tennis, black, brown, and hiking boots. The black and brown take me through work quite nicely!

Trey; 10/3/12, 11:14 AM
Larry J said...: Fashion is for suckers. It's planned obsolescence on steroids to make gullible people buy new clothes when there's nothing wrong with their old ones.; 10/3/12, 11:15 AM
The Crack Emcee said...: I hardly spend anything now, and have more clothes than I know what to do with.

How women waste so much money is beyond me,...; 10/3/12, 11:16 AM
I'm Full of Soup said...: He is as bad as an actor who brags he doesn't watch TV.; 10/3/12, 11:16 AM
Ann Althouse said...: Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs showed men the way: Pick a uniform: long or short sleeved t-shirts and jeans.

But, guys, it only works if you stay slim! Otherwise, you really need a jacket and woven-fabric shirts.

But don't get too thin. Jobs overdid it (to death).; 10/3/12, 11:18 AM
edutcher said...: Guys dress up to attract women.

If it weren't for sex, there'd be no men's clothing industry.; 10/3/12, 11:18 AM
rhhardin said...: If you have 20 of everything it all fits in one load of laundry.; 10/3/12, 11:19 AM
Tyrone Slothrop said...: Of course Zuckerberg is off the mark. My t-shirts are black!; 10/3/12, 11:19 AM
Loren said...: Jeans, T-Shirts, Polos & sweatshirts. What else does a guy really need?; 10/3/12, 11:20 AM
Loren said...: Jeans, T-Shirts, Polos & sweatshirts. What else does a guy really need?; 10/3/12, 11:21 AM
The Crack Emcee said...: edutcher,

Guys dress up to attract women.

Gays, metrosexuals, and Players dress for women - men dress for convenience.

The idea that we must "decide" what to wear is silly:

I wear what's clean,...; 10/3/12, 11:23 AM
Brian Brown said...: Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs showed men the way: Pick a uniform: long or short sleeved t-shirts and jeans

Only if you want to look like a douche.

Turtlenecks are idiotic looking and uncomfortable. Jobs had 50 of the same ones.; 10/3/12, 11:23 AM
traditionalguy said...: The mini-houses that Liberals pretend are better choices for us have NO closet space.

Clean clothes are the necessity. They have been made possible by plumbing of water and sewer to our homes and washer-dryer appliances run by electricity.

All of that progress is less than 80 years old and based on the coal and oil energy supply that the Obama EPA has declared to be an illegal pollutant.

Clean bodies are the least necessary improvement, but that is based on the same 80 years of Capitalism and cheap carbon based energy supplies.; 10/3/12, 11:24 AM
jungatheart said...: Wearing a gray t-shirt every day is a fashion statement. There's nothing wrong with it. Wear what makes you feel good.; 10/3/12, 11:25 AM
The Crack Emcee said...: And, oh yeah, "clean" is sometimes determined by smell,...; 10/3/12, 11:25 AM
test said...: It's amazing to me how inexpensive clothes are now, especially juvenile sizes. I think many items are cheaper now than 30 years ago even before inflation-adjusting.

But eventually equal access to footwear will become the most important social injustice not already controlled by government and that will end.; 10/3/12, 11:28 AM
jungatheart said...: "If it weren't for sex, there'd be no men's clothing industry."

If it weren't for sex, there'd be no clothing.; 10/3/12, 11:29 AM
ricpic said...: Well, I don't know about the fashion industry, but suppliers of deeply conservative mens clothing, clothing that barely changes over time, from Brooks Brothers to L.L. Bean, are doing quite well thank you.

And there actually is a market for mens casual fashion. The Territory Ahead does a land office business. Hey, Land's End.; 10/3/12, 11:29 AM
traditionalguy said...: 95% of the market for shoes, clothes houses and furniture is a direct result of families having children and raising them.

Ergo: the free contraceptives and free abortions have become the biggest drag on the US economy.

We have used Mexicans workers to fill in for our missing families.; 10/3/12, 11:34 AM
Tim Wohlford said...: I work a 6-figure income job from home. I can't recall the last in-person job interview. Since I don't have to leave the house for work, I basically have various tee shirts, a few pairs of jeans, 1-2 "dress casual" outfits, and a 15 year old suit.; 10/3/12, 11:35 AM
Tim Wohlford said...: I work a 6-figure income job from home. I can't recall the last in-person job interview. Since I don't have to leave the house for work, I basically have various tee shirts, a few pairs of jeans, 1-2 "dress casual" outfits, and a 15 year old suit.; 10/3/12, 11:35 AM
Ecclesiastes said...: I have a dozen or so black t-shirts with a pocket. I buy them by the dozen when the come into clearance.

I have 5 pairs of jeans, all with a custom cell phone pocket.

A dozen or so grey socks. two pair black walking shoes.

I've been wearing this 'uniform' for years, because I don't want to waste the time figuring out what to wear.

If I put on a white t-shirt, my kids say I'm in costume.; 10/3/12, 11:43 AM
Ignorance is Bliss said...: If we — or I mean, you men — didn't have to get dressed up for work, what would you spend a year?

I don't have to get dressed up for work. I probably spend under $100 a year, not counting running shoes and some hiking-specific purchases.; 10/3/12, 11:44 AM
Ignorance is Bliss said...: If it weren't for sex, there'd be no men's clothing industry.

I'm married, so sex is not an option.; 10/3/12, 11:45 AM
edutcher said...: deborah said...

If it weren't for sex, there'd be no men's clothing industry.

If it weren't for sex, there'd be no clothing.

No, we'd need stuff to keep the sun off in the summer, the cold out in the winter, and to protect our nether regions from thorns and stuff.; 10/3/12, 11:48 AM
McTriumph said...: Ann
You have a short memory, Steve Jobs was clotheshorse his whole life till just prior to getting ill.; 10/3/12, 11:54 AM
nina said...: I do not think men's fashion developed to please women. It was a way to confer hierarchy and status: if you wore a suit, you made it. If you wore a Brooks Brothers suit, you were the elite. it's still that way. It's cool to wear black on jeans now because the superstars -- Zuckerberg and Jobs are/were doing it.

Women wear adornments and colorful fabrics in virtually every society on the planet. They dress for the aesthetic statement, men dress for status. (And one form of that is to shun clothes as a statement altogether -- that raises you above the top. You are your own guy. You don't care. You are beyond the elites. No?); 10/3/12, 12:01 PM
Balfegor said...: I like a little more variety, but I could survive indefinitely on four dress shirts, two suits, two pairs of shoes, three neckties, an overcoat, and a pair of khakis for weekends. Maybe a hat for the sun. Everything over that is just self-indulgence. But I do indulge myself rather.; 10/3/12, 12:01 PM
Schorsch said...: I'm a man. I like dressing well. I like craftmanship in clothing, and I like to express a little bit of personal style in my appearance. I'm not alone (there is a market for things that I like) but I literally know no other man like myself in my daily life. I only find like-minded people on the internet.; 10/3/12, 12:02 PM
jimbino said...: I'm with Zuckerberg. I have only one drawer for underwear and socks, one for shorts, and a shelf for T-shirts.

I alternate between a couple of pairs of shorts. Here in Texas, if you don't wear shorts and T-shirts in the 105deg summer, you'd have to be either an idiot, a consort of Althouse, or in an air-conditioned cubicle or refrigerated morgue all day.

Besides fashion, lotions, potions, pills and pomades are for women. In my bathrooms there are 10 drawers filled with pharmacy stuff, but when I occasionally need a band-aid or aspirin, I can't ever find it.

It seems that Darwin provided all these things for women to fuss with so that they will their men alone to pursue interests in science, engineering, math, econ, cabinetmaking, welding, chess and world travel.; 10/3/12, 12:04 PM
Beaver7216 said...: $100 a year seems reasonable. Spent less last year and this year but overspent in some prior years. Aways amazed at those who are given $300 or so to spend on clothes and actually congratulate themselves for spending it "wisely" and buying clothes on sale. Isn't it wiser to spend 1/3 of that amount and keep $200?; 10/3/12, 12:05 PM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: My husband is far from a fashionista

501 Jeans....only!!!

One pair of tan colored Dockers. He last wore those a couple of years ago. A couple of linen or cloth type shirts.

Carhart's tee shirts for summer. Long sleeve Carhart's for winter. A couple of sweatshirts. Gray, dark blue, tan or dark green. Absolutely no foo foo pink or yellow.

His only fashion statement is some hot rod themed and Hot August Nights tee shirts.

Actually, now that I'm retired....this sounds pretty much like my wardrobe, sans the 501 jeans.; 10/3/12, 12:06 PM
Tibore said...: Screw fashion. You don't have to be a slave to it, but that doesn't mean you go in the complete opposite direction and indulge in being shabby. Yet, that's precisely the zeitgeist nowadays: Shabby being chic.

Zuckerberg thankfully doesn't go that far - at least his shirt and jeans are in good order, and he's groomed himself well - but this whole pride in "wearing the same thing every day" is every bit as pretentious as slavish adherence The Current Look.

I don't know why people worship the whole idea of saying "screw clothing, I'll wear jeans and tshirts for everything". It's every bit the Look At Me superiority pretention that Paris Hilton displays when she's vamping designer stuff on the red carpet. Yet, so many of us fool ourselves into thinking it's a virtue. I just don't get it. Clothes fit situations, and not following those social niceties is akin to not saying hello or otherwise interacting socially with respect towards other people.

It's a small thing, admittedly, yet it's a definite sign that modern sensibilities are all about self indulgence as well as importance over positive social etiquette.; 10/3/12, 12:08 PM
MadisonMan said...: Underlying message: Matt Lauer is not a man.; 10/3/12, 12:11 PM
Xmas said...: I do IT consulting. The general rule is that you have to dress as well as or better than your clients. Most of the time this means Dockers and a nice button up shirt. At financial clients, this means a full suit and tie setup.

I've gotten a little crazy with button up shirts, because finding something that looks nice and professional, doesn't wrinkle too much, and feel comfortable for the whole day is a pain.

When I'm home, it's jeans and t-shirts, plus a flannel or a sweater if it's cold.; 10/3/12, 12:22 PM
jungatheart said...: @ed...Oh. Yeah :); 10/3/12, 12:27 PM
bagoh20 said...: If clothes didn't get dirty, I would only need one set for work and leisure, and one set for sports. Maybe one suit for a wedding or something once every decade. See I'm not married, so I actually get to decide myself what I wear.; 10/3/12, 12:30 PM
Balfegor said...: Re: Xmas:

I've gotten a little crazy with button up shirts, because finding something that looks nice and professional, doesn't wrinkle too much, and feel comfortable for the whole day is a pain.

I recommend the Lands End Non-iron button down Oxfords. Just their bog-standard oxfords. Not their "pinpoint" or broadcloath oxfords. Just ordinary oxfords. They wear well, last quite some time, and don't wrinkle too badly. Price is not too bad. Buy two or three when they go on sale every year and cycle them through.

I have rarely (never) been satisfied with ordinary dress shirts I have bought at the mall or mens' clothing stores. They shrink horribly, baloon out at th waist, etc. For a similar price, you can just have them made by one of those cheap Hong Kong tailors, and they'll fit better and look better. And at a lower price point: Lands End.; 10/3/12, 12:31 PM
Balfegor said...: Sorry, no such thing (I think) as broadcloth oxford (haha). But hopefully you know what I mean.; 10/3/12, 12:32 PM
bagoh20 said...: Does anyone know what happen to Levis jeans. In the last 12 months they have doubled in price. 501's were in the low to mid $30s for years and now all of a sudden they are mid $60s! WTF?; 10/3/12, 12:33 PM
Balfegor said...: re: bagoh20:

Inflation!!; 10/3/12, 12:36 PM
bagoh20 said...: "Inflation!!"

No, I still wear the same size.; 10/3/12, 12:43 PM
bagoh20 said...: For me the problem isn't keeping my clothes fashionable - it's my body that's gone out of style.; 10/3/12, 12:44 PM
McTriumph said...: Nina
Elitism of Ivy league clothing ended after WWII with the GI bill. Almost every university town had an Ivy shop by 1950. By about 1955 thru mid to late 60s ivy style was the mainstay of men's clothing, even Sears catalogs carried Ivy style clothing. The style faded in the radicalisation of campuses by 1970, but by 1980 had a revival, many called this style "preppy". Steve Jobs was "preppy" with a vengeance before he went all " I' going to cut the grass honey" look.; 10/3/12, 1:00 PM
McTriumph said...: bagho20
I've worn Levi 501s my whole life, I remember them costing $5-$10 a pair and made in USA. Blame your government.; 10/3/12, 1:05 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: My husband does not ordinarily have to dress up for work. He wears the same thing everyday. I bet he spends less than $100 a year on clothes.; 10/3/12, 1:06 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: Oh, not the exact same thing as in same articles, just his self-defined uniform.; 10/3/12, 1:07 PM
Ambrose said...: Someday maybe I will be able to afford to have only one drawer of clothes.; 10/3/12, 1:19 PM
McTriumph said...: Balfegor

The great thing about button down (BD) shirts is that they can be worn both dress and casually. They actually are the original polo shirt. I wear a suit most days, often I come home pull off the suit and tie throw on the Levis, head for a ballgame. Most likely, your Land's End oxford cloth (OC) shirts are made in the same factories as Brooks Brothers, who invented the OCDB.; 10/3/12, 1:23 PM
RonF said...: Get dressed up for work? I am a network analyst (essentially, a network operations engineer). I have 2 or 3 pairs of blue jeans that I rotate and about 7 shirts. That's it. Every Christmas I get a new pair of blue jeans and 2 or 3 new shirts. This year I really don't need any new shirts. Heck, if I start telecommuting 2 days a week I probably don't need the blue jeans.

Shoes: I have a pair of hiking boots that are about 5 years old that I just had re-soled for $60. I have a pair of sneakers for work and hacking around the house, another pair of sneakers reserved for workouts and a pair of dress shoes for when I go sing with my chamber choir. I also have a pair of black combat boots for when I go on my bi-yearly canoe trip to Canada.; 10/3/12, 1:29 PM
McTriumph said...: RonF
How do you swim in black combat boots, canoes do tip.

Everyone has their costume, I dress well at work out of respect for my clients. If total comfort was my goal I would show up in a tee, boxers and big wooly socks, showered not shaven.; 10/3/12, 1:44 PM
Expat(ish) said...: My wife kids that I started tri's and ultra's to get the t-shirts.

This may be true since the tech boom ended some years ago.

I did have to buy all new dress clothes this year for work purpose (lost big weight) and almost swooned at the cost.

But I still have my 1984 Bally (handmade in Switzerland) shoes for dressy occasions.

-XC; 10/3/12, 2:30 PM
Alex said...: Steve Jobs was "preppy" with a vengeance before he went all " I' going to cut the grass honey" look.

True if you look at videos from the 1980s, he's always wearing an expensive suit.; 10/3/12, 2:37 PM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: Well, since my husband's work causes his clothing to wear out rapidly, especially in the knees and the tops of his boots from kneeling, he has to buy new jeans and boots rather frequently. 6 to 8 pairs, at least, of Levi 501s annually (@ 60$ each) and 2 to 3 pairs of boots (Walmart @30$ each. Why buy expensive work shoes that you know are going to be ruined in a couple of months). Lots and lots of good socks for when his feet get wet and to protect his feet from diabetic issues. Other shoes for not work, we spend money on because it is important that they fit well ($120 + per pair)

Tee shirts are divided into two piles. One that is the presentable pile to wear when not working or when going to inspect a job. The other bigger pile of tee shirts covered with pipe dope, oil stains, mineral and rust stains and God know what else yuck in on the shirt. That second pile of stained and gross tees can be worn for quite a while.

We probably spend about $800 to $1200 a year on work clothing for the man. Not to mention the leather and rubberized gripping work gloves.

He is due for a new jacket this year which will probably set us back about $300. Needs to be water repellent and thinsulate lined.

So...what you spend just depends on what kind of work you do and where you live, I guess.; 10/3/12, 3:04 PM
McTriumph said...: Expat

Hang on to those Bally dress shoes, the least expensive men's shoes they make are $450, tennis shoes!; 10/3/12, 3:07 PM
McTriumph said...: Dust Bunny Queen
I know what you mean, I worked construction trades and production when I was young. You go through clothing like carpenters go through nails.; 10/3/12, 3:21 PM
vbspurs said...: A chap who asked me out on a date came to pick me up at my door. Well and good -- until I opened it and the son of Kurt Cobain was staring at me. Plaid shirt, untucked, scruffy jeans and mercifully some nice black shoes. Too little, too late though.

There I was, a sight for sore eyes, having spent all day yanking hair off my body, twirling and dyeing my follicles on top, and excitedly choosing and discarding frocks like a demented Coco Chanel model of the 1920s, only to be greeted by a guy who didn't want to seem uncool by pretending to make an effort on a date.

I thanked him for coming, and closed the door.

Total bitch move...for a total loser.

Cheers,
Victoria; 10/3/12, 3:33 PM
McTriumph said...: A girl has to have standards, poor Kurt probably didn't have a mother or sisters to teach him how the dance is done.; 10/3/12, 4:42 PM
bagoh20 said...: Sure you want a guy to show up well dressed, but remember, the worst of them always do. The devil is always snappy dresser.; 10/3/12, 4:47 PM
Astro said...: Well, $100 a year seems low. I'll buy a couple pairs of Levi 514s and already be close to $100. A pair of jeans shorts and it's for sure over $100. (Yes. Here in the South, summers are long, hot and humid. So, shorts.)
Underwear, socks, and t-shirts, in black or gray, another $50 easily.
A few long and short sleeve shirts, easily another $100.
A new pair of sneakers every spring cause I wore out last year's, another $50.
So call it $300. Then every few years maybe a new pair of sandals, a new jacket, cap, hoodie.
So on average a bit over $300 per year. So I'm keeping what, maybe 3 or 4 third-world kids alive.; 10/3/12, 4:57 PM
McTriumph said...: Most 'snappy" dressers are pimps or lawyers that advertise on TV. My guess is that Victoria would have been satisfied if Kurt had just worn a pressed tucked in shirt, slacks and a belt. Girls just want respect, poor Kurt will never know if Victoria can dance.; 10/3/12, 5:15 PM
PhaseMargin said...: My wife once complained I had too many shirts and pants in the closet. Being a guy I simply asked, "How many of them did I buy?"

Shortest argument ever.; 10/3/12, 5:52 PM
Carnifex said...: I am a carpenter by trade and I settled on "my" uniform. Pair of pleated front dockers(they last forever, and you can move in them, something a carpenter has to do a lot of), comfortable boots(steel toed), cotton polo shirt, and carhart jacket as needed. The secret is not to use your clothes for anything other than clothes. Use kneepads for kneeling. Use rags for cleaning caulk/paint/oil.etc. Dress like you've been off the square before, especially if you want to make return business. No one likes the plumbers crack, get long body tee's if you have too. If you wear a size 42, don't keep squeezing into the 36's you wore 15 years ago. Buy shit that fits, is comfortable, and roomy.

Goes for underwear too.

PS

No grimy oil stained team ball caps. Plain or one with a company logo, you're not 15 anymore.

PPS

Natural fibers...natural...not rayon, orlon, or nylon.

Tee-shirts are okay if clean/ no holes/ no logos(except company)/no stains, and you're working in the sun. You're not James Dean either.; 10/3/12, 5:53 PM
McTriumph said...: No doubt cotton is king, especially working out in the sun. I occasionally work for my homebuilder brothers when they need extra help. I enjoy it, at my age my friend think I'm crazy, I think they're crazy to pay gym dues to work out.; 10/3/12, 6:48 PM
rcocean said...: "Gays, metrosexuals, and Players dress for women - men dress for convenience"

Exactly. And do women really dress for men? I think most women dress for other women. As Angie D said, "I dress for women; I undress for men".; 10/3/12, 7:31 PM
rhhardin said...: Oh I do have two dress shirts
pic

They're for wearing when the occasion is announced as formal dress.

They're kept in a dark closet to preserve the natural color.; 10/3/12, 7:45 PM
vbspurs said...: Now, hold up -- you guys are avoiding the details, to find some meaningful philosophy behind my decision.

It was a first date. MAKE THE DAMN EFFORT.

The girl is going to make an effort, count on it. It's what makes us girls.

You knew the kind of girl that she was the moment you laid eyes on her and asked her out. It wasn't a blind date.

Lastly, it IS about self-respect. Letting it all hang out is for happily marrieds of 30 years, not potential boyfriends.

Anyway, my dad dresses well, REALLY well, but doesn't spend too much money because my mother and I buy everything for him. :)

Cheers,
Victoria; 10/3/12, 7:53 PM
Eric said...: It's a miracle the fashion industry stays alive. If we — or I mean, you men — didn't have to get dressed up for work, what would you spend a year?

Hmmmm. I'm a software developer in California, so I don't have to get dressed up for work. The computer doesn't seem to care. Last year the tab came to about $50 on clothes. Bought a new hoodie when the old one got stretched out.

On the other hand, I've never bought a car on credit and paid cash for my house.; 10/3/12, 9:04 PM
Eric said...: I thanked him for coming, and closed the door.

This sort of thing is why I don't date.; 10/3/12, 9:05 PM
Fûz said...: My employer provides my clothing and copious instructions on how to wear it. Google "ABU."

Otherwise I rather favor suits made of real wool, ties made of real silk, shirts of real cotton. Former employers insisted upon that.

When a suit is overkill, I favor Cuban shirts, considering the climate in SE Wyoming.

But when I'm dressing out an antelope, it's carpenter pants and T shirts.

Now can we talk about all these twenty-something women who slob into the convenience store in flannel pajamas and flipflops . . .; 10/3/12, 9:53 PM
Sam L. said...: Carnifex--Duluth Trading Company. Have a look there.; 10/4/12, 12:14 PM
Claudio Timber said...: It's a miracle the fashion industry stays alive. If we — or I mean, you men — didn't have to get dressed up for work, what would you spend a year? plumber upland; 1/16/13, 8:06 AM