A Man for All Seasons *(summer, winter, north and south)

The seasons are changing, and it's time to re-assess your Alpha-style wardrobe.  For those of you in the southern hemisphere it's time to think of scarves and coats and boots.  And for those in the northern hemisphere it's time to think about swimwear, summer shirts, and sunglasses.

The photo above is of an Australian-born entertainer who goes by the name 'Taffs', and he truly is a man for all seasons.  Not only is he an ex-bouncer and a 3rd degree black belt in martial arts, he is a successful comedian who is based in Norway, and works extensively throughout Scandinavia.

And because Taffs often travels between Europe and Australia, he knows the value of having an Alpha-style wardrobe.  In fact everything he wears in his daily life is :

• minimalist (only what he needs to have with him)
• predominantly in dark or solid colours (which indicate strength)
• his coats, shirts and jeans are all fitted (to compliment his physique)
• and his sunglasses have small-frames (to express his focused attitude to life).

That's not only a practical approach, because it's universally appealing where ever he goes... but it's also cost effective.  Unlike fashion trends that come and go, Alpha-styling is timeless... so each piece you buy should last for several seasons... and work across the seasons.

So as the temperature changes, and you start thinking about a few new pieces to invest in, keep in mind that everything from your watch to your shoes should be distinctly masculine.

But I'm not saying that's an easy thing to do... it's not.  Once you get an eye for Alpha-styling, you quickly realise that it's often hard to find anything worthwhile... because most fashion labels just offer a variation of whatever trend has emerged for that particular season.  And unfortunately, for the last few years a lot of men's fashion has become feminised... with excess decoration and unnecessary features like ornamental straps, buttons, and token epaulettes. 

So here's my advice : If there is any doubt about it, then there's no doubt about it, so don't buy it!

It's really that simple!  What you want is something that stands out because it's :

• simple, strong and functional *(distinctly masculine)
• with an obvious quality *(made from high-end materials)
• and an understated elegance *(nothing overly flamboyant).

Photo by Andreas Roksvaag, Norway



Finally, for those of you in the northern hemisphere, here are some popular 'Summer-style' postings that you might like to re-visit before you take on the shops and department stores :

Swimwear  (Wet and Wild) click on the link below : 
http://www.itsaprimalthing.com/2010/10/wet-and-wild-alpha-swim-wear.html 

More on swimwear  (Maximise your Masculinity) :
http://www.itsaprimalthing.com/2011/12/maximise-your-masculinity-more-on-swim.html 

Casual shirts  (avoid Checked Tablecloths and the Striped Pyjama look) :
http://www.itsaprimalthing.com/2010/10/checked-tablecloths-and-striped-pajamas.html

Corporate shirts  (for When Business is Hot) :
http://www.itsaprimalthing.com/2010/11/when-business-is-hot-wear-alpha-style.html 

Sunglasses  (always Alpha-Style) :
http://www.itsaprimalthing.com/2011/12/alpha-style-sunglasses.html 

It's a Primal Thing.

 For more information on 'Taffs', click on the link below :

http://www.andytaffs.com/#/home
Comedy that Rocks

Why an Alpha Personality looks like a Hard Target!

This cover of GQ Magazine (Korea March 2012) gives three examples of Alpha-style dressing.

Each of the actors is wearing clothing that is simple, strong and functional... dark solid colours, pants that make an obvious statement of masculinity, fitted shirts and jackets, and an overall minimalist approach *(no unnecessary decorations or adornments).

Those attributes are also what makes them look like a hard target on the street... men who are aware and confident... who come across as having a strength and a capability.

Because street predators and petty criminals generally don't want the hassle of dealing with someone who's going to be a difficult mark (victim)... they will often go looking for a softer, easier target.

It's a Primal Thing.

For more insight into 'Looking like a Hard Target', click on the link below :

http://www.itsprimalprotection.com/2012/03/primal-disuassion-looking-like-hard.html

Popular Fashion won't make you Popular

The photo above is of actor Zach Braff from the movie 'Garden State', and I think it's a great shot because it epitomizes what happens to most people when they wear popular fashion.  Rather than stand out and look 'trendy', they just fade into the social background.

The recent trends in men's fashion have created something I call 'The Token Male'.  I came up with that title because a lot of features are just token features.  In other words they don't actually do much... it's just a token representation.  Some examples would be :

• token buttons with no corresponding button-holes
• token buckles and straps that aren't actually functional
• token pockets that aren't big enough to be functional pockets
• token collars that aren't big enough to be functional men's collars
• and token epaulettes that aren't big enough to be functional epaulettes.

All of these token features are in fact 'decoration'... and decoration is a feminine trait.  So when a man wears several feminine fashion features together, it's going to weaken his masculine image... which means that other men won't have much respect for him (as a man).

Some women might think that a man looks 'nice' or 'cute' wearing  bright patterned fabrics and token features... but that doesn't mean that they're attracted by the look.

All it means is that you got their attention for a brief moment... but if there's nothing more to hold their attention (something masculine and attractive), then they'll quickly move on to the next pretty picture in the room.

Now I know that there are lots of people out there (men and women) who like to say that they don't care what other people think about how they dress.  But that's often not the whole truth.

We (humans) are hard-wired to have a 'pack' mentality... so at some level we do care what other people think... especially as our day-to-day lives depend on interacting with so many different kinds of people : bus drivers ; co-workers ; sales people, and so on.  We rely on them to accept us!

So if you don't want to play the 'fashion trend' game... or if you don't want to follow the status quo... there is one approach that will not only stand out as being different, it's something that can is respected across all age-groups and cultures.

It's your own personal expression of the primal masculine traits of a warrior-hunter :

• simple... which shows that the man is practical in his approach
• strong... which shows that he's capable of getting the job done
• functional... which shows that he has a purpose for everything he's wearing.

So if he's wearing pants with lots of extra pockets, it's because he needs extra pockets. And if he's wearing a shirt with epaulettes, it's because he needs epaulettes. And if he wearing a hat, it's because he needs a hat... not because everyone else is wearing one.

It's the fundamental honesty of this approach that people unconsciously admire and respect!

As an example, here's another photo of Zach... but this time he's dressed in a very masculine way : simple ; strong ; and functional.  And it's for that reason that he stands out and attracts attention.

 It's a Primal Thing.

  

If you're interested in feeling safer and more confident on the streets

I have started another blog called 'It's Primal Protection.'

It's self protection without the self defence.

To have a look, click on the link below :

http://www.itsprimalprotection.com/

Real Men don't do Cute

The photo above is of English actor Mark Strong... and in my opinion the last word you'd ever use to describe him is 'cute'.  In fact the way he dresses is the epitome of alpha-styling.  At a primal level women are hard-wired to be attracted to his obvious masculinity, and men are hard-wired to respect it.

The foundation of masculine dress is easy to break down, because in one way or another, it expresses the desirable character traits of a warrior-hunter :

• simple... which shows that the man is practical in his approach
• strong... which shows that he's capable of getting the job done
• functional... which shows that he's effective at the things he does.

And that basically translates as dressing like this :  

• avoid clothes with excess decorations or unnecessary features
• wear form-fitting clothes that highlight your masculine features
• and preferably in dark or solid colours.

And yet so many young men these days choose to wear cute little shirts that have cute little collars and cute little pockets and cute little epaulettes... all made from a material that looks like it was a tablecloth in a previous life.

Now I'm sure there are a lot of women out there who think to themseves "Why would a man wear a little boy's shirt like that?'  But I'm also sure that there are other women who would think "Oh, that   shirt looks so cute on him."

And that's where a lot of guys get confused.  They think that looking 'cute' equates to sexual attraction.  It doesn't.  It means you'd look nice as a throw-cushion on her lounge.

So why do so many men wear shirts and pants that have excess decoration and extra straps and buttons that don't actually do anything?

Because it's fashionable, and fashion must be followed.  Why?  Because at an unconscious level there are 3 values that are hard-wired into the human psyche :

• to fit-in and be accepted by the group
• to be different and raise our status in the group
• to be sexually attractive to potential mates within the group.

And that first value is very strong.  In fact it's probably the strongest of the three... because we're pack-animals by nature. 

But there is a dynamic tension going on between the 3 values.  Men (and women) will generally dress the same as the rest of their social group, unless it starts to adversly affect their ability to successfully attract a mate.

At a primal level, this threatens the survival of the species.  And it's then that a growing number of individuals will start to break with the 'norm' and adopt a manner of dress and behaviour that is sexually attractive.

Take the 1980's trend of men dressing and behaving in a sensitive new-age way.  That's what women of the time said they wanted... and so young men became sensitive new-age guys (S.N.A.G's)... basically so that they would be sexually attractive to women. 

But then in the late 90's women decided that they actually wanted a more manly man in their life... someone who could meet the challenges of fulfiling a man's primal role of being a protector-provider. 

So sensitive new-age guys became blokes, and adopted a way of dressing and behaving that was considered to be 'Neanderthal' a decade or so before.  

So fashion trends come and go, as men (and women) dress to :

• fit-in and be accepted
• be different and raise their status 
• and be sexually attractive to potential mates. 

Unfortunately, fashion trends rarely meet the demands of all three primal values... especially in men's fashion. 

But that's ok, because all a man has to do is wear his own personal expression of the masculine traits that people from all cultures admire and respect. 

So in summary :

Real men don't do cute. They do simple, strong and functional.  Nothing else - no pretty in pink - no excess decoration - no unnecessary straps or buttons or bows.

Simple, strong and functional is all that's ever needed.  It says 'This is a Man!'

It's a Primal Thing!

A Man's Primal Role

I recently saw Jerry Seinfeld on tv doing a short comedy sketch about the lengths men will go to in order to get a woman's attention.  I thought his words offered a funny but profound insight into men's lack of appreciation for their primal role.

He started by acknowledging all the things that women go through in order to be attractive to men : the fashion ; the make-up ; the hair ; the nail-polish ; the shaving and the waxing.  But then he suggested that it's actually harder for men. 

Why is it harder?  Because (according to Jerry) most men don't know what to do to be attractive to women... which is why we build bridges, climb mountains, and fly rockets to the moon.  And it's really really hard to do those things.... but we do them to try and impress women.

He finished by saying that when an astronaut comes back from space he'll go up to a beautiful woman, point and ask with great pride "Well, did you see me up there?" 

I laughed when I heard his sketch, but it rang true... many men don't actually know how to make themselves attractive to women.  In fact most men wear overly decorated (feminized) fashion, or they dress like lost little boys.  And somehow they think it's going to make them attractive as a potential mate.

I can only assume by this that they're under the assumption that women think in one of three very strange ways *(imagine a sultry voice):

1. "Oh baby, you look so much like a woman - it makes me so hot."
2. "Oh baby, you look so much like a little boy - I want to take you home."
3. "Oh baby, you're such a nice guy, and you dress so nice - ravish me now."

Need I point out the obvious?..... Maybe I do..... Women do not think like that !

So as strange as it might seem, many of us have forgotten our primal role in life.... which is to be a warrior-hunter, or to use a modern term, a protector-provider.  And it's that primal role that determines how we should look in order to be attractive to women... or prompt respect from other men.

You see, regardless of social trends, at a primal level men are expected to look and act like men... especially when it comes to dealing with life's challenges.  And the more a man exhibits the ability to face those challenges, the more attractive he's going to be to women..... and the more respect he's going to get from men.

So what's a man (a real man) supposed to look like?  Well he should exhibit the character traits that are valued in a protector-provider.... the character traits that have ensured the survival of the species so far. 

In the simplest of terms, he should dress in a way that is :

• simple... which shows he's practical in his approach
• strong... which shows he's capable of getting the job done
• functional... which shows he's effective at the things he does
• with obvious quality... which shows he has high standards
• and understated elegance... which shows he has an eye for detail.

And that basically translates as dressing like this :  

• avoid clothes with excess decorations or unnecessary features *(simple)
• wear form-fitting clothes that highlight your best masculine features
• preferably in dark or solid colours *(strong)
• and only wear what's needed to do the job at hand *(functional).

It's a Primal Thing.

For insight into what to avoid in fashion trends, click on the link below :

http://www.itsaprimalthing.com/2010/11/fashion-trends-and-alpha-personality.html

Dressing Nice is a Non-Event

When I first saw this photo of Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie from the television series Jeeves and Wooster, the expression on Stephen Fry's face (on the left) reminded me of how I feel when I see manly men dressed in 'nice' clothes.  Why?  Because it does nothing to enhance their masculinity or social status.

What are 'nice' clothes?  Well they're clothes that don't express any masculine traits..... clothes that aren't :  

• simple... with no unnecessary decoration or features
• strong... form-fitting, and in dark or striking colours
• functional... only what's needed to do the job at hand.

Without realising it, a lot of men are actually dressing in a way that expresses the feminine trait of decoration.... using hair-styles, colours and designs to stand-out and attract attention. 

Just for interest sake, below is a list of 'nice' clothes that a lot of men wear these days.  But first a warning :  Don't be surprised if you actually wear some of the items on this list.  It wasn't so long ago that I was wearing several of them as well.  And keep in mind that there's nothing really wrong with these items... but there's nothing overtly masculine either :

• polos with wide horizontal stripes
• polos with colourful over-sized logos 
• shirts with excess decoration in odd places 
• shirts with small token pockets and epaulettes
• colourful shirts that look like pyjamas 
• check shirts that look like tablecloths
• cargo pants with excess pockets and straps
• shoes with excess buckles and straps
• sunglasses with big lenses and bling
• t-shirts with designs and logos that aren't really relevant to your life. 

As I've mentioned, the problem with wearing these items is that they make no obvious masculine statement. Consequently, a man who wears 'nice' clothes usually comes across as being ineffectulal... unimpressive... a non-event.

In other words, their appearance doesn't prompt respect from other men, nor any sense of primal attraction from women (wives and girlfriends included).  The photo below gives you an idea of how a woman sees a man dressed in 'nice' clothes.

"So how did this happen? you may ask. "Where did it all go so terribly wrong?" 

Well it's perfectly understandable.  The first person to dress a little boy is usually his mother... and she makes sure that he always looks 'nice.'  She might even give him a kiss and a cuddle for looking so cute... and that reward will stay in his memory. 

Then years later a girlfriend or a wife takes over and starts shopping for her man... buying him things that look 'nice' on him. Maybe it's a shirt with colourful pyjama stripes, or a trendy polo with a bright over-sized logo.

It's perfectly natural for women to like decorative clothes. It's how they enhance their natural beauty and/or sexuality. So it's no surprise that they choose decorative clothes for their man. 

But there's a problem with that approach.  Nice clothes do nothing to stimulate the primal atttraction that's supposed to happen between men and women.  Men are supposed to look like men... they're supposed to know the primal game, and dress accordingly.

So if you want to maximise your masculinity... if you want to prompt greater respect and admiration from people... all you have to do is ensure that what you wear is :

• simple... with no unnecessary decoration or features
• strong... form-fitting, and preferably in dark or striking colours
• and functional... only what's needed to do the job at hand.

And to express the styling of an Alpha personality, ensure that each item has :

• obvious quality... which creates a sense of higher status
• understated elegance... attention to the finer details (see photo below).

It's a Primal Thing.

The Primal Fashion Trend

A new fashion trend has emerged for men in recent times, but no one has really noticed. It's what I call Primal Fashion, because unlike previous trends it allows men to wear clothes that highlight every aspect of their masculinity.... everything from facial hair, to the shoulders, chest and arms, to the crotch and butt.  The photo of actor Colin Farrell (above) is a good example of the look.

There are other polpular trends though : men wearing low 'drop-crotch' pants ; the 'sagging' look, now with support-braces to prevent the inevitable (above) ; and men dressing in overly decorated shirts and pants, which is a feminine trait. 

And there's also the 'lost little boy' look... men wearing oversized t-shirts and extra long baggy-bum shorts. 

On that point of strange fashion trends, I recently read a very interesting book titled 'One Hundred Years of Menswear' by Cally Blackman. And what struck me was that there has always been some strange fashion trends for men. 

They're what I call 'Look at Me" trends... because they are so extreme that people just have to turn and look. The Zoot Suit below is just one example.

Like today, these extreme trends were usually worn by a social sub-group who wanted to rebel against 'establishment'  values.  But in some cases it ended up influencing main-stream fashion.

The photo below of Oxford Baggies is just one example.  What started out as an act of rebellion amongst graduate students at Oxford University, ended up influencing the style of mens trousers over the next three decades.

Another interesting point that I noticed from the photos in the book was that the fashion of almost every era only ever included one or two features that highlight the masculine form.

Take the photo of a young Marlon Brando below. Although his trousers are a fairly loose cut (not highlighting his legs or crotch in any way), his tight t-shirt highlights his masculine chest and arms.

Below is another example. It's a 1940's suit that emphasizes broad manly shoulders... but once again the pants ensure that the legs, crotch and butt are not emphasized in any way. And the look is clean-cut... civilised... tamed. 

But these days you don't have to look 'tamed.'  In fact you can look a little wild.

You can wear a bit of facial hair... as well as clothing that complements every aspect of your masculine form. You can wear shirts that show off your shoulders and chest... and pants and that highlight your crotch, your butt, or your thighs.

Now maybe you're asking yourself why you'd want to bother highlighting all your best masculine features?  After all, you've been doing ok so far.  Or have you?  How do you measure what you haven't got... or what hasn't happened to you yet?

Wouldn't you like to be more respected everywhere you go... or be seen as more attractive? Wouldn't you like to just get better service in shops and restaurants?

No one actually aspires to 'doing ok.'  You settle for 'ok.'  And why?  Because you don't know how to make things better.... or maybe it just seems like hard work.

But it's really not hard at all.  All you need is to have a clear direction. And that direction could be this : to gradually ensure that every item in your wardrobe is distinctly masculine.

In other words, regardless of your career or social group, every item should be :

• simple... with no unnecessary decoration, pockets, buckles or straps
• strong... form-fitting, and preferably in dark colours or patterns
• and functional... wear only what's needed for what you're actually doing.

And to express the styling of an Alpha personality, ensure that each item has :

• obvious quality... which creates higher status amongst the group 
• and an understated elegance... attention to the line and finer detail.

It's a Primal Thing.