Elegant Emergence

Gorgeous. Handsome. Stunning. Dashing. Beautiful.

This is how we describe physically appealing appearances.

We have noted severally that a person’s appearance is critical in influencing a first impression of, and inevitably, approach towards them. Hence, the profound cliché, ‘the way you dress is the way you will be addressed’.

In other words the kind of audience you receive is directly proportional to your choice of appearance.

I define elegance as effortlessly commanding; it is the simplicity that accompanies an impressive appearance.

Your appearance is the beginning of your evidence as a gentleman or a lady. It is passive, yet very vital evidence that lays a foundation for the active ones, such as speaking or eating.

Yes, the appearance is not the sole criterion for identifying a gentleman or a lady but, it is not the least important either. Below are a few pointers as far as the appearance of the gentleman or lady is concerned.

The gentleman’s taste is plain in his moderate appearance, keeping the suit dark and the shoes darker. Flamboyant colour display from shoes to bags to clothes is an exclusive right reserved for the ladies. A gentleman that therefore dares to go close to that district must know his onions. And very well.

After a pair of cufflinks, a wristwatch, rings (for married men) and probably a tiepin (for formal attire that is) I know no other ornament that behooves a gentleman. The ladies again, take the lead when it comes to putting on jewelry. A gentleman can of course choose to wear less jewelry than the above listed but certainly not more.

Whole cut black shoes look great on a gentleman until they are combined with casual clothing.

There are a range of options to choose from when putting on jeans or shorts from classic sneakers to tan bucks and plimsolls.

Black shoes are the only acceptable ones with suits; formal suits at least, so do not overwhelm them. In the high court of elegance, it is frown-able to wear black shoes on jeans.

Tattoos are not a gentleman’s fashion expression. ‘Gentleman fashion’ is the creative display of a dress sense to cut a dash and this characteristically, does not include permanent skin prints except, of course, you are Lil’ Wayne.

As much as the ladies are given permission to flaunt colours in their dernier cri, they must master the art of taming the rebelliousness of flamboyant colours so that they eventually turn out appealing and not pea cocky.

If the latest fad is anything to go by, we are reminded that there really are no rules in combining colours. ‘Rules’ such as ‘pattern do not go with pattern’ are being unapologetically defied.

The element that determines whether you earn a frown or a pat on the back when you combine colours like wine and red is called a sense of class. This is why the combination of the colours, wine and red may look drab on a mannequin in the local boutique but sells out like hot pancakes when the same combination is used creatively by Christian Dior.

I hasten to add that the difference is not so much the designer as the creativity behind the design.

The ladies once more should not take the liberty of wearing more jewelry as license to drip with it. Shine moderately.

  There is a ‘make up’ that accentuates your beauty and there is one that masks it. Whatever your choice of eye shadow or lip stick, be easy on the eye.

Elegance is not a quality restrictive to suits and ties.

It does not matter if you are putting on shorts or if you are wearing a garland of flowers around your neck, you are as elegant as you choose to be.

 

All that glitters may not be gold but all that is gold glitters.