A Gentleman Should… stemmed from the questions raised by The Tie Project concerning the role of men’s fashion in communicating information about the wearer. My grandfather, the gentleman in A Gentleman Should… grew up in a time when a suit and a tie meant you were educated, employed, and well-raised. He believed in this way of thinking and therefore wore a tie everyday. He also believed that it was necessary to live up to the standards implied by the tie. He in fact was educated, employed, and well-raised, but he knew the power of the tie. Each day we interact with hundreds of people and we make assumptions about those people based mostly on appearances. Our clothes are a way of communicating with the world without ever saying a word. Traditionally, gentlemen wore ties, but the tie was not the focus – the actions were the focus.

Today, the tie is the focus and the actions follow suit. We assume that because a man dresses in a suit and a tie, he is a gentleman. My grandfather was always a gentleman first. He taught me that it is not simply enough to wear a tie. The true mark of a gentleman is found on the inside, not the outside. Always eager to share and to give unselfishly, my grandfather allowed me to document his way of life – the life of a gentleman. This series, 12 prints total, serves as an example to everyone of the difference one man can make in the lives of others.