Q. Last week you gave a reader helpful information about how a man can update the clothes he wears to be in keeping with current styles. I am in that looking-for-a-new-and-better-job situation. I know I’m lucky in this economy to have a job, but I’m hoping to find something that will be more challenging and more in keeping with my experience. I’m in my early 50's and still working at staying in good shape. Besides your advice about wearing clothes that are trimmer in order to look as “with it” as possible, what else is important to stand out from the crowd)
A. This may come as a surprise to some people, but your body counts. The shape you are in says a lot. “Exercise,” goes the old saying, “is what you needed yesterday and are going to start tomorrow.” Today, increasing numbers of men realize, as you do, the benefits of fitness and a well conditioned body.
Clothes cannot disguise a general lack of body tone, a tendency toward flab rather than firmness. A near-daily regimen of some sort of exercise should be part of every one's routine. I wish I could remember the name of the brilliant doctor – I think he was a cardiologist – who advised a person who has only one hour to spend and wants to know the safest way to spend it. “Lie down and do nothing,” he said. “But if a person has a lifetime to spend, he shouldn’t spend that hour sitting; he’d be much better off exercising.” Exercising and eating will help a man fit into those newer, trimmer clothes and will help him look younger.
Besides being in good physical shape, you may not believe just how much excellent grooming says about a man. Your hands are always on display and fingernails tell a lot about a person. Don’t ignore them. A business or professional man has no excuse for hands and nails that look less than perfect. Nails should be clean and short. You don’t actually need to get a manicure, although an occasional one can help show you how good your hands can look. However, do not under any circumstances allow anyone to put polish on your nails. Even clear polish has a negative connotation.
A good haircut helps, too. Keep it short, particularly if a man is losing his hair, And it should go without saying that no man should ever consider a “comb-over.”
Maybe if you have a mustache, it might be time to get rid of it. Now that mustaches are somewhat passé, make a change. A cleaner look makes you look younger.
A fresh white shirt and sharp color contrasts contribute to a well-groomed look.
You may need to change your eye glasses; they might need updating so you don’t look over the hill. See what younger guys – especially your competition -- are wearing. Go to a good optician who can help you select something current.
A few current accessories: a hat with a skinny brim is a sharp young look. So is an inexpensive tie clasp.
Every aspect of self-improvement helps. Whether it is what you wear, or the shape your body is in, or how you are groomed, or even (please pardon the former English teacher in me!) how correctly you speak -- everything about you sends messages to the world. And in today’s business environment, it is wise to try to upgrade (and slim down) most of them.
Have questions of your own? Feel free to email me at Lois.Fenton@prodigy.net
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