Male Attire: A Tip for Chinese (and other Similarly Light-skinned Men with Black Hair) on How to Look Sharp

This post is especially directed at people of Chinese origin, and for two reasons:

(i) they now constitute a significant % of this blog’s readership.

(ii) As I learned recently from the BBC, Chinese men preponderantly dye their hair black regardless of age. According to that news report, the dyeing of hair in China is close to being mandatory, with the government picking up the cost of hair color etc. for Party officials.

Recall my previous posts on attire, especially those of November 27, 2011, and November 28, 2012), in which I’ve written about the “principle of matching contrasts,” according to which men and women look their best when the contrast of their clothes matches the level of contrast of their face. Thus, in the case of Chinese men, who invariably have a high contrast face thanks to their very light complexion and lots of black hair, the wearing of high contrast clothes will sharply enhance their appearance and heighten the glow from their face. [Example of high contrast attire: a dark jacket, white shirt, and a bright tie that is strikingly different in color to both the jacket and shirt.]

A low to medium contrast attire, on the other hand, will diminish their visage and subdues the glow from their face. Yet, from recent news footage on PBS and elsewhere, I find even highly educated and well dressed Chinese, Korean, and other fair skinned East/ SE Asian men donning clothes whose contrast is drab, cheerless, and unimaginative.

My point is best illustrated by the two video clips. In the first one, you see a North Korean news announcer who has a very high contrast face, as do most Chinese men. But his attire? A bit too subdued because of the tie being of hues similar to those of his jacket. A bright tie, contrasting strongly with both the jacket and shirt, would have been far more flattering.

Same story for the second clip. With barely a couple of exceptions (and on of those exceptions is, yes, China’s newly elected leader!) all of the men are wearing clothes that are dull, timid, and insipid.  In short, the attire of these other dignitaries does not do justice to their high contrast faces.

Within a few weeks, I hope to post a video clip showing a Chinese man with an attire that is exemplary, i.e., that has an appropriately high-contrast.

© Copyright 2013  V. J. Singal

The Tense “Fiscal Cliff” Negotiations last December-end: “Congress Could Teach Shakespeare Something About…"

Remember all that nationwide anxiety, consternation, and indignation during the last few days of 2012, when Congressional leaders and the White House were locked in protracted talks to avoid the much-feared Dec. 31 “fiscal cliff,” and an agreement was reached only in the wee hours of January 1?

Well, while watching something on PBS earlier today, I learned that because that Dec. 31 deal was only partial, a couple more financial deadlines are just around the corner. So, you can bet that given the internecine feuding within the Republican Party, there will be a repeat of last year’s posturing and attendant cliffhangers, once again enervating and taxing the patience of all the stakeholders--American business, the nation as a whole, and the international financial community at large.

Thinking about all the drama that is about to unfold for news junkies like me, I was reminded of a humorous comment made by S&P Capital IQ’s Chief Equity Strategist Sam Stovall during the Dec. 31, 2012, edition of PBS’s “NBR.” Voicing the public’s acute frustration at there not having been a decision as late as 5 p.m. that day, Stovall remarked: “It certainly confirms what I’ve always thought—that Congress could teach Shakespeare something about drama.”

© Copyright 2013  V. J. Singal

Upcoming Seminar that is Open to the Public and FREE!

I will present “Some Simple Verbal and Nonverbal Skills for Creating a Highly Favorable First Impression” -- perhaps one of the two most popular topics in my repertoire --  at the Epiphany Church in Katy this coming Monday (July 1) evening.  Call me at 281-463-2500 if interested. Copies of “The Articulate Professional – 3^rd Edition” will be available at a deep discount.