Living in the Grey

Admit it. You were curious, or at the very least, paying attention. Maybe you saw a sticker somewhere and scanned it to lead you here. Maybe someone sent you this page. Maybe you found it referenced in a space you dare not allow to bleed into your “by day” life. A place where your user handle cannot be traced back to the “you” you present to your social circles.

Maybe you’ve been longing to feel a part of something resembling a secret society.

Welcome to 49Grey. Your curiosity won’t be judged here.

Curiosity is why we’re both here. On this page I mean. Though, I imagined your mind drifted somewhere else. Mine did too. Perhaps you stopped yourself before it got uncomfortable, perhaps you dove a little further than that. Either way, that is the purpose of 49Grey: a journal committed to exploring natural curiosity without apology. Let’s remove the black-and-white narrative, and observe all the shades of grey in between.

The conception of 49Grey comes from letting the mind drift, and seeing where it takes you. Allow me to share a story with you.

I was scrolling through social media one afternoon and was noticing more targeted ads on my feed. I stopped on one from a small business; A dog clothing brand based in a town just down the highway. Odd, considering I don’t have a dog, nor do I want one. The ad was selling an outfit for a smaller dog (Pugs, Frenchies) with a statement on the back: “Good Boys Get Treats”.

I chuckled, shared it with a friend, and commented on how I know a few individuals who would love that on a shirt. A nod to a community they belong to, emphasizing a desire to be a “Good Boy”.

I pondered whether the shopkeeper was in on the joke or not. I thought further of the person behind the business, someone offering a slice of their life on their professional page. A bio stating what the business was, a slogan, and a bible verse at the bottom.

I thought of who I might be sending that way, to this business owner who proudly displays a slice of their life on their digital store front like a three-tiered cake front and center in a bakery window. A statement of persona that could draw like-minded individuals in while allowing others to proceed with caution or carry on without inquiry.

Regardless, they found their “who”: People who dress up their canines in “Doggy Couture”.

That’s when it hit me. Why couldn’t I do the same, but for a different demographic altogether? The venn diagram of the grey area was discovered. A phrase that is digestible in different subcultures.

I brought the idea to a friend, we spent a few evenings discussing it, and when it came to the name, he gave me an idea he has held in his back pocket for years: 49Grey.

While the roots still hold strong in apparel, I have always considered this concept an umbrella for different avenues worth exploring. This blog is the launch of this curiosity that has always been simmering within me, and if you’ve read this far, I suspect it lives within you as well.

I am not the first to have these thoughts, I am not terminally unique. But, I believe that you may be like me, someone with questions that are worth sitting with, observations to be shared, and a desire to explore what it looks like to live in the grey.

We’ll cover articles, podcasts, interviews, personal stories, and everything in between and outside the lines.

I invite you to subscribe. Purchase from the shop as items become available. Share with those you want to share this with, remembering that not everyone needs to know.

Most importantly, I invite you to allow yourself to experiment and find that shade of grey that speaks to you. See where your curiosity takes you.