Monday 14 March 2011

Style Tip #262: Glasses

When I was young, I told my dad I wanted a pair of glasses.


"Are you having trouble seeing?" he asked.


"No. I just want to look cool!"


So I graduated into my very first pair of grandfather-style-aviator spectacles as an 11 year old schoolboy. With a degree of -0.25 on each side, I was proud to add. 









Truth is, I didn't need glasses, but I wanted them. I didn't understand it at the time, but all I knew was that wearing glasses could give you some sort of unannounced power over the non-spectacle wearing bunch at school. It exclaimed intelligence. Status. Power. And that was a lot for an 11 year old to have in primary school. My prepubescent female classmates digged it and they let me know (in innocent, unadulterated ways). 


For all the mysterious allure that a wire frame could add to one's face, I have to admit that looking back, I sure looked like a doofus in primary school. Till my mom got the better of me and replaced my grandfather aviator glasses with a more complimentary classic frame that took me through the rest of high school and part of college, before my discovery of contact lenses.










We're often told that we shouldn't hide our eyes - instead, letting their beauty bask in all their glory is a must in succeeding aesthetically in life. That's true. But I'd say that far from being a bane, wearing the correct spectacles on the correct occasions can in fact, bolster your physical appeal as well as your professionalism, self confidence and credibility. 




I'm currently in the business of IT consulting for legal professionals - where I meet lawyers on a daily basis. Without my glasses, I'm just another 25 year old green chap out of university, trying his level best to get a client to agree with my proposition that software systems can and will revolutionize his practice. 


But with my recent acquisition of a pair of dark rimmed classic frame spectacles, I instantly transform my market positioning into a more mature looking, professional and most importantly, credible 25 year old IT consultant. Clients respond better to me. They nod when I present facts. They treat me with the utmost professional courtesy. Oh what a difference a frame makes. 














What I'm saying is that this world we live in is a shallow one. We dismiss people on first impressions (often within 5-10 seconds of meeting them). We judge based on what they wear, how they speak and how they move. We brush aside those who are disadvantaged by youth and inexperience. 



So as a man, whatever you can do to make yourself look more prominent, more mature, more credible, more professional - do it. Like getting a pair of glasses today. 







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