Fashion: bob dylan and chainsaws
The rise of the urban woodsman
Serena Howe
Issue date: 3/4/10 Section: Arts
Make room, metrosexuals and polo-wearing nerds: a manlier man, full-bearded and hairier-chested, has hung up his flannel coat at Hillsdale College and is here to stay.
According to January's New York Magazine, it's the latest fashion trend: the Urban Woodsman.
Boots, plaid and a beard are his uniform. He reads Thoreau, and he does things, like hunt and hew his own end tables.
Hillsdale is a thriving enclave of the urban woodsman whom senior James Wegmann explained this way: "He's an Earnest Hemingway in a college full of Scott Fitzgeralds."
At this time of year, the casual observer may spot the collegiate version sporting a stocking cap and the occasional cigarette.
Beyond the basics of raw denim and flannel, however, urban woodsmen on campus dispute the perfect outfit. Senior Sean McDermott insists that cheaper is better and free is best, suggesting trash dumps and stealing from the homeless as possible sources.
Thick socks and quality cotton pieces form the foundation of Wegmann's wardrobe, however. Unlike McDermott, he firmly emphasized the importance of spending money on good clothing that will hold up under years of woodchopping and snow camping.
Beards, of course, complete the outdoorsman look. Beard connoisseur junior Theo Harwood recommends styling with Clubman wax, which, he says, is pricey but the best on the market.
"And trim so you don't have a nest," he said. "I check for animals daily."
But being an urban woodsman means more than finding that perfectly wrinkled and unwashed plaid shirt - it's a way of life. The urban woodsman's motto is self-reliance; he never pays someone to change the oil or refinish the kitchen table if he can do it himself. He has skills - and not just fishing and woodworking. He also seeks a balance between brawn and sophistication.
"So he can tie a double windsor, but can also tie a bowline," Wegmann said.
Unlike the New York variety, Hillsdale's urban woodsmen are mostly unaware of their trend-following brethren in the cities. They've been wearing flannel and not shaving since before it was cool. Some, like Wegmann, resent them precisely for their trendiness.
According to January's New York Magazine, it's the latest fashion trend: the Urban Woodsman.
Boots, plaid and a beard are his uniform. He reads Thoreau, and he does things, like hunt and hew his own end tables.
Hillsdale is a thriving enclave of the urban woodsman whom senior James Wegmann explained this way: "He's an Earnest Hemingway in a college full of Scott Fitzgeralds."
At this time of year, the casual observer may spot the collegiate version sporting a stocking cap and the occasional cigarette.
Beyond the basics of raw denim and flannel, however, urban woodsmen on campus dispute the perfect outfit. Senior Sean McDermott insists that cheaper is better and free is best, suggesting trash dumps and stealing from the homeless as possible sources.
Thick socks and quality cotton pieces form the foundation of Wegmann's wardrobe, however. Unlike McDermott, he firmly emphasized the importance of spending money on good clothing that will hold up under years of woodchopping and snow camping.
Beards, of course, complete the outdoorsman look. Beard connoisseur junior Theo Harwood recommends styling with Clubman wax, which, he says, is pricey but the best on the market.
"And trim so you don't have a nest," he said. "I check for animals daily."
But being an urban woodsman means more than finding that perfectly wrinkled and unwashed plaid shirt - it's a way of life. The urban woodsman's motto is self-reliance; he never pays someone to change the oil or refinish the kitchen table if he can do it himself. He has skills - and not just fishing and woodworking. He also seeks a balance between brawn and sophistication.
"So he can tie a double windsor, but can also tie a bowline," Wegmann said.
Unlike the New York variety, Hillsdale's urban woodsmen are mostly unaware of their trend-following brethren in the cities. They've been wearing flannel and not shaving since before it was cool. Some, like Wegmann, resent them precisely for their trendiness.
Be the first to comment on this story