You don’t need to wear your best clothes when you are mowing the yard or playing football or going fishing or just hanging around the house. But that doesn’t mean you don’t take pride in your appearance. Nevertheless, a gentleman understands that there will often be special occasions—such as a meal in a restaurant or a party—when he will want to pay special attention to the way he looks.
Looking good doesn’t mean that you have to wear the most expensive clothes. But it does require that you make sure your clothes are clean and pressed, that they are appropriate for the occasion, and that they go together.
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Not every guy is good at knowing what to wear. If you are one of those guys, you don’t have to worry, since there are plenty of people out there who will be glad to help you out. (In case you didn’t already know it, women love to tell men what they should wear.) The important thing is that you do your best to look your best.
YOU DO
Learn how to use an iron.
YOU DON’T
Just wear a wrinkled shirt because nobody else had the time to iron it for you.
Why
It just takes a few minutes to make the difference between looking good and looking like a slob. Ironing is not rocket science. It’s not even as tough as the first level of a video game.
YOU DO
Ask if you are not sure whether a shirt looks good with a pair of pants, or if a tie goes with a suit.
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YOU DON’T
Feel ashamed if you can’t match colors.
Why
It’s a fact that millions of guys are color-blind. If you need help, ask for it—if you are actually colorblind or if you just have trouble matching up your clothes. It beats having people think that you don’t care how you look or laughing at you for wearing a black sock and a blue sock at the same time.
YOU DO
Accept the fact that there are some times when you are going to have to wear a suit or a tuxedo or some other stuffy outfit that you’d really rather not wear.
YOU DON’T
Whine or complain or mope when you have to get dressed up.
Why
Trust us, you’d rather put on the tux for the wedding and deal with it than be the only guy your age dressed like a little kid.
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If a gentleman plans to attend an event that has a dress code, he follows it. (The dress code will be included on the invitation to the event.) If he does not understand what the dress code means (if it says “black tie,” for example), he asks to have it explained.
A gentleman does not wear stained clothes.
A gentleman does not wear ripped or torn clothes, except at casual occasions. Even if he has paid a lot of money for a pair of jeans that were ripped and torn when he bought them, he does not wear those jeans at a dressy party.
A gentleman buckles his belt at his waistline. He does not let the waistband of his pants or jeans slip down over his hips, and he does not let his underwear show in public.
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Chapter 42
TYING YOUR OWN TIE
Let’s face it. There are going to be times when you will have to wear a tie. At some point you are going to go to a wedding, a funeral, a fancy dinner, or maybe even a play or a concert where a tie will be required. (Some guys even have to wear a tie to school—every day.) For men of all ages, wearing a tie is like paying taxes. It’s just something you have to do.
If it is tied correctly, the tip of the tie should come right to your belt. Not three inches above it. Not six inches below it. If you don’t get it right the first time, try again. Until you know how to get it right the first time, give yourself lots of time to practice in front of a mirror.
Just say no to clip-on ties. If you are old enough to be reading this book, you are old enough to tie your own tie. Even if your parents try to talk you into wearing a clip-on tie, tell them that you think you are man enough to start tying your own tie.
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Here are the steps to tying your own tie. You know how to reach the tenth level in a video game. This is a lot easier than that. So don’t even start the “this is too hard for me” bit.
Four-in-Hand Knot
1. The wide end of the tie should hang down below the narrow end. Cross the wide end over the narrow end.
2. Bring the wide end under and then over the narrow end.
3.
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