MY FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF A GENTLEMAN…

MY FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF A GENTLEMAN…

I am always astounded when I discover that a gentleman is well groomed and goes out of his way to have a pedicure, manicure and regular sessions at a men’s grooming salon or that he retains a regular barber who pampers his face and hair at regular appointments.  Many men are so meticulous they groom themselves and have amazing collections of facial and body scrubs, masks, salves, creams and other elixirs.  It is almost inevitable that these men also have extraordinary collections of colognes and fragrances. 

One of the first things that catch my eye is a well groomed gentleman.  I love when a gentleman walks by and leaves his handsome scent lingering in his wake, it makes me want to follow behind to complement him.  I love to see that a man’s facial hair, if he has any, is neat and clean, that he has  taken time to condition it and oil it, that he has taken special interest in his presentation and is confident, not vain, about his appearance.  A man’s skin and nails are also very important elements of his overall grooming.  I like a man who maintains a healthy, masculine look that has a bold but reserved handsomeness. 

Next I look at what a man is wearing from head to toe.  A gentleman should always be neat and cleanly dressed whenever he steps outside of the door.  A man who is truly handsome does not need any particular brand of clothing to look good in his clothes and to make a statement about his personal style because his apparel suits his personality and it is clear that it is an expression of him rather than he of it.  A gentleman always knows what apparel complements his manhood best.  A gentleman takes time to compose his wardrobe and is confident when he leaves out of the door, he does not make torturous or vain public demonstrations to adjust his clothing, he leaves out handsome and composed and remains confident whilst he is out and about.  I never judge a man by his clothing; I always try to look beyond his clothes to see his personality.  I have always had a great deal of disdain for men who deliberately understate themselves, going out of their way to appear bucolic, unsophisticated, ghetto, or poor as a vanity to deceive others, as a means to invoke a prejudiced reaction.  Such men are excited by tricking the eye so they can, in their minds eye, proclaim their affluence as a rebuttal, this vain, immature and ungentlemanly show of conceit is never sexy or manly.  A gentleman is proud of what he is and makes no show of it nor deceives others with the intent of “amazing” them to serve the benefit of his own vainglorious aggrandizement. 

The final touch of a gentleman’s grooming is his personality.  A man’s personality adds the final dimension of handsomeness and manliness to his overall presentation.   Character, charm, charisma, confidence, congeniality, manners, etc., are not commodities that can be obtained in a men’s grooming salon nor in fact can they be purchased at all, they have to be learned and practised until they become an integral part of a gentleman’s personality.  As all things are, a gentleman’s personality is something that must be groomed and built up over time.  

Written By D. Vollin