First impressions almost always begin with one person judging another based solely on what he or she looks like. This, I believe, is what makes style so important.
Style does not end with clothing, though. Sure, a man’s attire is probably the most obvious visual indicator of his personal style, but there are many other style choices every man makes that can seal the deal when it comes to communicating an overall look.
Almost everyone has a cell phone. A cell phone is a major purchase for any person, and everyone has to like how that device’s aesthetics define who he is. This goes for computers, book bags, sunglasses or any other external “thing” that is on your person every day.
As young collegiate scholars, we have to start making conscious choices about these things before we step out into the “real world” and start our big-boy jobs. Buying a few dress shirts and a suit is an easy and quick fix for an unprofessional wardrobe, but the purple phone cover with a nautical star on it needs to go as well. Quirky accessories and overly stylized effects can make a man seem young and unprofessional.
For example, I currently carry a brown leather bifold wallet. Until two years ago, I carried a neon blue, green and yellow vinyl trifold wallet that had a velcro seal. It fit with my day-to-day style (regrettably), but it was embarrassing to me when I pulled it out the few times I threw on my suit. It didn’t make sense, and it was an ugly sore thumb in the context of my otherwise well-considered look.
Take an inventory of the things you’re carrying every day and consider whether they fit into any situation in which you may find yourself or if they say something about who you are in very specific sub-contexts.
Finding material belongings that reflect who a man is as a whole, rather than who he is with his buddies, could save him from stumbling through an embarrassing, defensive explanation of, say, why his laptop has a Power Rangers sticker on it. Cute conversation piece at the coffee shop — condemning, immature label at a corporate office.
Connor Tarter is a 21-year-old communication studies junior from Dallas.
