Someday I'd like to try that cane thing out just for fun. Someone asked
here a couple days ago about ideas for working with a cane and I gave what I thought were some good ones. I was surprised by all the possibilities when I started thinking about it.
Peacocking's one of the few things I've always done well. I don't go in the outlandish/weird direction with it (though I've met guys who do, and REALLY make it work for them); I've always been known as a really stylish dresser. I do the classy thing...classic style with modern sensibilities, and I wear a lot of bold colors. I have a bright tangerine sweater that looks dynamite on me and always gets compliments, but I'm the only person I know who can get away with wearing orange and not look stupid. I wear a lot of royal blues and a lot of red. My favorite piece of clothing is a really bright blood red tie that alwas gets noticed...when I wear that, everything else I wear is black so the tie really pops out. It always gets noticed. So, I mean, I don't really wear anything really out-of-the-box, but many times I've vibed with girls who've just randomly come up and complimented my style.
I also always wear really nice cologne. One of my
favorite things to do is when I spot a cute girl, I'll just cross the room and walk past her quickly so I create a breeze and leave the cologne in my wake. Sometimes, when I get to the other side of the room and glance over, she's looking after me, wondering if I'm what she smelled. And occasionally something comes from that. I also like standing a little closer to a girl at a bar than normal, or pulling her extra close while dancing--more often than not, it'll get an "Oh my god, you smell good." (I posted some more about cologne recently
here. That's prob always been my single most successful and indispensable item as far as peacocking. I have found that if you smell really good and get close enough, about five outta ten times, the girl will make the first move
for you.
Peacocking, to my understanding, at least, is about more than the clothes, too, though. Posture, your walk, the way you carry yourself...it's all part of the same package. The trick may not necessarily always lie, as I understand it, in one key item, but in assembling a homogenous package where everything works together and really gets you noticed.
I think of myself, visually, as a product. There are a billion other products on the market exactly like me--no matter what they claim, we're more or less interchangeable. I'm almost never gonna be the most unique guy in a room. I know that. So it became about finding a way to separate myself from those other products and stand out, finding a way to make ME stick in people's memories and make ME jump out at people when they're looking at a shelf where I'm standing next to twelve other brands. I could be wrong but generally speaking, personally, I feel that's something that can't be achieved with just one particular shirt or a commanding walk or a funny hat. When someone looks at me, head to toe, everything makes sense with everything else and the whole package works, but it's more that just what I wear. I'm a skinny guy, but I'm bigger than life; I am ALWAYS noticed when I walk into a room, and I'm always remembered after I leave. One glance--I know because I've been told this many times--and people immediately think, "Hm. That guy's got somethin goin on."
Now, I'm not saying anyone needs to copy my particular style, but...try thinking of it in marketing terms. No words spoken, at first sight, what makes YOU different from the other guys on the shelf? What's gonna make a girl look at YOU and be intrigued, be curious, think, "Ooh...I wonder what HE'S like?" She's gotta have a reason to look at ALL those other guys and think, "I wanna try this one" and reach for YOU. Peacocking isn't just getting a girl to look over at you--it's a bold statement about your personality and what you're gonna bring to any given situation, whether it's money, a party, danger, sex, drama, fun, class, power, romance, creativity... It's making that key first impression before you even open your mouth.
I've been known to fuck up with girls many times at various points
after they've noticed me and we started talking, but I like to think I know what I'm talking about re: appearance because I've spent most of my life honing a specific image and while many other things I try have failed, the image has
always worked for me when it comes to getting quick attention (and, often, respect). Always.
Make it a goal to find your image, and work diligently at sharpening it. Who are you? How do you want to be seen? What do you want other people to think when they look at you? What strong message do you want to convey when you strut into a room? A cane or a hat or a shirt can get you a double-take here and there, but I think it's one of those "Give a man a fish" situations. It's about more than just picking an item--it's establishing an
identity.
CHAT
