You might think that your first impression with someone begins after you say hello, which in a lot of ways makes sense. However, a lot of people probably have already begun to form an opinion about you before you even open your mouth. That is why, I believe, it is always in your best interest to look on-point because you never know when you might need to make a great nonverbal first impression.
In my opinion, there are four major factors that can greatly impact how someone perceives you. These factors are quite subtle and may not seem like that big of a deal, but trust me, if you want to make a great impression you'll want to carefully consider each of them.
In this post I will be outlining each factor comprising, what I call, the Big 4 of Style. Mastering these four factors or at least understanding the power of each one will significantly change how people see you. These four factors literally separate those who dress-up and those who look sharp.
Without further ado, let's get into it.
The Big 4 most important aspects of style are: proper fit, appropriate use of color, having at least one great pair of shoes (preferably more though), and walking with confidence.
Factor I: Proper Fit
Now, I've already talked about this one in great detail a couple months ago. If you missed that post or just want to reread it you can do so here.
I think having clothes that fit you properly--not necessarily perfectly but well enough-- is the most important part of style. Why? Because it doesn't matter what colors you're wearing, what your shoes look like, or how much confidence you have if your clothes are too big.
Of course, there are some styles that require your clothes to not fit properly, but as you know, on this blog I primarily discuss professional style.
When you're wearing something like a suit, sports coat, Oxford, or anything really, wearing the proper size and even having your clothes tailored, as I mentioned in my previous post about proper size, will greatly impact what others think about you.
Let me ask you: what is your first thought when you see someone wearing a suit that perfectly fits and what is your first thought when you see someone with clothes that are a bit too big?
Personally, I'm impressed by someone who is wearing something that properly fits. I am more willing to engage with them because I can tell they care about themselves. Before even talking with them, I'm already going to be more open.
But if I see someone who is wearing clothes that are too big I wonder why they aren't wearing the correct size. I'm going to be a bit more cautious around people like that or at least not as open.
Facto II: Appropriate Use Of Color
This one might feel irrelevant. I admit that at first it kind of does. But what you need to realize is that the colors you decide to consistently wear will eventually begin to greatly impact how others perceive you.
Consider a guy who wears all black once in awhile. As I mentioned in my in defense of black post, black is a powerful color to wear. But now consider the guy who wears all black everyday of the week. What do you think about him?
I would guess that you thought a lot more highly of the guy who occasionally wears black than the guy who wears it all the time. Why? Because when someone consistently wears a color we are apt to associate that person with what the color conveys.
So with black we might think that the person's depressed.
Of course, the person may just love the color black, which is completely fine because I do as well, but that's why you want to be smart with your color choices and choose the appropriate colors.
For instance, I associate black with being very professional, so I think the best place to wear black is in a professional setting.
But it's more than just finding the appropriate times to wear a color. You also need to make sure you have some diversity in your wardrobe. What I mean is that rather than fill your closet with black pieces you should get other darker colors like brown, maroon, charcoal, and midnight blue. That way you're always wearing something a bit different.
Personally, I love wearing white shirts, so in order to change things up throughout the week I have several white shirts with patterns. Patterns can be a great way to diversify your wardrobe because even if the base color remains the same-- so white in my case-- the patterns add a splash of additional color such as with my favorite white shirt with light blue and pink.
Factor III: Having At Least One Pair Of Great Shoes
Again, just like with the importance of color, whether or not you wear a great pair of shoes might not seem that important. Who is even going to consider your shoes as long as your outfit's on-point, right?
Wrong. I would say that the shoes you wear, in some way, are the most important part of your assemblage. I've personally known people who greatly consider how to approach someone based on the quality of their shoes. I'm not even joking.
I've even heard that the quality of a person's shoes can impact how they're seen by the opposite sex.
My point is, that the shoes you decide to wear will most likely effect how people treat you.
So what kind of shoes do you want to wear?
I'll elaborate in my following post on this factor, but essentially, there are two major things you want to consider when buying a new pair of shoes: the material used to make it and the shape (i.e. the quality).
First off, just like with suits and jackets, shoes come in a wide variety of materials; some of which are really good, like leather, and others not so much. Depending on the type of shoe-- dress, loafer, sneaker, et cetera-- I always look for genuine leather. Of course, it's a bit more costly than faux leather, but the quality is much better, and, in my opinion, worth the extra money.
It can be tough to tell the difference at first, but my rule of thumb is to always buy your shoes from a reputable vendor. Sure, places like Amazon and Walmart sell leather shoes, but they're almost always going to be fake.
The second thing you need to consider when buying a great pair of shoes is the quality of the shoe. I'm sure there's much more to know about quality, but the quickest and easiest way to figure out if a pair of shoes is worth the money is by looking at the toe cap. Is it rounded or squared?
Squared shoes are a sign of poor quality. Trust me. I've owned pairs like that in the past and they only lasted a few months. Not to mention, they were uncomfortable.
So what you want to look for is shoes with rounded toe caps. These ones are going to last you much longer, and are a lot more comfortable than the former variety.
Now, ideally I think you should own at least five pairs of shoes, but I will elaborate on this in my future post.
Factor IV: Walking With Confidence
Come on. You can't be surprised that confidence is one of the four most important aspects in fashion. The reason, confidence is last is because it is not an integral part of dressing-up. You can certainly look like a million bucks without the confidence factor.
But you see, confidence can either make or break your style. I talked about this briefly in my am I attractive post a couple weeks ago. If you see a guy dressed-up who looks depressed you're going to view him much differently than a guy dressed-up who's walking with confidence.
But what do I mean by walking with confidence?
When I was younger-- probably because I lacked confidence-- I went to the chiropractor because I was having issues with my back. Long story short, he told me that the reason my back was hurting so much was because I wasn't walking correctly. I had never heard such a thing, but he said my steps were almost robotic.
So he essentially taught me how to "properly" walk. It sounds comical at this point, but in the long run, it did actually help.
Walking with confidence involves three things: keeping your head up most of the time, moving your shoulders/arms as you walk, and acknowledging your surroundings-- meaning that you should look around as you walk and even smile, nod, or greet other people. I'll be going into much greater detail in my future post, but for now, just remember those three things.
Another reason confidence is last on this list is because it is not required to start dressing-up; in fact, I would guess that in many cases, including my own, the biggest surge of confidence comes after you start to become stylish.
I would actually think that most guys kind of lack confidence prior to dressing-up. The reason dressing-up is so appealing is because it helps boost their confidence everytime they see themselves.
I know that if I were to walk around wearing a worn t-shirt and sweatpants I'd feel a lot less confident.
Bonus Factor: Smelling Great/Finding A Signature Scent
The reason this one's a bonus factor is because it will not usually impact how others see you the same way that the actual Big 4 will. Of course, if you smell bad, people will start to think poorly of you, but I'm just going to assume that everyone here bathes at least four times a week, so no need to worry about that.
But even if you use scented body wash when you bathe and deodorant afterwards, applying a great fragrance will only make you that much more sexy. Remember what Moore said about a signature scent? It's attractive.
If you don't remember what I'm talking about or just want a refresher, check out my two signature scent posts: part 1 and part 2.
Now, it is possible to over apply a fragrance and this can cause people to think poorly of you as well. I've actually heard that too much fragrance can be as off-putting as bad body odor, but I disagree with that.
Finding a scent that works for you and even perhaps with your personality can be incredibly powerful, but as long as you are mindful of the Big 4 of Style, it isn't absolutely necessary. Personally, I know people who just don't like fragrances or are even allergic. If that's you, don't sweat it. If you decide to wear something it should be because you love it; not because you want to take your style game to the next level.
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Well, there you have it: the big 4 of style. I look forward to elaborating on each factor.
Because I'm just one person and I'm constantly getting new and fun ideas for posts-- and now videos-- I can't say for certain when each one will be written, but I definitely won't keep you waiting for long!
-Ryan S.
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Well, there you have it: the big 4 of style. I look forward to elaborating on each factor.
Because I'm just one person and I'm constantly getting new and fun ideas for posts-- and now videos-- I can't say for certain when each one will be written, but I definitely won't keep you waiting for long!
-Ryan S.
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