The internet business is killing men’s style in this town. It’s startup- and event-swag overload in these parts. From one faded logo to the next, dudes do not need any more free T-shirts.

This T-shirt plague is blotting out some really creative guys and dulling them down. Want to stand out in the field? Wear something that didn’t get handed out to 200 people in that same field. A wise man sitting on my couch earlier tonight said, “A Firefox T-shirt? Really?” That made me laugh.

I’m not the only one who’s concerned about the state of the city. Ted overheard someone Twitter that she hopes Mad Men will influence the fashions of the tech crowd. You can take any page from that book and look good, gentlemen.

I understand that you want to support your friends’ endeavors or show your support of BarCamp. That’s cool. It’s just when it’s every day, when it’s all you got, when your wardrobe consists of handouts, that concerns me. I feel the same about guys who only wear rock shirts, but that’s less of an industry-wide problem and more of a stoner/refuse-to-grow-up sort of thing.

Quick. Before you forget how. Shop. Shirts with collars. They’ll get you laid.

__
Bonus SF shopping quickie: Therapy on Valencia Street has a small, well-curated selection of hip casual menswear. Ted Baker (80 Grant Ave. near Union Square in San Francisco) sells delicious collared shirts that will run you $100ish (what?! don’t give me that — you can so afford it, you haven’t spent money on clothes all year). And stay away from H&M if you’re an infrequent shopper. Their stuff isn’t made to last the hundreds of wash cycles you’re going to put a shirt through.