In this series focused on how teenagers can manage peer pressure, we talked of Style in the previous post. We talk of the second aspect of clothing that is, Grooming here.
To recap our previous post on Clothing with Style, there is a lot you can do by way of mixing and matching and making the Style suit you and not the other way round. You should use Style to the full extent possible. That’s because style is what brings out your inner self and projects the right image of you, not a generic young adult image.
But, when it comes to grooming, there is little leeway. As we had said, it is the foundation of Clothing. Grooming is about being clean and neat while carrying a subtle fragrance about you. Fact of life is that you attract others based on how well you take care of yourself and how attractive you are.
As we had discussed in the first post of this series – Advice on Clothing – know the rules to flout and those to stick to.
Grooming Advice
Flout the rules of grooming at your own peril. If you end up wearing unwashed clothes and the grime on your jeans can be seen at a glance, if the waist band hangs about where your pockets ought to be, if there are gashes in your jeans that reveal a hairy leg, that’s taking things into unattractive terrain to your peers.
When you flout the rules of grooming, you are throwing caution to the wind. It only makes you look as if you are trying too hard and makes you an outcast in all the right circles.
Your image counts. And you create a positive image for yourself by following the guiding principles of grooming, not through lack of grooming. When it comes to grooming, follow it to the final point and you will find yourself an attractive, sought after teen.
Think of pilots of fighter jets or race car drivers. They may move at all the speed in the world and do the riskiest things, but they do it after following some stringent ground rules for their own safety. It’s the same with grooming too.
Set your base grooming rules and follow them to the dot, however tired, lazy you may feel. The essentials of independence are about setting your own ground rules. Don’t flout them simply because you don’t want to go with what your parents’ advice.
The Ten Commandments of Grooming
- Let your clothes fit you well. Let them not be faded unless it’s a pair of carefully faded jeans. Let your shoes not be scuffed, but neat and polished or washed as the case may be.
- Let your clothes be washed and neatly pressed. You may have your favorite jeans and love wearing it every day, but you need to let go of it for a clean pair of jeans. A little planning for the week can make sure that you have your clothes ready, rather than wear the same stuff on consecutive days.
- Grooming is as much about taking care of your wardrobe as about taking care of yourself. In your search for the right attire for the day, don’t pull out all the clothes and leave them in a heap for someone else to pick up or until you actually wear them another day. You don’t want to wear wrinkled clothes.
- Exercise for that toned physique. It gives you good posture too. Definitely have a bath when you are done with the exercise.
- Use a moisturizer for the winter days. Peeled, dry skin is not attractive. On the same note, wash your hair with a good anti-dandruff shampoo at least twice a week to be free of the white flakes. Go easy on the gel. A little is fine. A lot of it definitely looks oily. Use just enough to give shape to your hair.
- Brush your teeth both morning and evening. Shower once or twice a day, depending on the season.
- Use a mild deodorant for the hot climate we have in most parts of the year. But go easy on the fragrance with both the deodorant and cologne. A cologne might feel all grown-up, but its best effect is when it is mild, not overpowering.
- Keep your nails neat and trimmed.
- Trimming the brows isn’t just for women. It goes for boys who find themselves with thick eyebrows or those that join in the middle. Again, for boys, you may or may not have a lot of facial hair, but do shave it regularly and with a fresh, sharp razor. Strands of hair along your chin line aren’t an attractive sight.
- Don’t go for tattoos and piercings. They look like a desperate call for attention.
Your peers won’t have trouble with this list of ground rules. Follow them and you are free to fly with your Style.