A Well-Groomed Man Is A Woman's Best Accessory
And we agree with you, Coco!
In the words of Coco Chanel, ‘A well-dressed man is the best accessory a woman can have’. Whilst this is usually true that women would immediately notice men who have a decent sense of styling. Classy men always want to appear sophisticated and charming. The fact is that just like women’s trends, the world of men’s fashion has evolved over a period of time and now it has become more inventive and diverse. But is it really just about clothes that ‘maketh the man’? What about his personal care or grooming?
Eve Writes | 22 July 2019
Want the unfair truth…?
It is ALL of the above.
And this is not about being sexist or shallow either. Society does tend to treat a well-dressed man better than the man who seems like he's too lazy to care about his appearance. And it’s not just about what he wears but it is how he smells and looks too. About Eve expects nothing less.
If you walk into a room in the arms of a ‘well-groomed man’, it is not just an internal boost to the confidence – but it also creates a halo effect around you. In essence, it's not uncommon (though many would probably not say it out loud) for any right-minded woman to prefer a well-groomed male companion by her side, and any man worth his salt will see being well-groomed as creating opportunities for himself that would not exist if you were sloppy in appearance.
As a result, there are certain phrases you will never hear from a well-groomed man because it would be unnecessary. In no particular order:
"Only shallow people care about the way they look."
If you heard it once, you've heard a million times. This is always the excuse of a man who goes out in grubby pants and an old (not vintage - we do know the difference, mind you) T-shirt, and then complains about his luck with women.
We admit, it has a certain allure to it as an argument; mostly because it lets the ill-dressed man feel not only excused but justified – he's the mature, intelligent person here! Plus, maybe it can be argued that it adds to the "bad boy" look?
So all those women who keep passing him up are just shallow and only interested in the surface of things. Wrong, of course!
Looking sharp isn't about putting on an illusion. It's about the mindset.
Guys who dress “sharp” to attract women and don't care about their personality otherwise are easy to spot in a crowd. They're the jerks wearing the flashiest suits and the most expensive accessories, and their over-the-top accents usually don't match. Women can spot these fakes and we can tell them from a mile away. Sure, it's presumptuous on our part sometimes, but ask any lady who has a gift to tell if a man is a jerk or not before she talks to him, most of the times, these ladies are right.
A true smart-dressed and well-groomed man doesn't have to worry about impressing the ladies. He takes the time to look good every day, regardless of whom he is going to meet because he does it for himself first.
“Excuse me! I've been waiting 30 minutes for a table.”
Want to be ignored? So don't bother about the hair, the teeth, and dress like someone inconsequential.
Now, there are limits here – if you're going to a really high-class, top-reviewed restaurant at the peak of its popularity, just wearing a decent suit isn't going to get you in any faster.
Everyone that's going to a place like that will be wearing suitable attire, and naturally for the most part, if you dress like someone who has a bit of influence and station in the world, people will be quicker to make sure you've been attended to. Call it frivolous on this one, but tell us this isn't true.
And often, this is not only in reference to dressing well, but also relates to your personal hygiene. This influences the overall first impression the man exudes.
The flip side here, of course, is that a well-dressed/groomed man also never has to be rude to people in the service sector because it means nothing if you're an a**hole.
A smart attire along with that well-groomed hair and face, plus a smile usually exudes a well brought up demeanour and will put any man through doors while the men in their shirtsleeves wait outside, without any need to belittle or bluster.
“Don't worry, you can trust me. But excuse my B.O.”
Working men who provide a service through manual labor, are generally not the targets of fashion advice.
But they still benefit from dressing well because dressing well and being well-groomed doesn't mean you have to be in a 20-grand suit.
It's about the kind of impression you want to exude so people will take you seriously - A renovator in slacks and a good polo looks like someone you'd hire to build your dream home. The same guy in a filthy T-shirt and his threadbare painter's pants looks like someone who might cause unexpected delays and overcharge you. You might be the latter guy, who is perhaps the best renovator ever, but do you really want to pass up an opportunity just because you couldn't care less about what you're wearing?
There's a time and a place for everything. When you're working hard, dress practically and take care of your overall hygiene.
When you're doing business, especially if you’re offering a service, does not matter if its manual labour – hit the shower, comb the hair, and throw on a decent shirt. Jobs might not fall right off the trees and into your lap, but they're a lot less likely to run the other way if you at least look and smell nice when meeting your clients.
“I'm not a student!”
This is especially a big one for men (AND even women) who is just starting out in their career – the sloppier you look, the more likely people are going to think you're an undergrad. Now, we understand the fashion trends among many young entrepreneurs to look as hipster as possible, but hey, Steve Jobs was in black turtleneck and jeans all the time and no one thinks he looked like a student. Or Mark Zuckerberg for that matter.
Looking too casual is perhaps useful if you're trying to sneak into a “free admission for current students” concert without paying the cover charge, but the rest of the time – assuming you're not, in fact, an undergrad – you probably don't want to be mistaken for one.
Upgrade the jeans to slacks, replace the T-shirt with something collared, and throw a decent belt and shoes on. Suddenly, no one will ever mistake you for a college student on his way between classes again. And if you're going for the whole hipster entrepreneur look, the right choice of colours and decent jeans (not those ripped ones that look like you've just been mauled by a lion) goes a long way because after all, you are running a business.
“I'm successful. That's all the matters.”
Now ladies… Seriously, how many times have we encountered this?
If you have to brag about your income, it's because you're not dressing as well as you could. It's also rude. So don't do it – just dress nicely, instead.
There are a lot of high-powered professionals out there who expect real respect for their achievements – but who are still wearing off-the-rack suits with no adjustments. And they don't look like world-beaters. They look like middle managers at struggling companies. If you start with high-quality clothing and you get it adjusted to fit, you'll never have to tell people that you're making big bucks.
They would have already assumed it.
“I feel strange looking this sharp. Are people looking at me?”
Any man/woman can substitute another word for “butt” if you want to know what this means. We won't judge.
Looking good requires a decent fit and some effort to cultivate the habit. But we’re not expecting the man to be an exercise or avid gym goer. However by taking the time to learn the ways to take better care of their appearance and overall hygiene, a well-groomed man understand the importance of first impressions is not just about the clothes. And they use this knowledge to their advantage.
Enough Said.
A well-groomed man is not just about the looks -
it's his charisma, his personality, and also well-read.
Being well-groomed is a habit. You can instantly tell if a man is well-groomed inside and outside so while dressing well is important, a smart man realises why it's equally important for him to pay attention to his personal hygiene, health, and social skills. It has got nothing to do with being shallow or being emasculated. In fact, many masculine men are highly well-groomed (Dwayne Johnson comes to mind, wink wink) because they understand how it makes them look and most importantly, how powerful it makes them feel.
If you agree and like this piece, why not share it with the man in your life or if you're a man, share your thoughts with us on this.
And keep an eye out because we're coming up with ‘Skin Care Essential Tips for the Guys’ very soon!
