Gentleman by Tom Ford

Tom Ford is such an influential figure that you can find a lot of his interviews and a lot of advices he gives to men on how to be a gentleman. Below a collection of those.

All over internet you have these 5 bullet points:

1. You should put on the best version of yourself when you go out in the world because that is a show of respect to the other people around you.

2. A gentleman today has to work. People who do not work are so boring and are usually bored. You have to be passionate, you have to be engaged and you have to be contributing to the world.

3. Manners are very important and actually knowing when things are appropriate. I always open doors for women, I carry their coat, I make sure that they're walking on the inside of the street. Stand up when people arrive at and leave the dinner table.

4. Don't be pretentious or racist or sexist or judge people by their background.

5. A man should never wear shorts in the city. Flip-flops and shorts in the city are never appropriate. Shorts should only be worn on the tennis court or on the beach.

Additionally, 15 things every man should have:

1. To Laugh - 'A sense of humour.'

2. Starting The Day - 'A daily read of the newspaper.'

3. Fancy A Game? - 'A sport that you love and are good at.'

4. Grooming Essential - 'Tweezers.'

5. A Signature - 'A good cologne that becomes a signature.'

6. The Right Suit - 'A well cut dark suit.'

7. Style Classics - 'A pair of classic black lace-up shoes.'

8. Tailoring - 'A smart blazer.'

9. Denim - 'The perfect pair of dark denim jeans.'

10. Wardrobe Staples - 'Lots of crisp white cotton shirts.'

11. Good Underwear - 'Always new socks and underwear (throw away the old ones every six months).'

12. Something Smart - 'A classic tuxedo.'

13. Efficient Accessories - 'A beautiful day watch with a metal band.'

14. Cool Accessories - 'The perfect sunglasses.'

15. A Great Smile - 'Perfect teeth - if you don't have them, save up and have them fixed.'

Then – last but not least - 10 Rules of style from Tom Ford. I don't agree with the details of the last one, but the point it represents is valid.

1. I don’t believe in playing around much with suit cuts. I like a fairly classic shape that gives a man strong shoulders, a fitted waist, and long legs. Classic simplicity always works.

2. Someone who is secure enough to be very present when relating to another person is sexy. In other words, a good listener always lands who he wants.

3. When mixing patterns, don’t think about it too much—just throw it together.

4. I hate the trend of short suit jackets. When a man’s butt is showing below the bottom of his jacket, I think it makes him look like a female flight attendant from the back—not my idea of sexy.

5. With jewellery, I actually like bracelets more than anything else, but they have to be small and simple. Cary Grant always wore a simple gold bracelet with his watch, and I think that was very chic.

6. If you’re careful not to overuse Botox, then yes, why shouldn’t you use it? A little bit of it between the brows can make you look less stern and more approachable. Who needs to frown, anyway?

7. Just like girls need to learn to be comfortable in heels before they go out in them for the first time, a man should try wearing a suit throughout a normal day. I do most things in a suit—and sometimes even in a tuxedo—and so I’m really comfortable in one.

8. When it comes to grooming, keep earwax out of the ears and keep stray hairs and flakes of skin in check and you should be good to go. In the morning, I put ice cubes on my eyes and use lots of Visine.

9. Time and silence are the most luxurious things today.

10. There’s one indulgence every man should try in his lifetime: If you’re straight, sleep with a man at least once, and if you’re gay, don’t go through life without sleeping with a woman. Either way, you might be surprised at how natural it will feel if you can get past the mind-fuck of stereotypes. In the end, it’s just another person that you are relating to in a physical way.