Looking good: the basics
by jim on Mar.16, 2009, under mindset, self assessment
I must admit I have been a bit reluctant to write about appearances. I don’t want this blog to turn into a male version of Cosmopolitan and all. It’s an important subject though, and it will improve your game. I’ll thus keep it short and to the point.
Looking good is quite easy for guys. Yet at the same time, most get it completely wrong. Bad haircuts, smelly breath, ill-fitting clothes in just the wrong color. Lets just say it doesn’t help. The point is, I think, to make sure your appearance compliments your personality. To get it right means paying attention to some points, making a choice that suits you, and then get on with your life. Here’s the basics.
Clothes
Being well-dressed comes down to paying attention to color, proportion and patterns. Clothes should fit you well and be in colors that match you. Colors look different on different people, and paying attention to which colors suit you makes shopping a lot easier. Here’s a book I recommend, it helps you determine what your color scheme is and what kind of stuff then suits you:
(click on pic for amazon details)
The book also helps you determine what kind of clothes best suit your figure. Should you tuck your shirt in or not? It’s all about proportion, and once you’ve seen how this works, you’ll wonder how you ever missed it.
The first piece of clothing to buy, if you don’t have it already, is a well-fitted (tailored) white shirt. The best are made by Thomas Pink, but really, you can’t go wrong with a white shirt.
Fashion is important for girls. Paying attention to clothes yourself will make it easier to notice what a girl is wearing, and what it says about her. Extravagantly, sexy, simple, black and white, lot’s of accessories or not, creative or standard, well fitted or careless. Commenting on clothes as a conversation starter can work very well. It shows you pay attention to these things, and works as a compliment.
For further reading, pick up an Esquire every now and then, or read books like “Dressing the Man”, “Men’s Style” or Esquire’s “The Handbook of Style”.
(click on pictures for amazon details)
Grooming:
It all comes down to paying attention to the little things. Make sure your hair looks good – don’t use too much gel or wax, make sure it’s touchable without having to wash your hands. Get a haircut and ask for advice. Catch some sunshine if your skin is very white. If you wear glasses, do they look cool? Think about getting contact lenses – you can get daily contact lenses now which are no hassle and are very cheap as well. Check out your face from up close – do you look healthy? Remove excess hair, eat healthy, see a dermatologist if you have serious problems.
Make sure you smell nice – get some nice eau de toilette, but don’t use a lot of it. Anything by Hugo Boss or Armani I can recommend. Brush your teeth, use mouthwash, don’t eat smelly food before you go out.
Posture
Finally, posture. Everybody knows good posture is important and shows confidence, so I’m not going to repeat it here. Oh shit, I just did. Well, look it up, pay attention and fix your posture once and for all.
Getting this stuff right is really easy, it’s no rocket surgery or anything, and it doesn’t have to cost a lot of time or money. It will improve your life in many ways: looking well-groomed and well-dressed has a positive effect on many aspects of life.














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