MEN NEED STYLE

            It’s very clear that in today’s society, men have no clue about how to dress well.  But, who can blame them when the style in America is mainly a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.  Don’t even get me started on women because its almost as if they are morphing into men with their ultra relaxed no effort look, but that’s besides the point.  Men don’t understand style and need help in today’s society to understand why it’s important to have and how to develop it.

            Today many college boys show up in sweats to give class presentations and never seem to learn how to tie a necktie.  I don’t think college boys know the importance of style and actually need to be educated on the facts of being well dressed.  So here it is your first college credit for Men’s Fashion 101, hopefully boys will read this because in the long run college credit will given to those who dress well because it gives off the vibe that you actually care. 

            Boys, updating your wardrobe will help you in developing ultimate manliness and if you follow the rules of being well dress you will be peeling the girls off of you.  But it’s not just about the ladies that you will get with developing your personal style it’s the positive feedback from people in the professional world and in public that will make you want to keep your look up to date.  Fortunately men don’t need to spend a fortune on style like women do in the fashion world.  They just need staple pieces that are right for their particular body types and they need to stick with it.  For men it’s easy because pant styles pretty much are the same and so is the never changing suit styles.  Men could literally wear the same pants until they are damaged as long as they have their look together and know what they are doing its smooth sailing.

            Dressing well is worthwhile because it contributes to your frame of mind.  “When you dress sharp, you think sharp.  When you feel put together, you feel more alert, more confident, and more ready to tackle the day’s tasks (The Art of Manliness, 5 Easy Ways for a College Student to Upgrade his Style, Antonio)”.  When you show up to class with the “I just rolled out of bed” look, your professor is never going to take you seriously because your whole look says that you don’t care.  If you take the little bit of time to put yourself together before you step foot in the classroom you will not only have shown respect for your professor, but in return you will receive more respect from your professor and your peers.

            Now lets get back to the ladies for a moment.  Many men should comprehend that college is a good place to meet a nice lady who perhaps could be the future wife but in order to meet a nice lady you have to dress like a gentleman.  When a man is well dressed and smells good, it sends a message that the man cares about his appearance and in the female world that is a huge turn on. 

            College is a place where boys are transforming into men.  Part of this transformation should include developing you very own manly style.  How you dress on the outside reinforces how you may be feeling on the inside.  If you dress like a classy man it will reflect confidence and class to everyone around you.  Its funny how seriously appearance is taken in this society because really having some style and flair could transform your whole life for the better.  This could be a new phase of your life and this change could be just what you really needed to gain some success. 

            So next time you reach for the hoody ask yourself this question, “how will wearing this affect my image?”  A sweatshirt is something you wear when you are hanging with family or sitting in a cold corner studying when you wear this out into the public it reflects that you are either tired or lazy.  Here’s my advice fold that sweater up and put it away, then drive to the nearest mall where you can find a nice store such as a Macy’s and go into the sweater section.  Pick out the best sweater that fits your personality and your body type.  Next time when you enter the classroom with that sweater on and a nice pair of jeans you will feel like a million dollars, I promise!

            Those jeans you have been wearing that are Eminem style with your boxers hanging out is not a good look.  In fact, the “my pants hang low” look originated in the jail cell.  I don’t think that’s the image you want to give off.  Thank goodness I am writing to you because I know how to fix this situation!  Jeans are important and my suggestion is levis, even though they are a bit pricey, they will be worth it in the long run because those jeans will make you look amazing if you buy the pair that is best for your body type.  Tall lean guys need something either skinny or slim fitting, short guys should go for a bit of a wider leg, and the in the middle guys are lucky because they could pull off both looks successfully.  Look at yourself in the mirror and take a mental note about your body type.  Knowing yourself and what fits your body type will get you in and out of the store in no time.  Yes, boys, I know you hate shopping and you want to spend as little time in each store as humanly possible but personal style takes time, knowledge, and effort.  Once you get the staple pieces you should be pretty much set for the year.  If you keep your body in the same shape its in when you step foot in the mall that one time, you will never need to step foot into the stores again thanks to the Internet.  You can online shop in private and no dudes will know. 

So, we’ve talked about ditching the hoodie and getting a fresh, new pair of well fitting jeans.  Next up is the t-shirt.  T-shirts are great, but not the t-shirt you pulled out of the bottom of the hamper that has been worn to the gym numerous times and stretched out to an unrecognizable shape.   And while we’re at it this also goes for the t-shirt you wore in junior high which fit you when you were 6 inches shorter and 30 lbs lighter.  Not a good look.  My advice is simple.  Go to J Crew and buy yourself a couple of nice fitting t-shirts in solid colors.  You will look casual, yet put together with a solid color nice fitting t-shirt.  And finally on the subject of  t-shirts.  Please throw away anything with writing on them.  No one cares if you went to Harry’s Pub or the Hard Rock Café.  Just lose the t-shirts with writing and stay with solid colors.   

Now lets talk about shoes.   Investing in a great pair of shoes and cool pair of sneakers will be the best two things you’ll ever buy.   It has been said shoes make the man and its definitely one of the first things women look at after they see your face.  Those dirty high tops you’ve been playing basketball in for 10 years---get rid of them.  My advice is to buy a simple pair of converse low tops in a dark solid color and you will look great wherever you go.  As far as dress shoes the best bet is to go with black and always, always keep them shined.   Scuffed shoes sends a signal you are not a stylish man in general.  Polish your shoes boys!  And finally a word on the ubiquitous flip flops.  Flip flops are great for the beach, but this need to wear them everywhere you go, including in the winter months, needs to stop.  To begin, whether you believe it or not, the world does not want to see your bare feet.  You may think they do, but trust me, they do not.  Especially feet, which are dirty and nasty looking, which most are.   You will do the world a favor and you will be taken much more seriously if you take the simple act of covering your feet when going out in public.   If you just lose the flip flops and replace them with a cool pair of sneakers you will outclass almost the entire student body of most colleges around the world and all of us girls across the county will be grateful we don’t have to see your feet until the time is right—if you get my drift.  

Finally, here’s a quick note about hygiene.  You can do almost everything right when it comes to fashion and blow it all with your personal hygiene.   Taking a shower daily would be the very first step towards re-inventing the new you.  Next, after your shower take a few minutes and stand in front of the mirror naked and take a good long look at what needs to be plucked, clipped, swabbed, popped, cut, covered, and brushed.  Just 5 minutes of personal grooming will set you apart from the crowd and give you oodles of confidence. 

In conclusion, all of the fashion tips and grooming tips won’t make a bit of difference unless you first make a personal decision that it is important to you.  Without this sense of importance you will easily slip into your old habits.  Mark Twain famously said, “Clothes make the man.   Naked people have little or no influence on society.”  Mark Twain is right.   No one will ever take you seriously until you first take yourself seriously and taking just a few minutes to dress well and groom yourself will tell the world you are a man to be reckoned with.   Begin now.  Don’t wait.  Each day you wait is another day you may fail to impress the woman of your dreams as she walks past you and sees just another college boy in the haze of hoodies, sweats, and dirt tennis shoes.   Show her something different.  Show her you care about your appearance and she will make sure she walks your away again.  Trust me!

Modeling Portfolio :)

Luxurious Locks ;)

Hello girls!  I know its been a while since I’ve posted a blog, but my blog for this week should make up for all the Wednesdays I have missed!  

Have you paid attention to the health of your hair lately?  Is the dry cold weather leaving it frizzy and unmanageable?  Well I have a couple hair secrets that I am going to share with all of you that will leave your hair shiny, tangle free, and beautiful! 

• Say No to Sulfate -- when you’re in the shower, it’s all about the product you’re using and how you use it in your hair.  Make sure you are using a SULFATE FREE shampoo and conditioner.  Sulfate is what leaves hair frizzy and dried out after a shower.  
• Re-think Your Routine -- while you are in the shower, I recommend shampooing hair first, then applying your conditioner and letting it sit in your hair, so that the conditioner can moisturize your hair while you are completing the rest of your shower routine. Not to mention the humidity and steam that the hot water provides deepens the effects of the conditioner – almost like a conditioning treatment you’d receive at a salon!  I usually shave my legs so that I end up leaving the conditioner in for at least three minutes.  
• Chill Out -- to keep my strands shiny and conditioned, I rinse the conditioner out in cold water. Cool water locks in conditioner and doesn’t strip away your hair’s natural oils. Additionally, while warm water makes the hair lay flat, the icy cold water energizes the hair follicle making the hair more full and shiny!  
• Dig Deep -- if your hair is long or you are trying to grow your hair out and are skipping your usual three-month hair trim, it is very important that you are deep conditioning at least once every month along with taking your B vitamins!  I always tell my friends to set a pamper day aside to deep condition.  The strength of your strands depends on how often you wash your hair and how often you condition it.  
• Less is More -- the less washing you do the happier your hair will be! I know in society these days dirty is not the way to go so next time you think about hitting showers I suggest investing in a shower cap. You do not need to wash your hair every day!  It’s horrible for your hair to keep stripping out the natural oils.  Invest in Batiste (the stuff I talked about in my first blog) and skip a couple washes.  

I hope you girls found this blog helpful!  The kinder you are to your hair the healthier and shinier it will be!