I’m not interested enough to put the time Jeremy puts into “keeping up” but I understand how important appearance can be. I understand, that you probably enjoy it and more power to you!

I shortcut this process. When I meet a women who seems to have a good sense in men’s fashions make and she makes comments about my appearance, I get the hint that it’s time for my every decade fashion update. I invite her to take me shopping.

I did that about three months ago and after a $1,000 spree on shirts, pants, shorts, including a $135 pair of sandals (huh?) I’m good for the next 10 years.

I’ve never had a woman turn down the suggestion. In fact, they usually are thrilled to do it and even want to bring a friend. That’s what happened this year. So, an afternoon of suffering through a dozen stores I’m pretty happy with what they’ve come up with. Even liking the new look.

Ben

The key, I think, is Joshua’s own statement that “you need to show your internal personality through your pictures in order to help the emails you send stand a chance!”

But since, in real life, I am neither ambitious nor fastidiously groomed nor keen to project “power,” putting on my one suit, shaving twice and visiting the barber only projected a false image. I met various ambitious, fashionable, image-conscious women whose interests and values I found to be profoundly at odds with my own.

So yes—be very careful about the image projected in the photos you post. But be careful that they do indeed suggest your “internal personality”, not some contemporary fantasy of what’s considered attractive or manly.