What does dress to impress really mean?

 

Dressing to impress is a well-worn phrase that we hear bandied about but what does it really mean? Most of us adapt our clothing to the environment we’re in just like we do with our vocabulary or body language when we‘re in certain situations. So, with this in mind, when would we dress to impress and will it truly reflect the type of person we are?

The obvious scenarios spring to mind such as going for an interview, important business meeting, networking event or on a date. These are all occasions that dressing to impress would hopefully pay dividends but do you consistently have to ‘dress to impress’ for there to be any long lasting impact?

There have been numerous psychological studies on the effect that clothing can have and the science does tend to point to your dress code being something that people tune into. The classic tailored dark suit, crisp white shirt and silk tie for men is a standard bearer for looking sharp in business and people do tend to take you more seriously and are more likely to listen to what you have to say, when you wear this type of attire.

As Mark Twain once said: “Clothes make the man. Naked people have very little or no influence on society.”

Studies have also shown that people are more likely to trust what you are saying and potentially spend more money to do business with you. Generally, people equate being well dressed with being successful and, if somebody comes across as smart and well-heeled, then psychologically, people will feel that the service or product that the individual is offering is likely to have a more premium feel to it.

Check out this article which bears this out http://reflectd.co/2014/07/29/dress-to-impress/#sthash.ayZTJLML.dpbs

From a sartorial perspective there are any number of ways that a man can ‘dress to impress’. Whether it’s wearing a garment from a well known designer, sporting an expensive watch and other exclusive fashion accessories or wearing cologne that fits in with your style and personality; these are all factors that others can’t fail to notice and being noticed is essentially what dressing to impress is all about.

But surely you can’t keep this up all the time? The fact is, you don’t have to. Nobody expects you to dress to impress all the time and, once, you’ve already established a level of success, the trust has been built and you can pretty much turn up in what you like and be taken seriously….within reason. Sir Richard Branson and Mark Zuckerberg are testament to that. You hardly ever see those two guys suited up and they are two of the richest people on the planet!

 

THE EVOLUTION OF FRAGRANCE

Fragrance is the most common product we use on a daily basis to feel fresh and attractive. Either as an aftershave, body spray, or another scented product.

It is safe to say men’s fragrances have come a long way since their ancient origins. Although the modern gentleman applies fragrances such as Gruhme No.14 to feel masculine and confident, the original purpose was somewhat more practical.

Back in the day, like a really long time ago, nicely scented potions were a matter of necessity. People’s noses were constantly, and vigorously, assaulted by the unpleasant odours of smoke, rotting food, open sewers, and God knows what.

 

THE EARLY DAYS

According to the legends (and the history books), the glorious art of crafting scents began in ancient Egypt thousands of years ago. Here fragrances were primarily used during religious ceremonies, and also where the term perfume originated. The Egyptian priests created scented smoke by burning wood and resins as a means for communicating with the Gods. The word perfume is derived from Latin per fumus, meaning through smoke. The Egyptians believed the Gods would smile on them if they surrounded themselves with a pleasant aroma.

The Egyptians were also the first to create perfume bottles in which to store the perfume. The bottles were commonly made of glass, which was (also) invented by the Egyptians.  Not to mention they built gigantic pyramids! Is there anything these guys couldn’t do??

 

EUROPE AND THE PERFUME KING

Eventually Egyptian perfumery influenced Greece and then Rome, where the first professional perfumers emerged during the first century.

However, Rome didn’t rule forever. Christianity emerged and the use of fragrance faded out. Then for hundreds of years after the fall of Rome, perfume was primarily an Oriental art. It spread to Europe when 13th century Crusaders brought back samples from Palestine to England, France, and Italy.

Perfume then came into widespread use among the monarchy. France’s King Louis XIV was so obsessed with it that he was called the “perfume king.” He had it sprayed on clothing, furniture, walls, and tableware. Even his guests were sprayed with perfume before the eccentric king would greet them.

 

GOD SAVE THE QUEEN (BUT NOT HER SCENTED GLOVES)

Meanwhile, in England, Charles Lilly, a London perfumer, introduced scented snuffs and a revolutionary fragrance consisting of orange flower, musk, violet and amber. Funny enough, and contrary to his name, he did not use lilies.

It was Italy, however, who was the leader for cosmetics and perfumes. In Venice they made scented pastes (that’s cool), scented shirts, stockings, gloves (Wait, what?), shoes, even scented coins (seriously!?). Apparently Queen Elizabeth I was given a pair of these scented gloves, and had a perfumed leather cape and shoes made to match… obviously.

The gloves were often perfumed with neroli, or with animal scents such as ambergris and civet. Apparently the gentlemen, who often refused to kiss the ladies’ hands because it made them sick, didn’t always appreciate this. Can you blame them?

 

THE BIRTH OF THE MALE FRAGRANCE

Though the creation of perfume goes back thousands of years, men’s fragrance was developed in more recent times, relatively speaking. In the beginning of the 18th century, 1709 to be specific, Jean-Marie Farina who had moved from Italy to Germany created a special scent to honour his new hometown, Cologne.

Johann Maria Farina Cologne

This new fragrance was fresh, a welcomed contrast to the heavy scents who dominated the market at the time. With notes of citrus, flowers, and herbs it quickly became popular, and Farina’s list of customers expanded rapidly. Soon his Eau de Cologne, meaning water from Cologne, was sold throughout Europe and became a royal and imperial favourite. Not only was it used as a fragrance, but also recommended for internal use to maintain good health. Eau de Cologne is still produced today by the eighth generation of the Farina family.

 

PERFUME IN MODERN TIMES

By the early 19th century personal hygiene took centre stage (finally!) and was perceived as purification of the soul. New technology made perfume cheaper to create and allowed for new ingredients to be used, thus creating new, exciting and much cheaper fragrances. During the 20th century technology made greater progress and for the first time it was possible to mass produce perfumes and fragrances. Synthetic ingredients were also introduced. By the end of the year over 100 fine fragrances were being launched every year

Today there are over 30,000 designer perfumes on the market and they are no longer only available to the wealthy. As you can imagine, the industry has undergone several changes in technique, material as well as style. In the years to come the industry will keep evolving and new fragrances will be introduced to the market. Who knows which magical powers they may hold in the future? Maybe we will go back to drinking it, like they did with Eau de Cologne?

http://thegroomingguide.com/
http://thegroomingguide.com/

What does your fragrance say about you?

The male fragrance market is big business with literally hundreds of brands to choose from so when contemplating a fragrance, it’s no good just picking any old bottle off the display shelf. What you should be doing is thinking carefully as to how your scent is going to represent you.

As with your clothes, shoes and wardrobe in general, your fragrance says a lot about you so it’s important to get it right. Your fragrance can have an enormous effect on how people perceive you and how they react to you so it’s worth spending some time selecting a fragrance that fits in with your persona and sense of individual style.

It’s a primitive thing…

Wearing top quality fragrance will give you confidence, which in turn will give you an increased sense of your own attractiveness. If you start to believe you are more attractive, others will believe it too. Fragrance can be pretty primitive in that respect.

It is a fact that women prefer men who wear a fragrance because they find it more attractive. Going back to caveman times, woman chose a mate using a variety of factors and smell was one of the most important. Still to this day women unwittingly rely on their sense of smell when choosing a partner even if they are unaware of it. Women naturally have a heightened sense of smell and are specifically tuned in to male pheromones. In that respect, scent to women is more important than it is to men.

Making a connection

So strong is our sense of smell that it can trigger memories much more vividly than our sight or touch can because it connects so strongly with our emotions. For example, if your mother has always used the same perfume then it would be almost impossible to smell that perfume and not immediately be reminded of being in your mother’s company.

It’s well known that smell will take you back to times and places in your memory and can trigger off a variety of emotions and feelings. This is why fragrance plays a unique part in the way we remember things.

Create the right image

As we all know, you only get one chance to create a good first impression so if you want to come across as a well-groomed, confident sort of guy then wearing a great fragrance is really going to help.

If clothes maketh the man then his fragrance will serve to confirm that positive first impression. Even away from the world of dating your scent is important. Whether in business, interview situations or any other scenario where you are meeting people that you want to impress, your scent will make a lasting impression, so make sure it’s a good one.

What type of man are you?

One thing to bear in mind is that the same fragrance will not necessarily smell exactly the same on every person. This is because it may react slightly differently on your skin than someone else’s when it mixes with your natural scent. So give some consideration to the type of man you are as this will influence your choice of fragrance. Are you the sporty type, a young professional, a man’s man or an urbanite? Whatever category you believe you fall into; the fragrance you choose should be representative of that image.

Who would have thought that choosing a fragrance could be so complex?!

Are you looking for a niche fragrance this Christmas?

Whether you’re a male or female reading this blog then the chances are at some point you have received fragrance for Christmas or have given it as a gift. The chances are that the fragrance was also ‘designer’. There is no doubt that whether you’re a man or a woman you will be influenced by advertising when it comes to fragrance, either through television or magazines. You will also be influenced by celebrity endorsement, brand association and packaging. That is why designer brands do so well this time of year and, thanks to their huge marketing budgets, that’s unlikely to change.

However, if you’re the type of person who likes to be different and is looking for something a bit more niche this Christmas rather than the usual designer brand, then please read on….

First of all, when it comes to fragrance, do you know the difference between designer and niche?

Designer is what you will see everywhere this Christmas and these fragrances will be made by high profile companies such as Chanel, Armani, Burberry, the list goes on. However, it doesn’t matter how ‘high-end’ or ‘designer’ the brand might be, there’s no getting away from the fact that these fragrances, on the whole, are mass produced and meant for mass consumption. In other words, they are made for a wide audience and they tend to play on the safe side i.e. the fragrance will be nice, perfectly acceptable and not provoke any strong reactions. You should also bear in mind that although you may be paying a premium price for designer fragrance, they do tend to be made from cheaper materials to save on costs and enable mass production.

Niche fragrances are different. They will not be household names. Instead, they will be known by a selective audience who follows the industry more closely than most. These fragrances tend to be made by independent fragrance specialists and are designed for the more discerning customer who wants to be bolder and more individual in the statement they make. Niche fragrances tend to be painstakingly created by specialists who are passionate about the industry and time will be taken to choose the right ingredients to create the impact that they want. It is true that these fragrances will not always have the universal appeal of designer fragrances but they will appeal to those people who don’t like to run with the crowd and prefer to create their own style.

On that note, let me introduce you to Gruhme Original and Gruhme No.14

Male Style Icons

Just saying that they have “that certain something” isn’t really an explanation of why it is. And let’s face it, having that “that certain X Factor” is really becoming a well-worn phrase as every wannabe in the country tries to get their 15 minutes of fame!

So, when you’re sat round the dinner table discussing your top male style icons, who would be top of your list? Who do you look to for style inspiration?

I try to take a balanced long term view because it’s sometimes all too easy to see the latest rock or pop star take the music world by storm and then have them disappear from view. When it comes to music they either need to stand the test of time or, when you look back, they need to be an individual or group that defined an era even if they only shone brightly within it for a relatively short space of time. Obviously groups like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones will always be regarded as icons but then you have individuals like Marc Bolan and Jimi Hendrix who have been really influential, even though sadly they only graced our planet for a short time.

The Beatles. Photo: BBC

When it comes to the silver screen, then it’s those men who defined a particular genre of film and are remembered for their effortless style that shines through – Cary Grant, Paul Newman, Robert Redford all spring to mind and there are many others.

A moment in history

The history of men’s fashion can be tracked via its “style icons” as these are the men who illustrate so vividly that particular moment in history.

Sadly, one sure fire way to rise to icon status is to die young and Elvis dying at 42 means that he will forever be in this category. When it comes to movie stars, Steve McQueen and James Dean also fit into this category very easily.

James Dean. Photo: Warner Brothers

Everybody is going to have a different view on what makes a style icon. Here is GQ’s take on who they consider to be the top 50 male style icons of all time. Which ones do you agree with?

http://www.gq.com/gallery/cary-grant-paul-newman-andre-3000-george-clooney-slideshow

Instant Celebrity

These days of instant celebrity via reality TV and one hit wonders exploding on to the scene so quickly makes it all too easy for the press to build up ‘Z’ list celebrities so rapidly. Long term though, will any of these men leave their mark on the fashion world? Are they really the sort of men who dress in a manner that says something serious about masculinity and today’s modern world?

Often, it’s those that don’t try too hard that stand out the most, as too many wannabe celebs look impeccably well-groomed to the point of obsession.

A real icon is never frightened to grow into themselves over time rather than trying to force the issue.

The Male and Female point of view

Male style doesn’t come under the microscope anywhere near as harshly as women’s fashion does but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t big business. The feedback by men and women towards fashion is different. Most ladies, even if they don’t admit it, have a fascination with the latest designs they see on the catwalk whereas men will generally pay less attention to male fashion shows. What they are more likely to do is notice what the star striker from the football team they support is wearing and use that as a style guide.

David Beckham. Photo: Getty Images

Men will notice what good looking movie stars and top sportsmen are wearing and they will try to replicate that look. Guys will take on the whole persona of a male icon they admire and rather than just seeing them as a mannequin with clothes on, they try to emulate that person the best way the can.

Which guy over the last twenty years hasn’t dreamed of being David Beckham, Brad Pitt, Hugh Jackman, or George Clooney for example?

Never out of Style

If you go back through history, male icons have that sense of style that never really goes out of fashion. For example, Cary Grant’s sophisticated and relaxed look is synonymous with the golden years of Hollywood and he always will be. David Bowie epitomised the 1970s and his icon status has not only stood the test of time but time has enhanced it even further.

Cary Grant Photo: themanhasstyle.com

With the instant social media world we live in, the topic of men’s fashion does have the tendency to get blown out of all proportion and we get over run with second rate “style icons”. Although one thing is clear, when we look back at this decade twenty years from now it will take more than turning up on a red carpet wearing a designer suit to be remembered as a style icon. Only the ones that define the era we currently live in will truly be remembered.

This is why the words of Coco Chanel still ring true. “Fashion fades, only style remains the same”.

What do you think? What defines a male style icon and where do you take your inspiration from? It would be great to hear from you.

Is being called a metrosexual an insult?

When it comes to being labelled as a metrosexual then there’s usually no shades of grey to what people think, they’re pretty black and white in their opinions on this matter. In my research for this I came across a forum discussing this exact topic and here’s a flavour of some of the responses to the question ‘is being called a metrosexual an insult?

‘Yeah.
If I were a guy, I’d be pretty offended’

‘Yes, it’s another made up label‘

‘nah, just a synonym for vain.’

‘No. I think it just means you like to shop and to look good.’

‘Not really. I bet you probably understand a lot more about women than other straight guys.
And yes, I’m stereotyping.’

‘What the hell is metrosexual?’

As you would expect on a forum, there were some pretty offensive remarks too with the usual morons linking metrosexuals with homosexuals and making derogatory observations. However, what the forum did reveal is that there’s still a bit on unrest out there by certain quarters of the population when a man decides to spruce himself up a bit. Having said that, this forum was back in 2011 and things have changed since then. It would be interesting to see what a new forum on the subject would say.

What is a metrosexual?

It was the British journalist Mark Simpson who first coined the phrase ‘metrosexual’ back in 1994, referring to an urban male of any sexual orientation who spends time and money on their appearance, cultivates an aesthetic lifestyle and is highly fashion conscious. He is the type of guy who might have adorned the pages of Esquire, GQ or The Face back in the eighties but now he’s everywhere and he likes to shop…

So what do you think about that?

Mark Simpson’s definition of a ‘metrosexual’ clearly labelled them as a consumer group that could be targeted by particular luxury brands and there’s no doubt that certain brands have done very well out of them. Brands such as Burberry, Michael Kors and Coach have brand strategies aimed at ‘metrosexuals’ and grooming products such as ‘Nivea for Men’ have clearly defined objectives to penetrate the ‘metrosexual market’.

Another view….

The rise of the ‘metrosexual has also inspired many humorous observations about the way they behave. Here’s the Urban Dictionary’s take on metrosexuality:

You might be “metrosexual” if:

  1. You just can’t walk past a Banana Republic store without making a purchase.
  2. You own 20 pairs of shoes, half a dozen pairs of sunglasses, just as many watches and you carry a man-purse.
  3. You see a stylist instead of a barber, because barbers don’t do highlights.
  4. You can make her lamb shanks and risotto for dinner and Eggs Benedict for breakfast… all from scratch.
  5. You only wear Calvin Klein boxer-briefs.
  6. You shave more than just your face. You also exfoliate and moisturize.
  7. You would never, ever own a pickup truck.
  8.  You can’t imagine a day without hair styling products.
  9. You’d rather drink wine than beer… but you’ll find out what estate and vintage first.
  10. Despite being flattered (even proud) that gay guys hit on you, you still find the thought of actually getting intimate with another man truly repulsive.

The personification of the metrosexual

When you ask people to think about a metrosexual who is in the public eye then most people usually think about David Beckham. In many ways David Beckham personifies what metrosexuality is all about. His penchant for style, plethora of hair styles and his highly-groomed look bear all the hallmarks of the metrosexual and brands fall over themselves to be linked with him and have the Beckham seal of approval on their products. Women love him and men would like to be like him so in many ways he occupies that coveted position of being someone who is admired by both sexes – a marketers dream!

Other celebrities who regularly get listed in the top metrosexual lists include Jake Gyllenhall, Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp and Hugh Jackman. It’s not really a bad list to be associated with really. I think most men wouldn’t mind being in that company.

The fact is, metrosexuality has become mainstream. There’s nothing unusual about men wanting to look good, buy nice clothes and be well presented. Surely, it’s what every discerning male should aspire to be like?

What do you think? It would be interesting to see if views are still divided on metrosexuality or have we become more accepting? Please share your thoughts here.