Dan Moody is the assistant general manager at Baldwin Denim and Collection in Kansas City. He is also a new uncle. Dan wrote this story from the point of view of his brother-in-law, Ron.
I am a father. A new father. A new father who teaches. Okay, I am a new father who teaches during the day and DJs at night. I am also a perfectionist. (My best man gave a speech about it at my wedding.) The juxtaposition of a perfectionist and a new dad in the same human being is worthy of its own sitcom. Prior to my son being born, my life had the structure and precision of a German car. Now I am fighting to retain some semblance of that structure.
I am nervous, but I am aware. I'm aware that I am doing my best and that I cannot control every aspect of this new life as a father. That being said, I have not dedicated the past 35 years to becoming a certain type of person only to have it replaced by a bassinet. I am steadfast. This may sound like I do not care for my son. On the contrary, I care so much about him that I have compartmentalized the rest of my life to make way for his. I have created a structure that moonlights as a style: my style.
The best example I can give is my wardrobe.
I dress exactly how a kid raised on 90s hip-hop who now teaches middle-school math and science would dress: half-zip sweaters in neutral colors, on top of gingham button-down shirts, on top of vintage logo t-shirts, complemented by dark Levis and clean Vans. This is my uniform.
The simplicity of my everyday apparel allows me to not only look presentable but also to spend the extra time it would have taken me to decide on something to wear for more pressing activities, like taking care of my son.
Editor's note
Earth tones, structure, and fatherhood: Those three things stuck with me after reading Dan's story. They would have special relevance, I realized, for my childhood friend, Jeff. Working as a landscape architect in New York City, Jeff has daily experience with earth tones and structure, and as for the fatherhood component, when Jeff and I talk, I'm always happy to hear about the adventures and antics of his young son, Koyo.
With Dan’s three themes as inspiration, Jeff created the images seen here. He explained his approach to me over the phone. A transcript of Jeff's part of the conversation is below. ―JJ
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