Looking Good

I’ve never been someone who was the most fashionable, the most stylish, (Japanese for stylish = kakko ii) had the best hair, had the best smile, or had girls flock to me. When I first arrived in America from China, my parents dressed me in an all-yellow outfit and sent me to the wolves (literally) in 2^nd grade…….I was called a “banana” for that day and a long time after that, and not because I am “yellow on the outside and white on the inside.” It was not fun. I have noticed as I grow older that no matter what one’s naturally given talents, they can shift their outer appearance with some nice tricks. 

So here goes, a VERY rudimentary guy to looking good (i.e. this is like blinking for really stylish people, but for former semi-slobs like me this could be a nice beginner's course) 

1.)    Have proper posture. Not a big one for me, I finally realized that posture makes one looks confident, and more importantly it makes one FEEL more confident. Every time you get up to walk, remember to stand up straight (have internal reminders), and when sitting don’t slouch and often do a “penguin maneuver” to get the shoulder muscles straightened out. Someone once told me that when I was hunched over a bit, I looked like I was "up to something." I don't want to give that impression. 

2.)    Be conscious of what you look like. I think that’s the No. 1 thing. For a long time I didn’t really care, took the “who cares what other people think” approach. This does not work well in the dating world, nor in the business world, and especially not in the interviewing world. In each of those scenarios a snap decision is made, in interviewing it’s like 2.5 seconds, in dating it’s like 5 seconds (time to see the whole profile), and in the business world there could be really high standards in landing a client depending on how well one dresses. I’ve never been a big fan of mirrors, but they do come in handy.

3.)    Wear concealer. A bit of a cheap trick that doesn’t really work for serious acne or other skin conditions, but concealer does work. I don’t know if there’s a stigmatism to males wearing it or anything, but it’s certainly effective.

4.)    Wear shirts that fit. Shoes don’t really matter, socks can be concealed into the legs, and pants/slacks can’t be outrageous (there’s a whole “how tight can your jeans be” analysis there, but shirts are the big one…….they can’t be too baggy. It just makes one’s appearance look slovenly, bloated, etc. I’ve gone too many days with a guy in my office telling me my shirts are too baggy, and wearing the right shirt (with the right color) definitely provides a boost.

5.)    Black socks. I buy more black socks than white socks at this point in my life.

6.)    Watch- probably going to be my next purchase. I’ve always had nostalgia for the old stopwatches that I used at camp, waterproof, $19.95 armitron, but nice watches definitely get a lot of compliments.

7.)    Wear an undershirt. May be my own personal preference, but seeing someone dripping sweat through their shirt at work is depressing and somewhat revolting, even for me, who is the lowest maintenance possible. Seems counterintuitive especially in the summer to wear another layer underneath, but definitely helps to soak up whatever it is one gives off, and preserves the actual shirt a bit from the wear and tear.

8.)    Fancy haircut. I used to get haircuts from my dad all the time. Not the greatest. Some people have great hair; I don’t, so I need to go to a professional to at least make it presentable.

9.)    Beards are terrible. I do not understand the recent beard craze. I could never grow my beard out like that (physically impossible for me, I don’t grow much hair in the first place) but also somewhat ugly. If I were fashion czar of the world, first order of business is to ban massive beards.

10.) Hand crème. Not only does it help moisture, helps another part of the body smell good. Smells are very memorable.