Choosing a Pipe to Suit Your Face?

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olkofri

Lifer
Sep 9, 2017
8,033
14,644
The Arm of Orion
It is definitely a modern trend for men not to care about fashion choices. However, uncaring men rarely go about in loincloths. In fact, they are letting their subconscious dictate fashion choices, and mens subconsciouses tend to pick something that everyone else is wearing.

To the extent we get people who really don’t care what others think, we get people picking their toes on airplanes. I am not convinced that this is civilizational advancement. There was something to be said for social pressure to care what others think, and to put one‘s best foot forward in public.

That said, I am tall, thin, middle aged, and my subconscious often wants to dress me like a forgetful professor emeritus. It also wants me to smoke traditional English pipe shapes, with little flair or adornment aside from silver bands.

It wasn't until a few years ago, (2016), when I took an image consulting certification course, that I learned that this is an extremely valid consideration IF you care about your image, and personal branding.

One example that is similar to the pipe consideration is an entire study on the style of eyeglasses one might wear, and how it makes them look in relation to the shape of their face.

It also depends on what you're going for. Do you want to look smart / scholarly, rugged / macho? ... fill in the blank.

Pro tip: Wearing black makes you look thinner. (Lori says everybody already knows this, and it isn't a pro tip.)
Indeedy!

"There was something to be said for social pressure to care what others think, and to put one‘s best foot forward in public," reminds me of the pains my father took to teach me as much proper personal grooming as he could. It was very important that I looked presentable, and paramount on Sundays when going to church. As I grew up, of course, I started doing my own thing, much to his chagrin. For many years I wore jeans and casual shirts to church. It took a pipe to set me straight. Ironic, since he hates smoking. An online article about pipe smoking (Pipe Smoking 101) had a link at the bottom to another one: Dressing like a Man for Mass; needless to say, I've been wearing a suit to church ever since (and carrying a nice looking briar to enjoy after Mass—Sundays are cob-less days!)

During my teens and rebelious days, I had another eye-opening situation: a teacher lectured me because my clinical analysis lab log looked like crap. "This tells me A LOT about what kind of person you are," he said and those are the words that I recall essentially verbatim from the whole conversation. He was darn right.

Hence, I tried to inculcate similar values to my students during my own two stints as a lab instructor. I remarked that specially nowadays, in the age of fake peaceful coexistence, the era of 'ooo, nobody has the right to tell me what to doooo...', looking good has not lost its importance. All the contrary, in a time when people are afraid to say what they think lest they be called sexist, racist, [whatever]-ist, or be taken to court, looking good is even MORE important, because we no longer have the societal feedback; but just because people aren't saying to someone 'you suck', doesn't mean the don't think it—and we tend to act based on what we think or believe to be true, not on what we vocally express.

I didn't, at least consciously, deduct marks from assignments that were turned in looking like crap, but I did make it a point to give extra marks to those that were typed, well organised, and cleanly looking.
 

Casual

Lifer
Oct 3, 2019
2,577
9,420
NL, CA
[J]ust because people aren't saying to someone 'you suck', doesn't mean they don't think it […]

I often hear people rail against thinking that looks count for something. Mostly I think it’s laziness.

These people generally wouldn’t buy a hot dog off the street from a guy in a stained wifebeater and ripped sweat pants, but want the freedom from judgment that they won’t extend to others.
 

hauntedmyst

Lifer
Feb 1, 2010
4,006
20,750
Chicago
Nothing could make me not look handsome.
View attachment 10495

Not true! You are a good looking fella but at our age, ear and nose hair will wreck that. You seem to have managed that particular hygiene hurtle.

Seriously, have you noticed some of our 50+ contemporaries haven't discovered this essential need in personal grooming? It boggles my mind. You are standing there talking to someone and they could actually be unravelling this mysteries of the universe but all you can think of is "Sweet Moses! Doesn't this guy realize he has a shop broom growing out of both nostrils?!?!? No one wants to see that. And can he even hear me? There are tumbleweeds growing out of his ears." Makes me want to grab a weed whacker out of the shed and jam it up his schnoz and turn it on.
 

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,250
108,355
Nope. I'm Roman Catholic.
It was actually Casual who said it. I was quoting. Sorry I didn't use Chicago Style. :ROFLMAO:
I was just replying in general. I dress nicely I suppose to the point of socks matching the tshirt and shoes matching the belt. All creases where they should be and military pressed, but clothing selection has always reflected my personal taste and not current trends or what I see around me.
 

olkofri

Lifer
Sep 9, 2017
8,033
14,644
The Arm of Orion
I dress nicely I suppose to the point of socks matching the tshirt and shoes matching the belt. All creases where they should be and military pressed, but clothing selection has always reflected my personal taste and not current trends or what I see around me.
Same here. And that's pretty much what I had in mind when I posted about taking care in looking good without being foppish. I couldn't care less for fashions. I want to have my own 'style' without being a trend-setter. This is also why I ponder about which pipe shape should be my 'signature pipe', the one I'd stick in my mouth when it's time for the 'official' photo.

I don't always wear a suit. Plenty of times I still wear jeans and casual shirts, as you can see below, but they must be properly tucked in, even ironed. As for my personal taste/signature wear, heck who wears these hats ? anymore?

10510
 
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