Social Question

TheProfoundPorcupine's avatar

Can you judge a man by his watch and shoes?

Asked by TheProfoundPorcupine (2512 points ) September 30th, 2012

The idea of being able to judge a man depending on his watch and shoes is one that a number of people will have heard about before, but is this still the case?

It is intended to show the calibre of a man, but has this changed over the years? If so, do you now judge someone by their smartphone and jeans instead? Are we wrong to use items to judge a person or do we all do it without even being aware of the fact?

Observing members: 0 Composing members: 0

19 Answers

Blackberry's avatar

Would you want someone judging you based on two trivial items? It’s not necessarily “wrong”, but it’s not a very logical thing to do.

Judi's avatar

I have learned, working in customer service for a long time that you can’t judge anyone by outward appearance. I’m with Martin Luther King. I judge by the content of their character.

Shippy's avatar

I was brought up on the notion, that a man displayed his class by his choice of watch and shoes. If they were pricey items, of course he was deemed wealthy and well to do. However, also choice of type of watch, not necessarily costly but of good taste could show if he had style and class or not. Today with so many fake brands etc., one could never do that, judge a man by his watch or shoes. Today we are judged I think by most everything, the car we drive, the street we live. But to take the individual and remove all that, again it would go back to your question. The more wealth my friends acquire, the more laid back their look. However, I still think they wear good brand named shoes. Plus a lot know and wear a good watch. Its a great question because with trends and fashion watches that look like nothing can be expensive items. Not sure though one could judge his caliber by his clothes.

TheProfoundPorcupine's avatar

@Blackberry I used two items because that was how many ended up being used in the initial watch and shoes, but it is merely a way of describing how we view people via a first impression it is not intended to literally be a case of judging someone by their sweatbands and underpants and deciding they are some form of a sporting exhibitionist.

Shippy's avatar

@TheProfoundPorcupine I think it was an old adage, from the 50’s I could be very wrong! It was great to see this question, because it brought back memories of how people used to think. I still think a male likes a good watch. Maybe a female likes a good pair of shoes!

ucme's avatar

Not unless he’s a football referee.

Trillian's avatar

You shouldn’t necessarilly judge by those things, but shoes can tell you about the man.

elbanditoroso's avatar

I hope not. I haven’t worn a watch for 35 years; no need. I have a good internal time sense.

And I hate wearing shoes.

Coloma's avatar

Pffft! How archaic! No, I judge a man, or woman, on how real and authentic they appear. I have had boatloads of cash in the bank at various times in my life and nobody could ever tell from the car I drove or the way I looked. There is a man in my community that owns about 20 million in property and he drives around in an old pickup truck in scruffy jeans and an old cowboy hat. Nobody would ever guess he’s got millions.

Bellatrix's avatar

No. I bought my husband his watch. He didn’t choose it and prior to me buying him this watch he didn’t wear one at all. That does say things about him but only if you know the back-story. Similarly, I worked with a man who was given a Rolex for his birthday by his friend. He couldn’t afford a Rolex himself. Without knowing where the watch came from, you could draw many incorrect conclusions about him if you judged him based on the watch he wore.

Shoes… they may tell us things about a person. Clean shoes might mean a person is very neat or perhaps they have a partner who cleans their shoes. What would green, paint covered shoes say? “You have been painting the roof recently. Your shoes are green”. My husband wore green shoes for a while when out shopping since he was spray painting the roof in a perfectly good pair of trainers. Normally his shoes are polished and in a good state of repair.

Certainly shoes/watch could give you clues to things about a person but not enough to draw any real conclusions about them.

Aster's avatar

I have heard a man’s worth or income can be judged by his wife, house and shoes. Just saying “judged by” is too vague I think. Of course , his character can’t be judged by those material things. Not by a longshot.

tom_g's avatar

No, but you can offer sympathy for someone who judges a man by his watch and shoes. This person is incredibly sad and in need of some love.

wonderingwhy's avatar

Out of context making snap judgements about a person based on their attire or personal effects may serve as to whether or not you want to mug them but it’s not a reliable way to deduce their condition.

Symbeline's avatar

I think the only thing one could accordingly judge this way is the man’s wealth, or lack thereof. Otherwise, not sure how much brands can really say about a person in the long run. If I see a guy with a pocket watch and who’s dressed like a vampire, I’m just going to assume he’s a Goth, but then maybe he’s a train conductor…

wundayatta's avatar

You can judge anyone in any way you want. Of course, every item a person has says something about them. It might say how much they spend for that item. It might speak of an interest in a certain kind of quality. But you can never know if these things tell the truth or are designed to create an illusion.

Response moderated (Writing Standards)
Shippy's avatar

@nene It wasnt really a question, it was a mantra that some lived by in the 50’s and a few years thereafter. The OP was stating a “Saying from the past” and wondering what people thought of it now. The saying as shown by a few great answers is pretty redundant today, or is it? I stand to be corrected by the OP but I think “this” is what the question was about. As outlined in his first sentence.

LuckyGuy's avatar

Does anyone wear a watch any more?

It is far better to judge a man by the way he treats himself and others.

Aster's avatar

Some younger women and those seeking a nice tip notice watches. In fact , I remember a time when people were talking about the Rolex Girls who would go up to hotel rooms with men wearing gold Rolexes and steal from them. So they judged what they considered a man’s bank account by his watch. They were not interested in his “character.”

Answer this question




to answer.
Your answer will be saved while you login or join.

Have a question? Ask Fluther!

What do you know more about?
Knowledge Networking @ Fluther