As you probably already know, being good at getting laid requires a cocktail of skills. You can’t just memorize a bunch of one-liners and expect to see meaningful results. You can’t lean hard on your inner game alone, not approach, and wait for girls to line up outside your apartment. And, of course, a pile of phone numbers is useless without some good text game. The reality is that you need to work on several areas at once, advancing each when you sense that one is falling behind or keeping you from getting to that next level.
An often-neglected part of that is optimizing your look. A lot of guys with serviceable game, as well as the killer instinct to deploy it, hold themselves back by not looking their best. One great thing about being a man is that looking good isn’t nearly as complicated as it is for girls. A basic understanding of fashion, your own physique, and your physical shortcomings can take you a long way. Even if you have average looks, an optimized look can make a world of difference. What’s more, because game is a feedback loop, looking good improves your overall confidence; the consequent swagger encourages more approaches; and more approaches improve your game.
Nice, stylish clothes that suit you are worth their weight in gold, but even if your whole closet is from Target, there are still things you can spend your money on to make yourself look better.
Good Face Wash and Lotion: $15-20
I’m surprised at the number of guys who walk around with dry-looking or greasy faces. Sure, you’re a man, but you’re not homeless. A healthy looking complexion can do a lot for making the panties wet—especially when a girl gets close enough to examine it or feel it. Every guy is different: maybe you sport a rugged, bearded face, or you may have a (relatively hairless) baby-face. But, whatever the case, you should at least wash and moisturize your face properly. Harsh soaps and bad shaves are often behind a lot of nasty skin problems. Go to your local “natural” beauty supply place—they all have men’s sections nowadays—or even your local drugstore, and buy a gentle cleanser and face moisturizer for your mug.
Whitening Toothpaste: $5
I’m not sure if this is a product of the Starbucks milkshake epidemic, but it seems like more and more people are walking around with brown or discolored teeth these days. I even see cute, young girls with rainbowed teeth. This is shocking, considering the number of teeth whitening products out there. I don’t recommend you go out a blast your teeth to glow-in-the-dark white with harsh bleaching agents, but it wouldn’t hurt to use a mildly whitening, national-brand toothpaste periodically. After drinking coffee or tea, rinse your mouth by swishing some clean water in your mouth. It makes a big difference. Just leave a little coffee in a white mug for few hours to see what coffee does to your teeth.
A Decent Haircut: $25-30
Nothing screams lame louder than a shitty, little-kid haircut. Still, the number of guys walking around with an unstylish cut is astounding. You don’t need to go out and spend a king’s ransom on a designer style, but look for one of these hipster barbershops that are popping up everywhere. They’re not dirt-cheap, but are still reasonably priced. Sit back and watch which of the stylists is giving a cool cut to a man and choose that person. Don’t be afraid to ask your stylist what a good cut for you would be.
Hemming Your Jeans: $12-15
Whether your jeans are a crappy, squarish pair from Wal-Mart or an expensive pair you paid good money for, none of that matters if they’re dragging on the ground or are bagging up at the bottom because they’re too long for you. Decent tailors are a dying breed, but they still exist in nearly every major city. Bring your best stuff to a real tailor (not the dry cleaners) and get them altered. You can also have jackets or shirts fixed. The right fit goes a long way.
A Good Workout Book: $15-25
At the end of the day, nothing is going to make you look and feel better than being in good physical shape. The problem is that most guys know very little about exercising properly. If you’ve been to a gym more than once, you know exactly what I mean—you’ll see guys do the craziest things, like swinging a dumbbell over their heads like a lasso. If you’re straight-up overweight, you need to start with improving your diet. But, if you’re merely out of shape, weak-looking, or suffering from serious muscle imbalance, you need a good exercise program. I like Starting Strength, but look around for one that is well-rated online and suits your lifestyle and, most importantly, follow it.
Optimizing your look is an on-going process that you should be revisiting regularly. But these basic steps are a good place to start.
