Wellcultured - Well Cultured is a men’s online magazine with advice and reviews on fashion, dating, finances, health, music, movies and many other topics, as well as a robust message board and the Well Cultured Guide, a freely editable community wiki.

2009 is going to be a different year. For most of us in the West, the economy has gone to hell in a handbasket- leaving many of us without jobs or fighting for those we have. Socially, the world is changing- especially in the US, where the entire government has been handed over to the opposite party and subcultures are growing and growing. This year, seemingly moreso than 2009, is going to be a year about recovery and optimization- making ourselves more better than we were before to weather any kind of economic or social situation.

Frankly, there is very little room for error in the West anymore. Where a few years ago one may be able to survive (to some degree) without a job and with a lot of room for error schooling-wise, we are no longer going to have such freedom. Many college graduates are very quickly learning that there simply aren’t that many jobs anymore- and many budding entrepreneurs are learning there isn’t the money to hire anyone anyway.

In a world like this, the strongest and the most savvy will survive- and when it comes to this sort of competition, being a well cultured individual will save you every time. Knowing how to look professional, dress well, handle yourself in a pleasant way and how to excel at your job is crucial- and here are ten new years resolutions you should follow to do just that.

10- Clean your life “history” now.

Few people really realize how much information can be found out via the Internet, especially by employers. Personally, a variety of information can be found out about me- from my school to even some of my political affiliations, people I’ve worked for, old friends, and embarrassing overweight pictures of myself. The worst thing is, a savvy individual can find some horrible stuff on me- namely, some posts about me from an old stalker, and an accusation of me being a mentally deranged homosexual. These constitute what I call a life “history” online- and just like your internet browser history, they can be fairly normal or very embarrassing, depending on what you do and how much you make public.

If you can, “optimize” your history. Get rid of old forum accounts. Delete old blogs. Remove (or untag yourself from) old photos on Facebook. Make sure no-one is talking about you, if you can help it. There’s nothing wrong with having accounts on websites, just realize that if they connect with your real name, they can harm you- which is why people often joke your name on the internet is a “Power Word”.

Worst case scenario, there are “cleanup” companies that specialize in fixing issues like unsatisfactory posts and the like. Employ them if you must.

9- Build connections everywhere.

Connections are how most people become rich, not by pure savvy. Sure, having intelligence is important- but knowing the right people who can help you (and who you can help in return) is incredibly important.

One of the easiest ways you can build a connection is to make yourself an address book- be it online, written out, or even on your cell phone. Websites like Linkedin and Facebook help, but not everyone in the world is on there- find a somewhat neutral way of cateloging who you know, from where, and their contact info. Store business cards, if you have to.

Remember, though, you have to reciprocate the help you get. Be willing to help out friends- use your skills for their benefit. Really good business connections are made on mutual need, not necessarily on your ability to exploit the other person into getting you what you need.

8- Date more.

I’m very serious. This will help you.

Dating is marketing yourself, no matter what others may say- just, instead of asking the other person to hire you and give you money, you are asking the other person to like you. Dating lets you refine the skill of marketing yourself- both in the sense of getting to know others conversationally (understanding how to be social with near-strangers), but also understanding yourself a bit better- and how to explain yourself to others. You’ll also find yourself less nervous about interviews and other kinds of meetings- if you know how to woo women correctly, you shouldn’t be too worried about being causally friends with men.

As well, the bonus is you could always find an awesome girl- there’s nothing wrong with finding a girlfriend for 2009.

7- Optimize your computer to get things done.

This is the fun geeky part of the resolutions.

Optimize your computer for work. Sure, we all absolutely love to optimize our computers for play- cleaning up our harddrives and buying new parts for faster gaming- but there’s also a benefit to optimization to get things done.

First off, provide yourself simplified ways to manage your e-mail and calendar. Google provides a lot of these tools for free and in high quality- both Gmail and Google Calendar are excellent tools for management. Google Calendar, my personal favorite, allows you to not only make your own calendar, but share them with other users- synchronizing youself with everything from school schedules to football games.

As well, organize and back up your work. For both schoolwork and literal work, make an organization system that will allow you to store  your files safely and in a way where you will know where they are. I personally find that my best method is to have a separate hard drive in my PC devoted entirely to bulk storage- allowing me to reformat and play around on my main hard drive without worrying about where my other files are. This also often saves my rear when I destroy Windows in some way or other.

Oh yes, and if you do decide to optimize your computer, as one geek to another, keep or rollback to Windows XP if at all humanly possible. Despite recent advertisements, Vista is not a productivity system whatsoever. Worst case scenario, if you cannot find XP drivers for your system, consider some flavor of Linux.

6- Go to school- or get certificates for what you already know.

Unless you have already gone, if you are not currently in a form of College/University, you need to apply pronto. As I have often mentioned, High School educations simply do not cut it anymore for jobs- you need to specialize and be smarter. Some people can certainly find jobs after highschool because of their skill- but for the average joe, that sort of luck rarely comes. Get a degree in something- and study your ass off for a good GPA. There are many companies now that do not even briefly consider potential hires unless they have the minimum of a Bachelor’s degree.

Some people are surprised at the ridiculous amounts of accrediation you can get for very little work. Many certifications- computer certifications such as the A+ Certification, various personal trainer certifications, and other similar certificates can be had for relatively cheap. These boost a resume for virtually any job, and always provide an extremely good way to make extra cash on the side.

5- Make more money- put your skills to work.

As I mentioned above, easy skills can be a great cash crop. Personally, I have found that basic tech support and design work provide me a steady stream of extra money for clothes, dates, and other kinds of frivolities- as well as a great way to augment rent if I need to.

Your “skill” doesn’t even have to be something incredibly complex- there are many party planning companies and restaurants that sometimes need extra hosts. If you have the looks for it (or the lack of self-respect to do horrible fetish photography), modeling is a very reasonable way to make cash.

What I will say, though, is to be careful. From the work I’ve done, as well as hearing stories from friends, there are many scams that exist for temps- not paying the right amount, expecting more than they listed, and that sort of thing. Always have something in writing- even an e-mail or two confirming the job and the pay- to back yourself up.

4- Eat healthier- no more junk food, period.

There have been countless articles posted online and published in newspapers/magazines about junk food and it’s bad effects, yet it still is purchased by the proverbial truckload by the average family. This is ridiculous. While sweets and chips are fine in moderation, you may not really realize how many calories, grams of fat and grams of sugar you are ingesting every day from a casual snack- and how much effect it has on your system.

Eating poorly makes you sluggish, irritable, sleepy (but often makes it harder to actually fall asleep), sexually weak, and it can give you horrible skin. Worst of all, it makes you fat. Why eat it?

Eat junk food in moderation. There’s nothing wrong with having a bag of chips or a soda every now and then- just don’t go overboard. If you eat a lot of junk food (say, during a Christmas party), exercise it off- don’t consider it a lost cause. Sometimes, the best way to ensure you don’t eat it is to simply not buy it- and, in the long run, it will save you money, too.

3- Dress better- buy clothes that are eternally stylish.

Of course, this being a fashion website, we always love talking about new fashions and how to wear them- it’s our “thing”. The problem is, with the economy going to hell, it’s hard to buy good fashions that are actually affordable.

The answer to this is twofold. First off, go for sales. With the economy as bad as it is, many clotheirs are cutting back their prices and holding sales like crazy- take advantage of them. I’ve seen $300 jackets go for $50 this Christmas- a bad thing for retailers but a good thing for you.

The second part of the answer is that you should buy long-lasting, not transient, fashions. Well-made suits, leather shoes, high quality jeans, and nice coats are all the kinds of clothing that will last you years- so buy them well and in fashions that are established, not extremely cutting-edge. Modernize your wardrobe with a few small pieces, but largely keep yourself traditional in fit and style- doing so will allow the clothing to truly last years, rather than look outdated in one or two.

2- Start a weekly exercise routine- preferably three times a week.

The reverse of junk food- exercising makes you look good and feel good. Beyond just being fit, exercising will make you look better (both in clothing and naked), it will give you more energy, allow you to focus more, and in general will make you a better person overall.

Of course, don’t get into a “rut” by focusing exclusively on weight lifting or running- branch out and make your routine encompass a little bit of everything. Fundamentally, you should try working on a little bit of the “big three”- strength, stamina, and flexibility- by finding activities and exercises to promote all three, rather than one or two. If you exclusively weight lift, try to build in some cardio as well- you’ll find it beneficial both to your weight lifting stamina and to help slim fat off your body- and if you do nothing but cardio, try weight lifting to blast away pudginess and show lean muscle off.

1- Manage your money.

Obviously, I’ve been mentioning money a lot this post, and number one is all about money.

No matter how old you are or what financial situation you are in, it is imperitive that you begin to manage your money closely. Know where your money is coming from and where it is going- and keep it from blasting away on ridiculous expenditures.

One very important thing all people over 18 should work on is building credit. Even if you do not need one, having a credit card (and using it for a small expenditure monthly) is a great way to build up a credit score and prove you can handle small term loans. This will help immensely in the future with larger loans- such as car loans or home loans- which often require you have a demonstrated history of, in colloquial terms, “trustability”.

Arguably the easiest way to manage your finances is to buy cheap and only when you must. Other than things you absolutely must have (groceries, a roof over your head, etc), there are many things you simply do not need to spend so much money on. If you can manage it, avoid paying monthly fees for video games, upper-tier cable channels, personal trainers, and other amenities, especially if you do not use them.

I’ve listed a ridiculous amount of pointers today, but my point is incredibly simple: manage yourself tightly this year. 2009 is going to be a year of tight funds and even tighter employers- so you will have to bend to avoid breaking, if you pardon the metaphor. I can guarantee that even if you pick up one of these resolutions, 2009 will be just a little bit simpler- and hopefully, we’ll all survive just a bit better than the next guy.

hey WC, i have a question. I’ve been dating a girl for a while (5 months) who dates lots of guys. I know I’m not the only one. She’s playing me hot and cold. What do I do?

Dump her.

Well, no, not literally. However, do keep in mind that girls who play the field to excess- especially ones that date different guys on a consistent basis (like dating 5 guys for 5 months solid- dating them one day each week or some crap like that) is indicative of trouble. In the most basic sense, it indicates potential neediness, indecisiveness, or good old whore-y characteristics. On a much deeper level, girls who date obsessively can have some serious isues (even if indecisiveness and neediness aren’t considered that)- family issues, an obsession with getting pregnant (a very scary reality- some girls are like this to the point of near nymphomania), or any variety of other problems.

Don’t get me wrong- much like you should try dating more than one girl at the same time, it’s entirely reasonable for her not to date just you. However (this is a big however), when she does it for a long period of time with no commitment, it’s time for you to man up and basically “dump” her rear. Of course, you don’t have to do this with much drama- give her one good last shot (take her on a good date, make it pretty clear you want a long term relationship) and see how it goes. If she still balks, replace her, or just use her as a booty call or something.

My girlfriend recently dumped me. What is the best way to heal from a loving relationship turned bad, especially when she is/was so much a part of my life? She is still friends with a majority of my friends!

I probably need to write a full guide on this subject, but for the time being, let me break it down.

1. Avoid brooding on the subject. The worst thing most guys do when someone breaks up with them is to “go emo”- that is to say, to be reclusive, pondering, and wimpy. This does very little to solve anything, makes the problem worse, and makes you feel like crap longer. Life has to continue- go out and do what you’ve always done and keep yourself busy. This will keep you from sitting around thinking about it incessantly.

2. Date. Schedule some dates- they don’t have to be serious. Many guys tend to fall into strange ruts where they believe their ex girlfriend was the “one”, refusing to date other people. Don’t do that. Go out on new dates, have fun, talk to the opposite sex, and just enjoy life. Don’t bring up your ex-girlfriend, for obvious reasons.

3. Don’t worry about your friends. They will be more awkward about the subject than you. If they ask, give them a simple answer, and keep it that way. Some may draw away from you for various reasons- don’t brood on it too much.

4. Learn. While this is not always the case, many breakups can be taken as lessons- teaching you what you did wrong, what you need to work on, and that sort of thing. Accept the fact that, chances are, a lot of stuff was probably your fault- and work to fix it in new relationships.

Breakups are ridiculously hard, so a lot of this advice is theoretical at best, but if you really focus on not thinking about it too much and moving on, things should go fairly smoothly for you, comparatively. Good luck.

I always wonder what people think of meeting girls online. I have terrible luck at meeting girls off the net and find it so much easier to get to know them over the net. I know most of my friends shun on meeting girls online so I tend to avoid telling them about someone I’m talking to.

The other problem with the net is it’s so hard to find someone in your area, especially if you don’t live in a city. After many years of looking I’ve yet to find someone in my own state, and I’m not a fan of “long distance relationships”, because they work so rarely. I know there are dating sites out there that give an alright chance of meeting someone who’s looking for a guy and also lives near by, but most, at least in Australia, charge a ridiculous amount just to send messages. I’m fine spending money on a girl, just not $10 a message talking to one.

Allow me to throw my two cents in.

The problem with modern society nowadays is that we are very very secluded and separated. Thanks to television, the Internet, movies, and other forms of entertainment, our society has the dubious benefit of being able to stay inside away from people essentially forever. People in the 18-30 age range, generally the most eligible age range, are secluding themselves away with this technology- I can name numerous men and women I know who don’t even bother going out to social functions- they work, they go home, and they sleep. Unfortunately, this places a hell of a lot of strain on the dating scene- where in years before you could easily find people through various social functions and groups, now it’s gotten a little bit harder, even if you DO go to said functions.

That being said, I have nothing wrong with looking for dates on the Internet. It’s new technology and it’s great. Meeting people online is a great way to connect intellectually with someone before you do physically, and for women, it provides a safe barrier to real life that allows one to (effectually and ineffectually) screen daters. Basically, internet dating websites are now what matchmakers were years and years ago, just much more intelligent and not so creepy. Sure, dating websites are often made fun of and considered creepy, but when you consider the other popular option- going to some bar and hitting on inebriated women/men- it seems sterile in comparison. Don’t be embarrassed you are on a dating website- just be glad your idea of finding a soul mate isn’t finding the drunkest and hottest bird in the bar.

So far as finding women in your area/finding an affordable site, there are some options you have.

First off, yes, there may be a small amount of women in your area. It’s pretty much that way outside of huge cities like New York or San Francisco. The only advice I can give you is to contemplate traveling (long distance relationships work better now than they ever have- just be willing to meet twice a month or so) and find more dating websites. Both of these are hard- the former can be a hit on your wallet and wear your car to pieces, the latter can mean you have to go hunting for free stuff (or, like the former, pay a lot of money). Once you make one profile, there’s nothing saying you can’t copy+paste your ass all over the Internet.

Second off, understand that some of the best dating sites require payment. This is a good thing (in a way). Like World of Warcraft, making people pay for a service, even if it’s $.50, cuts out a HUGE percentage of spam, fakeposts, and other kinds of bullcrap. With increased security like that, you can be relatively assured that the person in the photo is somewhat legitimate- just look at Craigslist if you want an example of what happens when you don’t expect payment. Still, there are plenty of websites (notably OkCupid, one of the more popular ones) that are free-like-beer- check them out.

In any case, good luck. Finding a date, online or not, is a pain.

I need to get some good fashion on a budget. I live in a area without many stores. I may go travel to get some new stuff, what stores should I go to?

Unfortunately, I’ve lived in places like you have described, so allow me to help out where I can.

If you have the opportunity, try to build up your “core clothing” at stores like The Gap, H&M, J.Crew, and the like. These stores, while generally bland, provide basic clothing (t-shirts, button-downs, the like) that you can build off of. These stores also swap out inventory incredibly fast around this season, so you can find certain styles from last season for incredibly cheap. The nice thing about the aforementioned stores (more The Gap and J.Crew than H&M) is that their clothes are made to hold up for quite some time if you keep care of them- making them worth more than the average crap you find at various other stores.

When it comes to getting more expensive things (suits, coats, shoes), I recommend shopping around if at all possible, even online. For shoes, Zappos.com, an online shoe outlet, is virtually perfect for finding a good pair of shoes- and with a nice return policy, you can use (read: abuse) them until you find a pair you like. For coats and suits, it is generally best to try them on first- but if you know your sizes extremely well, check outlet websites like Overstock.com, which occasionally carry nice and well-made brands. When you are out shopping and if you can afford doing so, try coats/shoes on but do not buy them- go online and comparison shop. 9 times out of 10, you will find better prices.

When you do go shopping, no matter how much you spend, be paranoid about the quality of the clothes you buy. Stores like Old Navy may be cheap, but the quality (and the fit) of the clothes, frankly, suck. The same applies to Aeropostale. As well, to make the most of your money, avoid too-trendy clothing like Hollister or Abercrombie and Fitch- those styles tend to last only 6 months at most before becoming tired (or falling apart, as the aforementioned companies suck just as bad as Old Navy at making good quality clothing).

If you are smart, you will wait until one or two weeks after Christmas. Watch how fast prices drop.

Being in line to get a drink for McDonalds at rush hour (a time and a place one would not ever recommend for one’s time management/sanity/health), I realized something. Looking around at all the disgruntled employees working their rears off for close to minimum wage, I realized that there was something beautiful about the operation- that everything was organized so well that, about two seconds after I ordered a Diet Coke, a little machine picked it up, filled it with soda, placed it right next to an employee, and that employee immediately slapped a lid on it and handed it to me. Time elapsed: 0:10.

There’s something incredibly interesting about that. McDonalds has the art of effortless quality down- that is to say, despite the disgusting nature of their food, they are so ridiculously efficient that they can pump out virtually anything you ask for- a drink, a burger, fries, that sort of thing- in seconds. While the employees are working their rears off for piss poor wages, it doesn’t feel like that for the consumer- like one of those clever little Rube Goldberg machines, all I have to do is say “Soda” and it comes to me through some intricate process I don’t have to understand. This isn’t just McDonalds, of course- plenty of companies exist like this- from Amazon.com to Zappos to Netflix to even Starbucks. They all “get it”- the idea of corporate efficiency, insane perfection to the point where the “down time” between a request and fulfillment is so small that it’s almost meaningless.

What does this have to do with manners? Everything.

First off, allow me to explain the truth about manners. Manners are, for all intents and purposes, a way in which to divide society with (very arbitrary) standards that allow people to classify proper and improper behavior. Fundamentally, it does not matter if the actions are very logical or not- some are, some are not- but the entire purpose of these rules (generally codified by word of mouth, or more “recently”, by the genius of Emily Post and Judith Martin). These rules, developed through a long history of trial-and-error and flecked with different standards based on different periods of society, provide a kind of rubric for everyone to judge everyone else.

That sounds very cruel, so let me make it more simple. Manners are the simplified way to be nice and make life easy. Instead of wondering endlessly on how to properly greet someone in a business interview, you know that shaking their hand is appropriate. Instead of dry humping the leg of your date to get the point across, you take her on a date and balance physical interaction with comfortable distance.

Manners have always been around in some form or fashion- don’t believe those whom tell you they were invented some time in the Victorian era. Many cultures- Western cultures with Feudal systems, Chinese culture with the development of Confucianism (which is hybridized Manners + Ritual + Religion, but I digress), and it’s always revolved around the same old need to be able to know what to do in certain situations. Face it- the human race desperately clings to algorithms.

Victorian/Edwardian society really brought manners into play because of their spread across the world and strong (if not violently domineering) perspective on class and social structure. Given the nature of manners, you can correctly guess that people then (and even now) used manners as a very powerful way to define those who were “cultured” (i.e. those who were rich) and those who were laymen and the general proletariat, who had no “culture”. Rich, classy, landed people with rich bloodlines had long histories of family with manners who could pass those unwritten, unpublicized manners onto them- those of the lower castes did not, and thus a rift was created. This rift, which some may argue still exists today (and even before the Victorian/Edwardian periods), is still something of a burning thorn in the side of most Western cultures, particularly Americans.

Few guys really understand manners in the formal sense- but they do have an idea of manners, and more than likely, you do as well. Manners do not simply encompass the high brow “what fork to eat with and how many centimeters to place it from the place” crap- they encompass small things you may not even think about- cultural things like looking people in the eye, handshaking, posture, your actions at any form of social function, the way you walk, talk, wear clothing, eat, and even the way you have sex, except I’m fairly sure Emily Post would never have covered that part, classy minx.

The ironic thing about manners is that the rules are entirely arbitrary. There is no real reason (other than tradition) that dictates the proper way to use silverware is from the outside in- it just somewhat works that way (and serves restaurants well in place setting). These also change based on location- some cultures promote the idea of a man holding a door open for a woman (ladies first), some prefer men enter first and escort the lady inside (to verify the safety). Some of these arbitrary rules are slowly but surely phased out (thanks to the advent of deodorant and cologne and daily showers, we no longer are forced to keep our coats on around ladies)- but many stay around just for the sake of existing.

Fundamentally, though, just like McDonalds, the idea of manners and etiquette is to make the world a well oiled machine devoid of any needless hang-ups or issues. The point here is that, by following these little arbitrary social rules, you make life easier- you skip over the needless thoughts and processing in conversation. With manners, we no longer have to have intense debates with oneself over if touching unfamiliar ladies is appropriate- we know the rules, and we will more than likely be slapped if we do not follow them. Basically, even if you try to rebel (say, by grabbing a woman by the chest), you will still be pulled in with the polite response (getting slapped, thrown out, sued, etc).

I should be very careful to say that manners are a very fluid thing. The idea of manners- making this well oiled society- can be construed to mean ridiculous seminars, books, tapes, and the like. Sure, some books are absolutely great on this topic, but the popularity of “manners seminars” and similar workshops that cost $2,000 or more are no more than cash cows for those running them. There comes a point when manners become too invasive to keep the well oiled machine- and paying $2k to a self-proclaimed “manners expert” is generally that point. In the spirit of keeping things easy and short (and to prevent myself from becoming one of those self-proclaimed experts), I’m not going to list off a whole array of good habits and manners in this article- that’s not the point. Sure, I could do so, and I certainly need to do (potentially on our guide)- but that’s only a minor part of manners. If you truly posses the idea of manners and work towards promoting it- that is, helping social interaction be a well oiled machine- you won’t need insanely long guidebooks or rules to live by, even if some are helpful- you will “get” it. Chances are, as I have noted above, you probably already have a good idea of what you should do, depending on your location and culture.

The moral of this story is, to keep it stupidly simple, manners are something that you should understand and use, but simultaneously not be shackled by. The reason companies like McDonalds, Amazon.com and Zappos have rules to be super-efficient is not because of tradition or some arbitrary corporate culture- it’s because it makes money. Manners are to be used in a similar way- as they serve you to make social interactions easier, they should be used precisely for that and no more. The age old rules of manners- looking people in the eye, shaking hands, talking clearly, deferring to women (at least in Western society)- will likely never go old, and serve you incredibly well. The ridiculous stuff- keeping your salad forks so many centimeters away from one another- will rarely, if ever, serve you well in society.

Ditch what doesn’t serve you (or anyone else) well, keep what helps. Making endless rules and regulations about behavior and scrutinizing people based on their adherence? That’s not manners- that’s being a dick. Being understanding and using manners as a vehicle to making life easier for everyone? That’s true manners.

I occasionally wish I was a super-rich magazine writer that had a business account. That way, I could excuse virtually anything I did on “writing topics”- watching movies, going to shows, drinking exorbitant amounts at fancy bars, going to random foreign countries “just because”- the works. That isn’t happening (owning the place you write for negates the fun of handling the money), but recently I took the time to go see the new Bond film everyone is talking about- Quantum of Solace- and try to see what all of the self-proclaimed fashionistas on the internet are raving about.

The Movie

Quantum of Solace, as you more than likely already know, is the sequel to Casino Royale, the first in the new line of Bond films starring Daniel Craig, the guy most people know for starring opposite of Angelina Jolie in the absolutely horrible Lara Croft: Tomb Raider flick. The movie is essentially about Bond going somewhat (if not all the way) solo as he rages over the death of Vesper Lind (Eva Green) and fights to stop the wannabe environmentalist Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric) from taking over the water supply of Bolivia. If this sounds like one of the most boring James Bond plots yet, you are entirely correct.

The first thing noticeable about the new Bond movies is that Daniel Craig has been outfitted in oldschool British tailoring, as opposed to his predecessor, Pierce Brosnan, who wore Italian cut suits (which were sometimes a bit ridiculous, admittedly). The big name in this new movie is Tom Ford, who did the design for Craig’s suits, glasses, and pretty much everything but his underwear- so you know it’s going to be stylish.

The “main uniform” of James Bond- the black suit- is back and better than ever. Well tailored and with a clear English cut (three pockets, two buttons, very tight tailoring)- it’s all essentially perfect. The lapels are relatively narrow (As are the shoulders, or as narrow as they can  get), but the waist is taken in very tightly, which gives the “skirt” part of the jacket a little bit of move. There are no belts whatsoever. The suit is apparently also made with old school mohair tonic fabric- an old 60s fabric that apparently was used to give a more “classic” look, reminiscing back to the Sean Connery days of James Bond.

Craig’s suit is not accented with much other than what you might expect- a pocket square and a nice crisp french cuff shirt with cufflinks. Nothing ostentatious at all- hell, even the ties are rather demure. The key theme of the new James Bond via Tom Ford seems to be keeping it low-key- and thus classy. This isn’t surprising, considering this seems to be a recurring theme nowadays- but it’s interesting to see James Bond, formerly known for heavy italian suits and big watches (and even bigger cell phones) now keeping it minimal.

Bond does change out of the standard black suit, which begins to show the real versatility of the costume designer, Louise Frogley. Bond is also seen in a nice full length double breasted topcoat with the lapels popped (or some form of long black coat, I was barely able to make out what it was), a rather large padded bomber of some sort, and even a dark blue polo with jeans.

One of the most notable changes to Bond’s wardrobe are the sunglasses, newly designed by Tom Ford. With a strange bridge bar running from both lenses and slightly turned eye drop style lenses, the silver aviators are anything but traditional. By all means, I personally liked the design, but even on Craig they seemed ever so slightly stupid looking. Too bad.

Overall, Quantum of Solace costume designer Louise Frogley did an incredible job doing what she did- and while the Tom Ford glasses were a bit strange, I felt that the movie all together did a very good job getting the “James Bond Feeling”- something the movie itself, outside of the fashion, kinda failed at doing. I’m still somewhat angry that not only did Bond not use a single useful gadget, but he also seemed to forget to visit Q, or do anything else useful other than go Peter-Parker-in-Spiderman 3 emo. But whatever.

So, what lessons can we learn from Quantum of Solace?

First, go without the belt. I know I’ve advised against it before, but it seems that it’s finally picking up in pop culture enough to go with it safely. Sure, it’s been the “correct” way to wear suits for quite some time, but I think it’s finally time for a miniature belt-less revolution.

Second off, keep it simple, stupid. Bond is dressed simply for a reason- minimalism is the new maximalism. Go understated, clean, and stylish, and you will always win.

Third off, ties that match your eyes are always good. Craig dons a gray-blue tie that matches his eyes, and you could do very well matching that. For brown eyes, a brown tie may be a bit silly, but a black tie could never hurt.

Finally, no-one can stress the importance of arm candy. Get one or two hot women and have them walk around you periodically. You will always look better.

How to Get the Look

The “Bond Suit”

• A Black Suit with a slight sheen (be it legitimate mohair tonic fabric or not)
• A crisp white french cuff (not barrel cuff) shirt
• A white handkerchief for a pocket square
• A gray-blue, gray, or light tan tie
• Black Oxfords(?)
• Simple metal cufflinks

Yep, that’s it. No belt, no tie clip, no expensive jewelry- nothing. The key here is all in the tailoring. Daniel Craig’s suit is so damned amazing because it is tailored incredibly well- tight in the stomach, slightly (but not too) loose in the coat skirt, and so well tailored in the pants that it needs neither belt nor pleats. If you want this kind of suit, it doesn’t matter too much what you buy so much as where you get it tailored- so start hunting for a good tailor.

The Tuxedo

• Peak Lapel Black Tuxedo
• Crisp white Tuxedo shirt (Or a standard white french cuff shirt, I can’t tell which he wears)
• Black bowtie
• Black Oxfords(?)
• Simple metal cufflinks

Again, very damned simple. The tailoring is the same as the “Bond Suit” above- it’s all about making it fit perfectly, so no matter where you get a tuxedo, you’re essentially forced to rely on the skill of your tailor to make this look right. Unfortunate, but true.

The Polo

• Dark blue fitted polo
• Dark wash jeans (Straight leg?)
• Tan leather (suede?)
• Aviator Sunglasses

Chances are, you probably have one or two of the above in your own wardrobe. This isn’t a very “James Bond” outfit, but it still can be rocked fairly easily.

Tonight I had propositions from two women for one night stands, both of which I rejected. One was a buaetiful girl who I barely knew, but sugested we know each other better in a private place. The other was a cute art student who offered me a night in her bed, as opposed to walking an hour in the rain home. There must be something wrong with me to reject these offers. This should have been a dream come true. What’s wrong with me?

My guess? Burnout, with a little bit of worry.

First off, burnout.burnout, to me, is when a guy exhausts himself of interest in anything- but in this case, specifically women. Yes, you can get very bored of sex and dating, and it happens too often when you go overboard and date too much, or just when you have so much of it that it ceases to be special. This happens to me occasionally- you get so many girls you can date that dating seems ridiculously easy, the challenge is gone, and thus the desire is gone.

The cure for burnout is to simply scale yourself back a bit. If you’re dating (or screwing) a lot, try to restrict yourself a bit more. Make the experiences more special and unique. Don’t date more than two girls a week, and don’t date them back-to-back or whatever. Avoid gorging yourself on easy sex or quick dates- it will make them all blur into one another, making them boring.

Second off, worry. You may, consciously or subconsciously, be worried or insecure about your abilities, sexually or not. This happens to guys more than you think- if they are clearly out of your league, you worry that you won’t be able to meet their expectations or that you are being tricked- two little nagging questions in your head that can make you pass on offers, quiet, and worst of all, ineffectual in bed.

The answer, of course, is to remind yourself that if a girl so clearly is going after you, she has long since judged you worthy. Unless she’s some sort of desperate uberslut (doubtful), she has already warmed up to your enough, and it is very unlikely you will be able to screw it up easily. Most (normal) girls don’t judge a guy in bed- they judge way before, and you have long since passed such testing. All you have to do is reaffirm her beliefs. And it isn’t hard to do.

As a side note to all of this, there is nothing fundamentally wrong with not screwing every girl in sight. Religion aside, you don’t have to have sex just because you can, being male be damned. Avoid the stereotype of being led around by your dick- that’s how a lot of girls think they can control you. Be as choosy as they are and enjoy that ability.

As a second side note, are you sure they were speaking sexually? Some girls totally expect you to be able to sleep in their bed without sex. Difficult as hell, or so I’ve heard.

It’s winter, lots of things are coming out, and lots of sales are going on- so we’ve compiled a list of some awesome Winter items you can pick up today for fairly cheap to improve your wardrobe.

V-Neck Wool/Cashmere Sweaters

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It's cold and you can't wear t-shirts and button-downs all year. Buy some nice, thin sweaters of decent quality (wool or cashmere, the former is generally cheaper). V-necks are much more stylish and work better with button-down shirts, so make sure to go for those if you can. Pictured: Eddie Bauer Merino V-Neck Sweater, $59.50