Image; a gentleman’s guideline.

Image.

One of the single most crucial components in our society. A key component that has led our civilizations from their cradles, to directing & defining the evolution of mankind. A metric that dictates nothing more than life itself.

Why is the visual representation of oneself so important?

Maybe by the end of me presenting these 3 cases, we both understand more so shed a light on this.

My 3 cases are the following;

1. Evolutionary psychology
2. The food industry
3. My personal & humble opinion as a High IQ chad

The first one, by evolutionary standards. Image in it of itself is merely an indicator.

An indicator of;

• Health (Good genes)
• Status (More so an overall well standing in the social hierarchy or an indication of survival capabilities)

More so traits that will pass on to your offspring & ensure their survival

You see subconsciously (or consciously) every action we take, is for the expansion of our specific genes & overall general species. i.e fucking.

However, men & women are attracted & subconsciously look for different indicators.

Men being more visual, look for signs of fertility. Of course this comes from being the hunter & gatherer of our species. This is why we look for such things as the width of the hips, indicating that they are more suited for child bearing.

But of course we register this information subconsciously, consciously we just admire a nice ass as if it where the Mona Lisa.

Women on the other hand  being more so the most socially adept of the species, look for a mixture of both types of indicators. A mixture between behavioral components & visual traits. i.e good genetic capabilities.

Indicating a good position in the social hierarchy. Which indicates a high probability of survival for them & their offspring.

This is why between women, such movies as"365", "50 shades of grey" & "After" are so popular. The protagonist being a handsome stud, indicating good genes & good capabilities. Plus the drama, tension, the story & the emotions that are built throughout the films.

Regardless, the similarity between both is the constant search for visual indicators. 

The second case, is in the form of the food industry.

Do you know how many tons of perfectly good food supermarkets, restaurants, wholesalers, households waste based on appearance such as spots & marks? 

Overall, producers & consumers in the U.S alone waste around 200 pounds of food per person a year. There's around 350 million people in the U.S alone. As an overview that is enough food to fill a football stadium every single day, a great analogy used by Bobby Flay.

Think about it when you're out grocery shopping, do you pick the ripe bananas the brown(ish) ones? Or do you grab the bright young yellow ones that look like they came out of a Tarzan's jungle?

Exactly.

This also translates to the use of stereotypes. Judging based on appearance, you have done it, I have, everyone has. While it is not always fair or morally sound. It's just part of human nature, i.e the reptilian/ monkey part of your brain. You can either fight nature or use it to your advantage.

In my third & final case, is my own personal opinion as a humble high IQ chad.

Look no, Image is not the only thing that matters in life. There are for sure more substantial & important things to it. Things like;

• Your path in life / living in a fulfilling matter.
• Sticking to your values & beliefs.
• Your connections.

But not only your connections with others but also your connection & relationship with yourself.

Think about it. When you love someone you do nice shit for them. Acts of service are a good example of this, you want them to be on point at all times & go out of your way to ensure their happiness. Effort.

So should it be your relationship with yourself. Taking care of yourself & image is a sign of self respect & ultimately self love & we all know from that gorgeous hippie chick from Instagram "That you can't pour water from an empty cup". 

In order to serve others, you must first serve yourself.

So respect yourself enough to meet a higher standard.

Now that I got you pumped into becoming the Brad Pitt of your neighborhood. Let me shed some common misconceptions about style & image most people use as a copout / excuse to not work on their image. Some thoughts you probably might have that should be debunked.

One of which is that "genetics are the sole responsible for them", that "You either got them or you don't."

As we know the word; misconceptions = bullshit.

While yeah, the symmetry of your face is somewhat genetics. So is your hair, eyes, etc...

Most of our image is under our control.

Keep this in mind, the goal is not to look like a GQ model. But to enhance & develop your god given traits.

Think about it, if everyone looked like Michele Morrone. The world would be incredible dull & boring. The world is a tapestry of colors & diversities that should be admired.

Our uniqueness & authenticity is what makes us beautiful.

You are clay so let's mold you into something amazing.

The other common misconception is that "You have to be a billionaire to be good looking."
While yes, being a billionaire is a status symbol & it will lead to certain behaviors that will enhance your attractiveness.

You don't have to wait until you get there to be a stud, there are a lot of wealthy people that are not up to par with that stereotype.

Another common one you might hear is that "It's all about the clothes." 

Bro. You could wear all the Gucci & Supreme you want, but if you act like a bitch, don't know how to dress & are a pig. You will turn pussy into an arid drywall desert.

Don't get me wrong. Style is incredibly important for the reasons I stated earlier, but also because it's a for of self expression, a status symbol, it shows how socially in tuned & calibrated/ savvy you are.  But keep this in mind.

As Marc Jacobs said "Clothes mean nothing until someone live in them".

So let's work o building your home, a home that you are proud of.

There are 9 components to style;

1. Season
2. Fit
3. Fabric
4. Trends
5. Color Palette
6. Occasion
7. Usefulness/ Practicality
8. Personality
9. Age (More specifically dressing your mf age)

The first one is Season, there are 4 seasons. Each with their own variables & characteristics.

Spring, Summer, Fall & Summer

You won't necessarily dress for one, the same you would dress for the other. Granted there are certain exceptions. If you're like me & your zip code has a constant climate, this rule doesn't apply to you as much. In my case it's a sunny tropical island so sadly, layering clothes & winter trends are not very practical. 

However, simple layers, calm tones, & refreshing  trends are more practical.

In someone else's case could be a different scenario. You might be from Russia. Over there you might need to fight off the freezing weather & some bears. In this case layered clothes, with leather jackets & some high top boots are gonna help you fend off both.

In those constant climates, seasons don't play a big role so you have more leeway on this.

If you don't have this variable, & your area has a more unstable climate or evermore changing weather. A layered flannel, with a hoodie &  beanie looks great on winter, maybe fall. But during a blazing summer when the Fahrenheit thermostat is about to pop, it's not a good idea. So keep that in mind.

The second rule is Fit. Now as a general rule you want your clothes to follow the silhouette of your body in a V shape format. 

The too loose & you look like a Taliban.

Too tight & you look like poorly wrapped sausage casing.

It's all about playing & finding your fit. Another trick is buying your clothes & getting them tailored, 

This is why bespoke suits are the panicle of style. The fit can  make or break an outfit.

Now being in shape is truly the cheat code for this rule, for more info about getting into Spartan shape Check out: (A Chad's guide to physical peak performance)

The third rule would be Fabric.

Now a cotton shirt or a nylon polo have different feels, looks, textures, & can be brought back to the season point. In which you won't necessarily use leather on a summer climate, especially during day time.

It looks out of place & it's just not practical.

For this rule  just be aware that it exists. Base it of on climate & my next point/rule.

Which is Trends.

Which I might also add is my favorite point due to it tying back to the fact that our perception of attractiveness changes & is incredibly fluid.  This goes for different types of eras, regions & subgroups.

For now, let's just focus on the era. Now, from the 1800 to the 21st century. Our perception of what the modality of what attractiveness is , has changed slightly & consistently every 5 years. To know being drastically different.

But never the less, my problem with trends is that it takes away from the authenticity of the individual & makes them a carbon copy of the group.

Don't get me wrong, I love a good supreme trend with a loose fit &  I'm an avid proponent of the dapper/ gentleman style.

Never the less, it's important to not just follow a trend to it's capital letter. But to use it as a guideline, to mix & match it with your own personality & evermore serve the purpose of trends which is ultimately just to evolve with the times. Develop.

An example of this? Remember a while back when I told you  I love the dapper guideline?

While I'm a fan of it, The whole vest, tie, bottom up shirt, pocket watch, undershirt, jacket, trousers with long socks is not very practical, especially in my climate.

However at nighttime, an open white bottom shirt with a navy blue or dark suit looks great. So is shorts with a refreshing bottom up & moccasins. 

The example of the supreme loose trend could be on the form of lounge apparel. With a twist, a relaxed fit & a tailored silhouette. 

On the topic of trends just keep this in mind. 

• Mix it with your own personality
• Take what is useful
• Evolve & develop

My fifth rule is about Color palette. 

The different combinations & variants of colors you can use that will intertwine, enhance, & add contrast to the overall apparel.

A great example of this is jewelry; a golden tone looks better on a a darker skin complexion, while a silver tone is more suited for a lighter skin tone.

Same as wearing darker colors trim down your silhouette, while lighter colors add more width to your overall look.

There are also colors that contrast & compliment each other. An example of this is that the different shades of earth tones compliment each other, then adding some solid white or black would contrast it.

Remember this is a guideline, so play around with your options. 

Another guideline for color palette is that during the daytime or a light environment, lighter skin tones look better & during night time darker colors are more suited. 

Which is a great transition to my next rule, which is occasion.

Now, the category in which you will be dressing is the following;

Training Athleisure (Fancy way of saying work out clothes)

Lounge apparel (What you would wear in your house & such places.)

Casual, Street wear, Everyday clothes (Yes, it include the Aston Martin)

Business Casual

Semi- Formal  (Business)

Formal (Back tie)

This is what they mean in the invitation card every time there is  wedding, birthday, party, grand opening, etc...

Remember this also it's always better to be slightly overdressed, rather than slightly under. Put your best mf foot forward.

In this abrupt transition, I'm going to my next point. Which is usefulness / practicality.

Marcus Aurelius had a quote;

 "Keep nothing in your home

 which you do not know to be useful

 or believe to be beautiful."

Now besides the fact that Marcus Aurelius paved the way for Mary Kondo to have that dope Netflix show. There's also the fact that this rule applies not only to your house/ Bat cave. But also to yourself.

While practicality shows up in various form previously mentioned, I'm gonna use it in the form of accessories. 

Whether it be backpacks, cases, satchels, hats, jewelry, etc...

Remember these are spices for the outfit, seasonings like salt & pepper. The add, they but they can take from them. Find your balance in their usefulness & practicality. 

This also goes with your personality & what you like to wear/ use. Which guess what? It's my next rule. Personality.

Having a signature in style specifically yours. This one is how mfs become iconic.  Having or doing something tailored made for you. Something that is recognized from miles away.  

An example that relates to me & that you can use for inspiration, is 2 of my personal signatures.

One being the rolled up sleeves at all times, & jewelry at all times.

As a kid I saw a movie, "The Outsiders". One of the individuals in the film, the older brother of the protagonist did a distinct feature with his sleeves & I found that to be really badass. The 1970's greaser look to it looked awesome & I have done it ever since.

The other feature is my jewelry, I'm an avid fan of watches, they look crisp & professional. They signal that you are responsible & value time. 2 of my own where passed down from my dad. Subsequently, I will pass them to my kids or to my shaolin prodigy student.

I'm always wearing 2 chains, not big Mayweather chains. Rather 2 more subtle & elegant ones, one of them has been on me since I can remember, the other one was a gift. I normally use them under my shirts. My rings, I lost my special graduation ring on a trip to Barbados. A pitch black ring with a diamond crested with an "A". The designs on both sides where a boxing glove & a Tae-Kwon- Do figurine. Two of the sports that would forever change my life.

As a replacement my kid cousin alongside my grandparents gifted me with a set of rings. A lion crested one, a band & a 50 cent looking ass one. The lion crested one, because of my name & place of birth. Plus it has a Roman feel to it & I'm a huge history buff.

I bring this up, because they are things distinctly suited to me. Not for flash or show, just based on personality & a distinct value to me. That's why they are distinguished. Search your own story for such components.

This concept of being distinguished & setting yourself apart using showing your personality. Was something slightly nuanced in the pick up community in the form of "peacocking". The idea was wearing something extravagant so it draws attention to you & signals somewhat of an "Alpha" trait. Which is the capacity to handle attention, standing out & more so the "stress" that comes from it. 

(Standing out is attractive because it signals to your monkey brain a possibility of leadership & the fact that predators in your near by area when they pulled up in your area wouldn't do shit to you.)

Granted & regardless these Mf's took it to the extreme wearing Giant pink hats, their grandma's scarfs with suits & giant dildos on their ears as a pen (true story). 

It kind of served it's purpose & was incredibly innovative at the time. But. I will literally beat your ass if you pull up with a giant dildo in your ear due to this concept. I want you to look & feel like 007 not Santa Clause o a supermarket.

The difference between both? 

Social calibration & receptiveness. Standing out just enough & smart enough that it gets the job done. What stands better than being the best dressed & looking mf out there?

One thing, following the I N F L U E N C E guidelines as if they where the bible.

Now that I finished plugging my brand, unto my next & final point. 

Which happens to be age. (More specifically dressing your mf age.)

As for me personally, I'm not an avid proponent of memes. At 22, I'm an old soul for that shit. 

But at the time of this article, there's a meme circulating around & relevant for this point. A meme of Steve Buscemi the actor in kids clothes with a skateboard.

The meme is meant as merely an example os the lack of savy / social calibration the character of Steve Buscemi has. Age is tricky, people like David Beckham can pull off a more juvenile & trendy look because they take care of themselves. Giancula the Italian millionaire is an extreme example of this. Yet, they respect their age & dress the part. 

If you are younger don't be afraid to pull off a suit, if you are older don't be afraid to pull off a V neck shirt & show them guns.

Yet, respect your age.

The Steve Buscemi example is also a form of perspective.

You see I always have a rule. Something I kinda picked up from Jordan Peterson, the rule is the following. Always have a heaven & a hell reference point. Meaning picture something you want & something you don't.  It provides extra motivation. Runaway from the things you don't, towards the direction you do wanna go.

In this case what we would like to avoid at all cost, is being as socially uncalibrated as the character as Steve Buscemi. On the other hand having a style icon or model you look up to, is extremely useful. In my case, I have various that influence my perception of style & overall fashion. There are several, but at the top of my head I can mention individuals such as;

• Tom Ford
• Frank Sinatra
• George Clooney & Brad Pitt ( In the majority of their roles they look fly af.)
• Young Marlon Brando
• A$ap Rocky always looks fresh af.
• Yago (from Yago (2016))
• James Dean

While I draw inspiration from them, I of course mix their influence with the points I previously mentioned. Remember:

• Season
• Fit
• Fabric
• Trends
• Color
• Occasion
• Practicality / Usefulness
• Personality 
• Age

Now this components are guidelines, as you grow in this ambit you will come to the same or your own conclusions.

But, do you wanna know what are NOT guidelines & are not up to debate? More so they are the equivalent of the commandments God gave to Moses set in stone. That should never be broken nor up to argument?

Grooming.

This embark things such as; 

• Scent
• Hygiene
• Hairstyle
• Facial Hair
• Manscaping
• Skin Care

Non negotiables.

I'm going to give you the father talk that has been passed down from generation to generation. Knowledge passed down & adapted for the modern man.

The first commandment is scent / fragrance / cologne & certainly not axe spray.

You see cologne is tricky, because you already have a natural scent & that scent needs to combine with the cologne's.  More so be in harmony. 

As an example for myself, I love subtle aromatic fragrance & a pine / woody scented one. This of course comes from the fact that they work well on me.

My main recommendation? Go to the nearest mall. Speak to the concierge in charge of the fragrance department. Ask for his expertise, 9/10x they know what they are talking about. Remember search your own.

The second component is hygiene. This just means that you clean your mf self, i.e you are not a pig.

This also means that you take multiple shower(s) a day, your nails are clean. Your dental hygiene is on point. No B.O. You should strive to be a walking hand sanitizer, 99% of germs should die when they touch you.

The next point is hairstyle.

Hairstyle is tricky, because some people have no hair to style. Others hair is more difficult to do so. Regardless just make sure that whatever you have is clean & modern. Base this off three things; trends, complimenting your face symmetry & of the unique texture of your hair.

As a general rule, keep it clean & tight on the sides. With a heavier top.

A buzzcut also looks dope af & is timeless. Play around with your options. This also applies to my next rule, which is manscaping.

Now if you wanna be a hairy sasquatch or think Chewbacca is the G.O.A.T &  a good look/ match for you. 

That's up to you, I personally don't think a man should be 100% hairless. But, when it comes to manscaping the areas that should have no hair is your; Back, balls, neck beards, back of the neck, nose, ears. 

These are not up to discussion.

Now I personally shave my chest, etc... because I like to feel as aerodynamic as a Ferrari.

On the theme of hair is also your eyebrows, your eyebrows should be clean, trimmed, full & natural. But most importantly separate. Divided. You should have two of them. Meaning NO unibrows.

As for the last point. Is your skin care.

Now whether you have ashy, dry or oily skin. The same rules apply. You need an exfoliator, a deep cleaning agent, a moisturizer & when the sun is melting hot, a sunscreen.

• The exfoliator will remove the dirt & grime in your face. Plus it will also open up your pores. 
• The deep cleaning agent will help with the natural oils of your skin.
• The moisturizer will hydrate & rejuvenate the skin.
• The sunscreen will protect your face from the sun.

I'm a firm believer of the " look good, feel good." philosophy.

If you follow every principle in style stated above, you should already feel like a stud. But, remember visual indicators are only 50% of the equation, the other 50% is the behavioral components. 

The behavioral components that subconsciously indicate your capabilities to survive & thrive in your environment. More so carrying yourself like a boss.

I won't go much in detail into this since I made a complete guide into becoming a full on badass, for that check out: (The way of the boss)

You know have the guidelines to success, the guide to captivate the world around you & expand your influence.

Big Love.

- A