“First impression is a lasting impression and in today’s world where distractions are everywhere and every single object of desire is fighting for the real estate of your mind, it is very hard if not impossible to create a lasting first impression on anyone, yet some of the battle tested classics are so alluring that they still do the job. For a man to be perceived a gentleman, it’s no longer about family name, table manners or eloquent demeanour, people judge you even before they know you, the first level of judgement is passed when they see you from afar much before you are even allowed to interact an impression and image is formulated in the minds of people and they then judge you on basis of that bias and hence it is very important to not let someone create an image in their mind that would hurt your reputation.”
If you are one of those alpha high octane men in a high performance demanding formal jobs, where your image is as important as the gold standard and money is no bar, then you are in the right place, without further ado, let’s commence the journey to carve out a diamond from the rough, there are primarily 5 categories of accessories that one needs to carry with him in order to qualify into a gentleman’s club:
Metal
- Watches and watch boxes
- Fountain Pens & Inks, pen holder
- Signet rings
- Luxury Cars
- Lapel pins, tie pins and cufflinks
- Turntable (vinyl records)/ gramophones
Leather
- Whole cut oxford shoes, belts
- Wallets, card holders, leather briefcases
- Luggage trolley vintage
Fabric
- Single/ Double breasted suits
- Signature design ties (paisley), pocket squares
- Monogrammed french cuff shirts
- Umbrella, overcoat, trench coat, cardigan, sweater
Paper
- Letter Writing, notebook & Monogrammed stationeries
- Wax seals/Family crests
- Art (oil paintings)
- Portfolio, diary, organiser
Glass & Liquid
- Vintage liquor/ Cigars
- Signature perfumes
- Sunglasses
# Metal:-
- Watches:-
Watches are the single most expensive item of acceptable jewellery that a gentleman is allowed to flaunt in public, “some watches tell time to a man and some watches tell time of a man”, the following are two types of luxury watches fall in the later category:
A. Leather strap Tourbillon luxury watches (Ex: Patek Philippe Sky Moon)
B. Metal Strap Chronograph Dive watch (Ex: Rolex Platinum Daytona 116506 IB)
- Fountain pens, Inks and leather pen case:-
Every gentleman should own a luxury fountain pen, not only it lends to the grace in the quality of handwriting but elevates the entire experience, the top world leaders and prominent personalities have signed off on historical deals using the following luxury fountain pen.
A. Fountain Pen (Ex: Mont Blanc Meisterstuck 149 – Diplomat).
B. Fountain Pen Ink (Iroshizuku Ink)
C. Fountain Pen leather case (Mont Blanc leather case)
- Signet Ring:-
In medieval times the signet ring was used as a seal for wax. The ring itself had markings on it that identified the specific person or the family of the person wearing it.
- Luxury cars:-
Right from the Roman chariots to the modern high end luxury classics to the trailblazing sports cars that break the sound barrier, men have always gravitated towards the shiny curvy monstrous mechanical beasts (Ex: Bentley Continental GT, Rolls Royce Phantom and Lamborghini Veneno)
- Lapel pins, tie pins and cufflinks:-
Lapel pins, Tie pins and cufflinks are ways to accessorise and embellish the elegant attires that you choose to ornate yourself with, a cufflink would add to the beauty of a crisp white french cuff shirt, a tie pin would not only hold your paisley designer tie in place thereby inhibiting it from whiplashing in your face but also add to it’s grace, a lapel pin would elevate your class and also show off your lineage.
- Turntable (vinyl records)/ gramophones:-
A good taste in music is a measure of class in a gentleman, and what better there is to listen to old classics in its pure analogue format in form of vinyl records on a turntable.
# Leather:-
- Shoes & Belts:-
A. A piece of art produced from the craftsmanship of seasoned shoe makers and from the whole cut of unblemished leather hide of the highest order, this match produces an oxford shoe of the finest quality.
B. Beautiful belt made of finest quality leather and fitted with an elegant monogrammed luxury buckle which makes the wearer proud of being part of the rich history that the brand carries with it.
- Wallets, card holders, leather briefcases:-
A. More often than not, men fill their wallets with so much trash that it bulges up and is about to burst at its seams, ideally a gentleman should carry few things in his wallet, few money bills, credit cards, ID proof and the best item for the job would be a sleek money clip (Ex: Louis Vuitton Money clip)
B. A high quality leather card holder would not only elevate your class instantly but also help creating a very strong and lasting impression on the people you are meeting for the first time and exchanging your business card with. (Ex: Hermes card holder)
- Luggage trolley vintage:-
A well made hand stitched leather trolley bag with elegant ornate design is something that would ramp up your class at the airport.
# Fabric:-
- Single/Double breasted two/three piece suits:-
A well tailored suits is like an armour that you wear in the battlefield of the board room, suits come in various colours, shapes and sizes, most common formal colours are Black, Grey and Blue, two types of suits are Single breasted and double breasted and quality wise nothing beats a tailor made bespoken suit.
- Signature design ties (paisley), pocket squares:-
A signature style of tie would add to a gentleman’s charm and it accentuates the otherwise muted apparels that a man usually wears, a tie is complimented by a matching/contrasting pocket square would add to the aura.
- Monogrammed white french cuff shirts:-
A crisp bright cotton white french cuffed shirt with black buttons is the pinnacle of human tailoring achievement, the only way it could be made any better would be to embroider it with the gentleman’s name/initials or monogram.
- Umbrella, overcoat, trench coat, cardigan, sweater:-
As we go further, we are left with the apparels and accessories that may not be used very often by a gentleman but when they do it differentiates them from the crowd, as they say, “It’s better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it”.
Burberry trench coat
Cashmere cardigan
British style umbrella
Classic sweater with tie
# Paper:-
- Notebooks, Monogrammed stationeries and Letters:-
A piece of history in writing stays with us, old aristocratic families had family crests and coat of arms, their stationeries that they used to write letters held the brand of the family name which announced to the reader even before opening the letter that what importance it held within, a gentleman has to have a similar approach to life and create a persona that goes along with his reputation.
- Wax seals/Family crests/Coat of arms:-
Historically, a prominent family always had a coat of arms associated with it, it not only depicted what the family basic principles were but also branded everything that the family owned.
A wax seal was not just a way to enclose the letter to ensure the privacy of the content but also to authenticate the veracity of the content.
- Art (Oil Paintings):-
Art has always worth more than its weight in gold and over time as the art grows older it’s value appreciates.
- Leather portfolio, diary, organiser:-
A well made leather portfolio containing documents makes an incredible impression on the clients/ business associates, invest in it.
# Glass & Liquid:-
- Vintage liquor & Cigars:-
A company of old whisky and younger women is all one can ask for when growing old, a hand rolled cigar adds to the entire experience.
- Signature perfume:-
A man is identified by his signature perfume so choose carefully, it could be the only thing you would leave on a woman apart from an indelible mark after you are gone.
- Sunglasses:-
Nothing makes you cooler and hip than a premium sunglass.
# Conclusion:-
In conclusion, a gentleman’s persona is a collection of wise choices that he makes over time, right from the decision of what he decides to put on his skin or what he decides where his skin would go into. Choose wisely! Do give a wave when we see each other in the gentlemen’s club.
