HEADHUNTER FOR MY HEART
June 2004
Spindel tells me how she does her voodoo.
"It's an instinct – someone will pop into my head,
and I may not even know the reason," she says.
"In fact, I already have someone in mind for you."
I snap to attention like a Jack Russell hearing a can opener.
"But first we need to get you in shape."
Four days later, Elena
Castaneda walked into my life, and apartment.
She's a fit, dark-haired beauty with European features and
the light, crisp smell of a classy woman in her late 30s.
Sadly, this wasn't a date. She's Spindel's image consultant,
and she completed her appraisal in 5 seconds, as a woman can."Your
place is a bachelor cliché," she affirmed.
"A lot of metal and glass, a lot of black and grey, everything
sterile and cold."
She gave me strict prescriptions: Put
carpets on the hardwood floors. Buy softer lighting.
Paint the white walls any soft color – the bedroom a
different color than the hall or living room. Warm up
the place. We headed into the bedroom. Her look of dismay
was familiar. "Invest in bedding," she said, looking
at me as though I could forget anything else she might say
that day. A new silk-cotton comforter, lush blankets,
300-thread count sheets, throw pillows – I needed them
like England needs dentistry.
Still unconvinced she was worth $200 an
hour (her usual fee when working with Spindel), I escorted
her through my closet. After a grueling 60 minutes that
saw the death of many old friends, she gave me 10 specific
dressing points all men should employ. She eyed me for 10
seconds. "Get rid of your glasses or wear softer frames.
Your glasses hide your eyes. Women want to see your
eyes. You'll carry yourself completely differently, and you'll
wear your clothes much better. Have pride in your hairline.
You can tell you're self-conscious about it, and that's much
worse than having a receding hairline – go get a hairstyle
that doesn't hide it."
It had been my previous definition of hell:
having a woman guide me around in a department store, throwing
clothes in a cart, assembling a new prototype of me.
But shopping with Elena Castaneda (newyorkimageconsultant.com)
made me put an asterisk on my opinion. The difference?
Your girlfriend or wife thinks she knows how you’d look
best to her, which can make you look like one of the earth’s
larger jackasses to other people. A well-trained image
consultant, instead, knows how you’d look best, period. Castaneda gave me the
following tips while destroying my wardrobe, and followed
them up on a personal shopperpersonal shopping trip. An upscale department
store or a Google search can point you to image consultants
in your area. Check their backgrounds and references
before hiring one.
DRESS LIKE A BIG BOY
By RON GERACI
June 2004, p166
Dissect Your Best Clothes
You have one blazer you always wear? One pair of jeans you
abuse like hell while others go untouched in your closet? Take your clothes to a fine tailor and ask why you like
those particular pieces of clothing, says Castaneda.
Write down all the characteristics. Armed with this information,
you can buy only from designers who emphasize the exact traits
you need--no who expensive trial and error.
Pick a Name
And stick with it. Every designer--Hugo Boss, Joseph Abboud,
Armani, Zegna--cuts his suits, shirts, and pants a little
differently. Talk to the tailor about what will look best
on you, try them on, and then sign on for life.
Test-Drive Your Closet
You should have two well-tailored, perfectly fitting outfits
for romantic ventures that require looking like you care.
These should be the finest-made, most stylish clothes you
own (i.e., the ones that make you feel most confident). For
backup, have at least four other perfectly fitting outfits
that create different looks--and make you feel just as confident.
build, don't copy
Most men, says Castaneda,
have a closetful of duplicates--11 copies of roughly the same
shirt, trousers, socks, ties, everything. It's a waste. Each
time you eye a piece of clothing, make sure it's high quality
and a significant addition to your wardrobe. Unless both are
true, you should save your money for something that is.
Never be Trendy
Women don't want trendy men. Develop a style that's your own.
Own 3 Tees
Buy fine Egyptian-cotton T-shirts in dark colors, like gray,
navy, and maroon. These eye-catching T-shirts are dressy,
and wearing them under a shirt or jacket will add style to
your look, says Castaneda.
Have a Backbone
These five components form the spine of a well-built wardrobe,
says Castaneda.
- One staple suit. It must fit you with
utter perfection, and it should look better than the suits
you wear to work.
- A navy gabardine three-button jacket.
Wear it all year, with anything.
- Dark khaki pants. Choose classy, all-purpose
pants. Pair them with your navy jacket. (See Sensible Style
this month for ideas.)
- A crisp white shirt. Instant class for
any outfit.
- Three pullovers. Buy them in chambray,
fine wool, or finely woven polyester or rayon.
Consider Going Custom
It costs more to have a fitted shirt. It's worth $100, too.
Women--especially ones who wouldn't normally speak to me--notice.
Shop Aggressively
Go to high-end manufacturers' sample or outlet sales, advises Castaneda. Make strategic strikes and
fill your closet with quality.
The Goddess is in the Details
Women notice subtle expressions of confidence and know-how.
They notice that you don't wear pleated pants, because you
know plain-fronts look better on almost any man and make you
look slimmer. That you wear dress shirts without pockets on
dates, because they're more stylish than your work shirts.
That once in a while you pair a vertically striped shirt with
a horizontally striped tie, just because you can. If you can
manage these subtleties, she reasons, you are a man in command.
That's the marrying kind.
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