Men 35 years and older, Do you want instant respect and authority from those around you? I recently stumbled upon a technique that I guarantee, unless you're completely hopeless, will make those you encounter in your day to day life, from salesclerks to co-workers, view you with a measure of respect and authority you previously lacked.
The secret is so simple it's ridiculous. If you're already wearing standard business casual (and that's not geek casual t-shirts and shorts), go buy yourself a sport coat.
You don't have to spend a lot of money. Go hit up your local used clothing store. Sport coats, unlike socks and underwear, last forever, and people seem to be turning them in all the time. You'll probably have to try on every coat in the store to find one or two that fit, but your time will be well-spent. For $6.99 each, I bought a dark grey tweed sport coat and a blue blazer.
Almost instantly, people around me started to treat me differently. Clerks behind counters took more time, and were more considerate, and worked harder to get things right. Salespeople came up and asked me if I needed help. People said "sir" to me.
It almost didn't matter what I wore underneath. My pant cuffs could be scruffy, I could be wearing sneakers. I once went out with a pajama top in place of a shirt. The sport coat, unbuttoned, is a shield against further investigation.
You may find one you love but doesn't fit right-- typically, my gorilla arms mean I have to buy one with long sleeves and then have the waist taken in a bit. In that case, a good seamstress can often do the alteration for less than $20.
If you're lucky, you'll stop by Goodwill on a sale tag day and pick up a perfect coat, clean and well-fit, for 99 cents. This happened to me. But a worst-case scenario is less than $30 after dry cleaning and tailoring.
It will be worth it. The world will look upon you and say, "That is not some guy holding onto his adolescence. I will not call him 'dude.' I will say 'sir.' I will show some respect. For that is a man."
All you need to do is replace that childish windbreaker or fleece you're wearing (and really, is it all that comfortable and effective?) with the coat that grown-up men wear.
The secret is so simple it's ridiculous. If you're already wearing standard business casual (and that's not geek casual t-shirts and shorts), go buy yourself a sport coat.
You don't have to spend a lot of money. Go hit up your local used clothing store. Sport coats, unlike socks and underwear, last forever, and people seem to be turning them in all the time. You'll probably have to try on every coat in the store to find one or two that fit, but your time will be well-spent. For $6.99 each, I bought a dark grey tweed sport coat and a blue blazer.
Almost instantly, people around me started to treat me differently. Clerks behind counters took more time, and were more considerate, and worked harder to get things right. Salespeople came up and asked me if I needed help. People said "sir" to me.
It almost didn't matter what I wore underneath. My pant cuffs could be scruffy, I could be wearing sneakers. I once went out with a pajama top in place of a shirt. The sport coat, unbuttoned, is a shield against further investigation.
You may find one you love but doesn't fit right-- typically, my gorilla arms mean I have to buy one with long sleeves and then have the waist taken in a bit. In that case, a good seamstress can often do the alteration for less than $20.
If you're lucky, you'll stop by Goodwill on a sale tag day and pick up a perfect coat, clean and well-fit, for 99 cents. This happened to me. But a worst-case scenario is less than $30 after dry cleaning and tailoring.
It will be worth it. The world will look upon you and say, "That is not some guy holding onto his adolescence. I will not call him 'dude.' I will say 'sir.' I will show some respect. For that is a man."
All you need to do is replace that childish windbreaker or fleece you're wearing (and really, is it all that comfortable and effective?) with the coat that grown-up men wear.
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