This story originally appeared on the Gents Cafe Newsletter. You can subscribe here.
Meet Kevin W. Manuel (@k.w.manuel), a New England native living in Bristol Island who serves as the capital projects manager for the town of Nantucket. Driven by a commitment to public service, continuous personal growth, and a typically New-Englander approach to style, Kevin believes in actively pushing himself through a “strenuous life” while treasuring his father’s advice to have a practical plan to achieve every ambition.
What are your main passions and how do you cultivate them?
I like to always have something to look forward to. Growth in every sense of the word has been a recurring theme throughout my life and the interests I maintain. That mindset partly comes from having pursued graduate-level higher education multiple times: spending a substantial portion of my adult life in graduate school doing homework has been pretty normal for me.
I’ve always admired Teddy Roosevelt and his concept of the “strenuous life”—not just in terms of maintaining physical fitness and taking on athletic challenges, but in actively pushing myself. It’s not about being busy for the sake of it; it’s about staying fully engaged across every aspect of life. You’ll never hear me say I’m content with just being content, and that drive explains almost everything I gravitate toward.
Outside of work, running, weightlifting, and golf are major parts of my daily routine, and they serve as great tools for keeping me humble. I also love cooking, primarily for my partner these days, though I enjoy hosting friends and family whenever possible. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve made a conscious effort to nurture my community and my long-standing friendships, particularly a close group that formed during our university years. Since moving away from Washington, D.C., I’ve been much more intentional over the last couple of years about building better traditions with them—like organizing annual golf trips or simply finding meaningful excuses to bring everyone together.
How did you first develop an appreciation for style?
Growing up in a small town in coastal New England, a specific style was inherently part of the environment, and that’s where much of my initial inspiration came from. People often label it as traditional “preppy” style, though I don’t particularly love that term because so many commercial brands have distorted its original meaning over time. To me, it represents the quieter, more timeless side of a wardrobe—pieces you can build thoughtfully without needing an extensive collection to look refined, classic, and well put together.
Growing up, my appreciation began in that coastal environment and evolved through high school and my university years as I worked to refine my personal aesthetic. As I’ve gotten older, my approach to style has simply become much more straightforward.
My focus today remains on buying quality pieces that I genuinely need and know will last. To me, that longevity should be central to building any wardrobe, regardless of your personal style or preferred brands. I would much rather own a smaller, versatile collection of well-cared-for garments that I can return to year after year, rather than shopping for whatever happens to be trending in the current zeitgeist.
What does “being well-dressed” mean to you?
Being well-dressed means looking as though you made an effort without making it obvious. It’s about demonstrating that you put initial thought into what your day might have in store, rather than just throwing on whatever happened to be sitting in the closet. In a post-2020 world where so many people surrendered entirely to casual loungewear and sweatpants, thoughtful dressing is something I think people genuinely appreciate.
At the same time, it’s not about showing off or looking like you spent hours in front of the mirror. For me, it comes back to building a classic foundation while introducing small, personal details.
I also value pieces with real history and timeless appeal. My main pair of sunglasses are vintage aviators inherited from my father; they’re quite old and I’ve had them repaired three times, but I would choose to fix and wear those over buying a brand-new pair any day of the week. Ultimately, being well-dressed is about feeling entirely like yourself without looking like you tried too hard.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received, and who gave it to you?
The best advice came from my father, and it was the simple idea that no matter what you want to accomplish or do, you just have to have a plan. Growing up and even to this day, I’ve always been the type of person who wants to do a million things at once and achieve them right away: go to graduate school, become a lawyer, train for a marathon, buy a house, and tick off long lists of ambitious goals.
To his credit, my father was incredibly supportive throughout my life. Whenever I came to him with a grand ambition, he would say, “Alright, it’s a big idea, but we’ll figure out a way to get there.” His core message was that reaching any destination requires a clear plan to navigate from point A to point B.
So many people get fixated on the ultimate goal without putting thought into the actual process of getting there—the daily steps required to cross the distance from the start to the finish line. That simple piece of advice sits in the back of my head whenever I set myself a new challenge. It’s simple, but it has guided everything I’ve taken on in life.
No matter what you want to accomplish or do, you just have to have a plan.
What does your ideal Sunday look like?
Generally speaking, an ideal Sunday starts with “sleeping in”, which for an early riser like me means waking up around 7:00 a.m. My partner and I like to make coffee using a Chemex, French press, or moka pot and enjoy a proper breakfast together at the kitchen table. It gives us time to catch up on the weekend and talk about the week ahead, which means a lot to me.
I generally prefer to keep the day unhurried. I’ll do some light tidying around the house or run errands before the new week begins. During the fall, I enjoy watching American football. Sunday evenings are almost always spent winding down with a movie and preparing a home-cooked meal. I avoid takeout on Sundays in favor of a recipe that takes a couple of hours, something like a slow-simmering sauce on the stove or a roast in the oven: cooking allows me to decompress, detach from upcoming work pressures, and simply enjoy my time at home.
Where do you primarily draw your style inspiration from?
Being surrounded by that New England coastal universe as a kid up naturally drew me toward that aesthetic; other than that, my father was also a major influence. Originally from Newport, Rhode Island, he grew up surrounded by the rich history of that city. Even though he worked a blue-collar job in manufacturing, I clearly remember him coming home from work looking remarkably well put together: pressed slacks, shined loafers, and an ironed button-down shirt. He always looked sharp without ever overdoing it, and I was drawn to that balance of versatility and timelessness. Being the first-born nephew to six aunts who loved dressing me in classic clothes growing up also helped shape my aesthetic early on.
Over the last ten years or so, I’ve deliberately moved away from the heavily logo-driven modern aesthetic that often defines “preppy” style nowadays. Instead, I choose to return to an old-school, timeless look. It’s what I’ve always felt most comfortable wearing, and it’s a style that seamlessly fits both my personal life and the professional roles I’ve held.
If you have made a significant career change, can you describe it? What motivated that decision?
When I graduated from university, the plan had always been to go to law school and become an attorney, but law school is extraordinarily expensive. Instead, I took a job at the military base about 20 minutes from my hometown, working as a consultant and program manager in the defense industry. I spent 12 rewarding years in defense; but although the compensation and benefits were great, my heart was never fully in it.
I always felt drawn toward local government. While some might roll their eyes at that, the appeal for me was the direct impact: knowing the work I did every day would directly benefit a small, local community.
In 2021, after COVID, I decided to broaden my horizons, apply my accumulated experience alongside the graduate degree I had recently finished, and search for new opportunities. After a series of interviews, I landed my current role. What excited me most wasn’t just making a career shift into something I genuinely looked forward to every day, but the fact that this role was entirely new: I was hired to build that position from the ground up.
Making the jump was definitely nerve-wracking and required a major move from Washington, D.C. back up to Rhode Island. It was stressful, but now, a couple of years later, I am extremely happy with the decision. I’m deeply grateful for the work I do every day, and I love the people I work with, which makes a huge difference.
The appeal for me was the direct impact: knowing the work I did every day would directly benefit a small, local community.
Can you describe an art form you create and what inspires you to pursue it?
My primary creative outlet is my Instagram account, which I appreciate not everyone would consider an “art form” per se. However, I approach a bit differently than most people. Years ago, I decided I didn’t want to use social media just to post random daily snapshots. My page is intentionally curated; I don’t post often, and I’ll easily go six to eight months between posts.
While some might think social media shouldn’t be taken so seriously, for me it’s a creative way to document major moments in my life through photography. I certainly don’t consider myself a professional photographer, though I’ve recently been thinking about picking up a proper camera to explore it further. It’s simply a tool to document my journey far beyond posting basic selfies or recent purchases.
Finding a healthy balance with social media came after a full reset. Being 35, I came of age right alongside Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and at one point I felt completely inundated by content that had no real relevance to my life. I deleted all my accounts to clear the slate. When I eventually returned, Instagram was the only platform that still appealed to me, but I set strict boundaries: I became very selective about who I followed, and I committed to posting only when something carried real weight.
Today, my grid functions as a digital photo album. I could tell a lengthy, meaningful story about virtually every post on there. Even if I don’t advertise those stories publicly, I love knowing that there’s a depth behind every image.
What’s the best gift you’ve ever received, and why did it mean so much to you?
It’s the watch I wear every day, a Movado Series 800. It’s not an over-the-top luxury piece, but I received it from my family when I graduated from business school, and it marks a huge personal milestone.
At that point, I was transitioning into a new chapter of life: taking on a much more senior role at work and moving into my own place after years of living with roommates. What makes it extra special is that my entire family—my parents, sister, cousin, and every single aunt and uncle—chipped in together to buy it for me. Wearing it feels like carrying them with me every day.
It also represents that broader period of transformation when I first began contemplating big life changes and a major career shift. I wear it constantly—it’s an absolute staple on my wrist unless I’m wearing a tuxedo—and half the time I don’t even realize it’s there. It’s a beautiful piece that I am deeply grateful for, and I hope to take care of it so I can eventually pass it down to a son or grandchild.
What are your three favorite books and why?
The first is The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown. Having been a competitive rower myself, it’s a story close to my heart. It’s a beautifully written narrative about the 1936 U.S. Olympic rowing team taking on the German team in Berlin. While it’s a long book, it’s also an accessible read that leaves you deeply invested in the lives of the men in that boat.
The second is The Secret History by Donna Tartt. Set in a small college in Vermont, it centers around a group of students entangled in a murder mystery and conspiracy. It’s incredibly engaging—one of those rare books you truly can’t put down once you start—and the storyline resolves in a way that feels immensely satisfying.
Finally, On the Road by Jack Kerouac. That was one of the first works of classic literature I read as a young man. I loved being able to step into the minds of characters pursuing complete intellectual and physical freedom, journeying across the country and pushing against the social norms of their era. While it doesn’t reflect a lifestyle I’ve personally lived, it captures the imagination and makes you reflect on what pursuing that kind of uninhibited freedom would feel like.
What are your three favorite movies and why?
First is Remember the Titans, a movie centered around high school football. Having played high school football for many years, I naturally connect to it, but it also has a second layer of meaning: it was the very last movie my parents, my sister, and I all saw together in a theater. I’ve probably watched it 50 or 60 times, and it holds up every single time.
Second is You’ve Got Mail, which I think is the quintessential (and perfectly executed) rom-com. The story is genuinely engaging, and it’s the ultimate fall movie to revisit as the seasons start to change.
Finally, Goodfellas. While many people default to The Godfather when picking a classic mob film, I find Goodfellas far more entertaining. The writing is sharper, the humor is wittier, and the performances feel much more fluid. Beyond the story itself, the period style and aesthetic of that era are captured brilliantly.
