Navy blue, the new Black?

When I was young, I thought black was the ultimate colour for a suit. Of course the ultimate colour of a suit depends entirely on the person being asked. Their preference, their style, their individuality amongst a vast number of other possible reasons, however this post is not about the ultimate colour of a suit.

I really can’t remember the last time I saw someone wearing a black suit. A while ago grey was the new black, but it seems navy blue has taken over. And why not? I personally don’t know what it is specifically, but there’s something about a navy blue suit that makes the wearer look distinguished, sophisticated and exudes class. Even Le Ross, Esquire’s best dressed real man in Britain 2010, had three bespoke suits made recently, setting him back between £800 to £3,500 for each, all in shades of navy. He talked about it on his blog, and the first line he wrote is ‘At what point do you suddenly become aware that you’ve “made it’’?’

I am still of the opinion that every man should have at least one well fitting classic cut black suit in his closet, but if you want a suit that could possibly get you an upgrade from business to first class on an aeroplane, I think you should at least give a navy blue suit some strong consideration.

 

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Getting a Signature Fragrance.

As far back as I can remember, my dad has had three signature fragrances; Old Spice, Polo Green, and Aramis. They all have strong scents in common, and they last.

Like my dad, you should know what you want in a signature fragrance as people will come to associate you with it.

Finding the perfect fragrance  isn’t a walk in the park however, as its not just about picking a nice smelling perfume. A perfume could smell really good in the bottle and even when sprayed in the air, but smell quite differently when sprayed on your skin.

So here are a few tips on choosing a perfume that will be your signature fragrance.

Know your preferred scent. There are about four categories of perfume scents: FRESH (citrus, marine, green grass/leaves), Floral (rose, gardenia, jasmine) WOODY (woods and moss), and ORIENTAL (spices, vanilla, patchouli). So if you do not like floral scents, you will not want to wear a gardenia perfume.

Utilise your sense of smell. Go to a perfume counter and ask the sales associate to try some of the perfumes. Try as many as four perfumes, spraying a different one on each wrist, and inner elbow. Don’t make a decision just yet, leave the store and walk around for a good 30 minutes or so to give time for the scents to mix with your body chemistry. Write down the names of the fragrances on each corresponding inner elbow and wrist so you don’t forget what scent is where. Avoid spraying your neck and behind your ears, as you will not be able to accurately judge the scents there.

Ask for opinions. When walking around ask for opinions. A fragrance only you approves of won’t do much good. The look of disgust on people you stand next to on the way to work can easily put a dent in your confidence.

Also, hunt around for the best price. You’ll probably find that department stores have the highest prices. With that in mind you can save money by purchasing your fragrance through an outlet mall. Usually anything purchased at an outlet mall is a little bit cheaper. So it might make the fragrance you are seeking for, a little more affordable.

Finding a signature fragrance could take a while, but its definitely worth the journey.

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