adminMY first encounter with Tom Ford’s Black Orchid is one I’ll not be forgetting anytime soon. It was during a lunch meeting with a friend. Of course I smelt the fragrance off him when we met but I hadn’t paid much attention to it until after he walked away and I could still “smell” him lingering minutes later. Because I couldn’t get over how good the fragrance smelt, I later asked what he was wearing. “Black Orchid by Tom Ford”, he said. It was memorable.
He could have spent all day next to me and I’d not even mind! And to think he was dressed in a simple graphic T-shirt, a pair of shorts and a pair of Converse All Stars.
It wasn’t even what he was wearing that made him attractive; it was how good he smelt and how clean he was. A few weeks after this meeting, in retrospect, I realise just how women are gullible to their senses.
If you want to be appealing to a woman, appeal to her senses. She likes what she sees and what she smells — you’re halfway through. Of course you’ll have to put in a good word for yourself and other things will come into play but your personal grooming should do the preliminaries for you.
Try out a few fragrances, invest in a good bottle and you’ll never go wrong. Keep your nails short and clean, your mouth fresh and yourself smelling good to keep someone hooked. Of course you’ll need a good dress sense to complement how well you smell.
Well dressed men have a couple of common habits. They know the basics and stick to them. All the fashion greats have kept it simple. They rely on basics and don’t worry about making a statement if that’s not their style.
Don’t plan obsessively. Unless you’ve got a strict dress code to adhere to, dressing with spontaneity is most likely to result in outfits that you feel comfortable in and that will suit your mood.
Admittedly, you might need a bit longer for such free-styling, so having a few favourite backup combos is never a bad thing.
Just make sure you run through what your day looks like while you’re picking something out so you choose something that’s flexible enough for meetings or an after-work event. Long shot I know, but well dressed men take care of their underwear. Underwear should be treated with the same respect as the rest of the items in your wardrobe.
And remember, threadbare and faded underwear is not a good look; you should aim to replace yours every six to 12 months depending on rotation. Always follow the care labels on your clothes.
There are few things more irritating than discovering that ace new shirt is dry-clean only. Or having to devote precious weekend minutes to hand-washing your more delicate pieces. Caring for your clothing could be the difference between mediocre and outstanding style.
If your trousers aren’t turned up to the correct length, then any shoes you wear are wasted.
Apparently, the greatest shoes in the world have zero presence poking out of gathered hem crumple; when your trousers are properly hemmed, not only do your shoes look better, you also look taller.
The ability to nail trouser break separates the men from the boys in the style stakes.
In menswear, an inch means a lot and the slightest alterations on an item’s cuff, shoulder and back can make a massive difference. Find a good tailor to do alterations for you when necessary.
Rotating your clothing and shoes — like a premier league manager does his squad — is key especially if you have to wear a suit every day for work.
Having three to four good suits to call upon in rotation along with two to three quality pairs of shoes will set you up to be the most stylish man in the office.
Feedback from “Save yourself the visible panty line drama!”
Hey Yolie, I love your educative and informative articles. Visible panty lines are so disgusting lapha uyitshayile sibili. Bafundise MaDube. — Fayie.
I read your article about the visible panty lines and I was pleasantly surprised. Apparently some men actually find them sexy but for me they’re a definite no no! Panty lines must never ever be visible. — Patience.
You’ve an interesting approach to your column. As a man, I could actually read your column from start to finish with a smile on my face. I’ve often seen these visible panty lines and wondered if nothing can be done to make sure they don’t show. — Tich.
Hey Yoliswa, you’re quite right about how difficult it can be dealing with visible panty lines. This was a very educative read, keep it up. — Thandiwe.
I just finished reading your article, I didn’t realise women actually had trouble with these! — N Nyathi.
Until next week, flaunt your pattern and style and don’t forget to drop me an SMS/WhatsApp on +263 774 492 700, drop me an email at [email protected] or follow me on Twitter handle @YoliswaStarr.
Online Reporter