As a part of Manimas(my own made up holiday for men to celebrate being men) DAD will be sharing cool gift ideas and tips for your favorite DAD or yourself. Everything I recommend, I have tried and think is worth the recommendation. The other stuff, I gave to the neighbors as gifts. Ha! Suckas, you got crap gifts!
Two weeks ago I was picking up the middle kid from school and a mom came up and introduced herself to me, “you are the middle kids dad, I have been looking forward to meeting you,” she said.
“Cool, nice to meet you,” I said, “how did you know who I was?” I queried.
“Another mom told me to look for the dad who is always in sweat pants.” She answered with a smile.
Inside I died just a little bit. I am always in sweat pants. A little over a year ago I was running a company in kick ass sport coats, cool sweaters and great looking jeans. I took pride in what I wore to work, meetings and hanging out with my friends. Now, I was “the dad who is always in sweat pants.”
What the he*l happened to me? Admittedly this parenting gig is a drain, we have been talking about that for a while. There are times when grooming, shaving, even getting dressed are time sucks that you skip over to make sure breakfast is served, diapers changed, kids dropped off and on and on.
I have been known to miss a few days of a shower and wear the same thing in a day or two in row, but when did this happen?” As I look around at a lot of my DAD friends, we are in the same fashion less boat, we are a group of unshaved, sweat pants wearing palookas who are fun to be with, but aren’t getting any invitations to a red carpet any time soon.
For you guys who work, picture being on vacation, a lot! That’s what this is like.
As part of Manimas ( a month of man stuff, between Thanksgiving and Christmas) I would like to invite all of my DAD friends to take the Man Pants Challenge. It’s simple really, all you have to do is wear pants for a week, not sweats, not yoga pants, but pants, jeans, cords, khakis, twill blends, you name it. When you get dressed, get dressed.
I took my first step by getting myself something that would make me want to get dressed. Last month our baby was asked to model for a new baby clothes line, Monica and Andy, since he couldn’t do it alone, I got to walk the cat walk with him and was introduced to Bonobos for men.
Bonobos are cool looking, comfy as hell and actually fit the way pants are supposed to fit. Oh, and they make my butt look awesome.
I decided if I was going to ditch the sweats, I wanted to find something that made me feel and look good (I know it’s a “chick statement,” but it’s true, why don’t I deserve something nice! I cook, I clean, I wash the toilets), Bonobos not only fill that criteria, they are different in a few ways that make them a stand out.
The Bottle Rocket are pants made by DAD’s sort of. They are made out of recycled beer, soda and water bottles as well as Grey Twill made from recycled TV Trays! I have personally contributed to the making of my own pants!
The number of bottles and trays used are reflected in the pocket liners of each pant. The source of the yarn comes from domestically reclaimed plastic beer bottles or TV trays spun with recycled cotton, recycled polyester and sustainable yarn fabrics. Bottle Rockets denim is comprised of 23% recycled bottle yarn and 77% cotton. The denim process and materials used to make the jeans ensure quality and energy conserving sustainable methods. Annnd they make my butt look great.
Don’t let the skinny trendy looking models on their web site scare you away Bonobos Bottle Rockets are designed with Bonobos’ signature better-fit, that includes a curved waistband, medium rise and a comfortable, yet more tailored thigh to eliminate bagginess or “Khaki Diaper Butt” issues pervasive in many pants.
If they make my man butt look good, trust me, they are going to make your man butt look good. It’s more than looks, I can move in the Bottle Rockets, they are not tight skinny jeans that make tying my shoes impossible, they are comfortable, but don’t look like every other pair of pants you will find on every other DAD that shops at the GAP, BR and Old Navy, otherwise known as the fashion Bermuda Triangle, where originality gets lost forever.
They have a very groovy shop on Armitage, but even that is different and easy. The Guideshop is an e-commerce showroom that let’s you come in and try on everything with a VIP experience with a stylist (a.k.a Guide) then have everything delivered to your door in two days. No bags, no fuss. It’s a great shopping experience for men, even the dad’s who might have kids in tote or need an afternoon away for “me time”.
Side note- If you have your kids with you in the dressing room and you fart, your kid will announce it to the entire store through the curtains, but even then they are cool about it.
So here we are Manimas upon us, toss your baggy sweats to the side, take that shower, click here to learn more about Bonobos and join me in the Man Pants Challenge, a week of wearing pants.
Side Side Note– I know a lot of moms read DAD, trust me on this, you know his idea of dressing up is old jeans a waffle shirt or graphic tee. Help a brother out, it can only make you look better.
For more DAD gift ideas and man stuff and poop talk, click here to like DAD’s Facebook page.
Type your email address in the box and click the “create subscription” button. My list is completely spam free, and you can opt out at any time and you will get a heads up on the free stuff we are giving away!