The Reason I Hate Navy

Ugh. Navy. I’ve always hated the color navy. When I ask people what their favorite color is and they respond, “Blue,” it drives me insane. Blue is the most popular color in current culture, thus, the least creative color. Popularity and creativity, typically, do not go hand in hand. Once something creative becomes popular, it loses its twinkle. So when you tell me that your favorite color is the dullest version of blue, it does not impress me. I suggest choosing a color that will excite the eye, turn heads, and make you feel seen. Unless you are using navy as a way to pair a vibrant color (like the pairing of red/orange and white), I see it as an opportunity missed.

So why am I talking about colors? What does this have to do with hustling? And what is my point?

When going out to hustle and establish your social capital, you have two jobs.

Meet a multitude of people
Learn how to impress them
Making your appearance count, is just one of the tools you can use to accomplish these tasks. You don’t have to use this technique, but it helps.

A couple weekends ago, I took several Praxians out to the bars on 6th. Most of them were between the ages of 26-21, but James was not. James is 20 years old and looks like he just graduated high school. I’m not insulting him. It’s a great attribute to have, and only sucks when your age gets in the way of what you are trying to accomplish. I am also 20 years old, but I look five years older.

Regardless, my work was cut out for me. Dressed in a red Praxis T-shirt, dark jeans, sneakers, and a backpack, there was no way the bouncers would let James in if he walked in there without me to bribe them.

My best friend passed down some knowledge to me that I found vain but soon discovered to be valuable information.

“It is better to be overdressed, than underdressed.”

In James’s situation, he was trying to pass off as someone older. He needed to fake it to make it. Here is the truth. When you wear nicer clothes, you earn more respect. When you earn more respect, you have a lot more opportunity to grow your social capital and get into places you wouldn’t have been able to get into before.

To be honest, this fact bums me out. I’ve never been a fan of following social norms. But, this is not a post about changing social norms. This is a post about manipulating them.

Speaking of social norms, my mother and I were discussing the material of this post. She challenged my claim.

“Well not everyone is 6ft, blonde, and thin. You get to walk in anywhere.”

Here’s how I replied.

“Well Mama, here’s the thing. That’s one of my strongest cards. I can use that to my advantage. I have the opportunity to dress in a way that is appealing to the people I’m trying to impress. But if I wanted to, I could dress in a T-shirt and sweatpants and not deserve the same respect as what I demand when I dress nicely.”

Therefore, here are some tips to help make your appearance flourish.

Ladies:

Here is my ultimate advice: Dress to impress the gay man at the back of the bar. You want to wear statement clothing that is flattering to the eye, but not trashy. Try to dress towards your body type. If you are a walking clothes hanger, fine. Wear lean, tall clothes. If you have more meat, fine. Wear clothes that compliment your beautiful large hips. Or your impressive rack. Do not try to dress in a way that is not flattering to your body type. For instance, wearing a cropped shirt when it's not appropriate. Or wearing a dress that makes your body look like a box when you can wear one that accents your waistline. Always aim for elegant but natural. To be honest, the best way to compliment your boobs is to wear nice high neck clothing. Not making them pop out of a tank top. You want to accent your best assets. Being incognito is the best way to dress your body.

Gentleman:

Go out and get a pair of nice shoes. Preferably tan, as well as a black pair. A good friend of mine told me, how he could tell another man’s status based on the quality of his shoes. As for clothes, you can never go wrong with black. It always looks classy. Dress shirts are an absolute must. Even if you are trying to be casual, my favorite look on a guy is a white button down rolled up on the sleeves, dark blue cuffed jeans, and flip flops. Do not wear a backpack, do not wear a graphic T-shirt. And do not wear navy blue, it seeps passivity and unoriginality.