Wealth is Temporary, Class is Permanent – Tips on being Classy

Haven’t we all come across people who drive swanky cars, earn millions but still don’t come across as classy? Just the sight of them makes you cringe? Whereas some in spite of not being uber rich, nor hobnobbing with society elites come across as extremely & desirable? Like they say, there is a difference in being rich and wealthy. Although we personally feel class has nothing to do with money. One can be not very wealthy & yet be classy

So what does one have to do to come across as classy? The Opnionated Indian lists out to ways to get rid of your uncouth image & impress people around you with class.

1. Personal Hygiene: Personal hygiene is one of the biggest parameter distinguishing the classy men from the rest. It is important to look & feel good at all times. Please do society a favor & invest in a good face wash, deodorant & perfume. Despite what biology books will tell you nobody will get attracted to you by the smell of your sweat! Carry the deodorant with you at all times, especially during the summers. Spray some perfume before leaving from your home or after reaching your workplace. Calvin Klein, Davidoff Cool Waters, Hugo, Versace, Armani are some of the best perfume brands. Please ditch your family friend/barber who’s family has been giving your family haircuts & massages since the time your grand dad landed in this city 400 years back & go to Enrich or b:blunt or Jawed Habib. Thanks to growing disposable incomes of the Indian middle class these salons have mushroomed across all Indian metros. Although you may think there is not much of a difference between a haircut from friendly barber uncle & the slightly expensive one at a salon, trust us when we say that there is a huuuge difference! Right from the equipment which salons use, to the end result. The salon employees are trained professionals whereas barber shop employees learn on the job. The salon employees give value inputs on the latest hairstyle trends & which one will suit you. It goes without saying that there is an gargantuan difference between the ambience of a salon vis-a-vis a barber shop. It is prudent to follow up your monthly haircut with a pedicure. Most Indian men don’t tend to trim their nostrils regularly. It is advisable to check & trim your nostrils on a weekly basis. People tend to take their oral hygiene for granted. People should plan a visit to the dentist at least once in six months for a dental clean up & repair damaged tooth.
2. Stay Understated: Okay, your salary may be in millions, but trust us when we say this, nobody cares. It is irritating when people go on & on about how much they or their kids/parents earn or how much they spent on their holidays abroad. People secretly look down upon noveau rich posting every tiny detail of their holiday abroad on social media. When you are truly successful, you dont have to brag about your achievements, the world will do it for you! Bragging makes a person look insecure & someone craving attention & assurance. A truly classy man is self assured & stays modest despite laudable achievements.
3. Clothes Maketh the Man: What you wear ie your attire goes a long way in defining the kind of man you are. In a corporate environment, we suggest you to go for light shaded shirts with minimal designs on them. Despite what looking at most Indians in a corporate environment will make you believe, ideal corporate attire would be a light shaded shirt in white/blue/Grey colors. Light pink is also acceptable. You can indulge yourself & buy a couple shirts in dark shades since India is not very strict when it comes to this issue. Strictly avoid flowery designs or weird designs of any sort. Cheque shirt are fine. Stick to shirts with minimal designs. Despite what your friendly neighbourhood tailor will want you to believe, it is very easy for a lay person to look at your shirt & tell you the price range. We strongly recommend opting only for brands like Arrow, Van Heusen, Louis Phillipe, Indian Terrain, Wills Lifestyle or Zara. You can buy designer brands based on your  affordability. Remeber to follow fashion etiquettes & avoid common faux pas.
4. Be Well Read: Nothing says classy, like being able to quote famous authors, be it a novel or a business related book. Mouthing of lines or being able to discuss the characters or the story line of a best selling novel will make you an instant hit amongst the elite crowd. Being able to engage your boss in a conversation on one of his favorite reads, will make you immensely likeable. On the other hand, not reading enough will make you a silent spectator during frenzied discussions, be it at a friendly gathering or at your workplace. We highly recommend investing in a kindle & read as many novels & business related books as possible. This goes a long way in improving your vocabulary as well. Don’t shy away from using big words you have learnt from your extensive reading. Farrago anyone?
5. Hold Your Drink: It is very annoying to see men or women getting drunk on free alcohol on flights or official gathering. Just cause it is free doesnt mean you drown yourself in it & reduce yourself to a caricature. Getting sloshed on an office party can significantly damage your image in front of your peers & bosses. It is something you rather not be remembered for. It is applies to bingeing on food as well. Even during official lunches or dinners, eat only as much as your appetite allows you to.
6. Branded Residences: Now that you have groomed yourself well, are doing well at your job or your business, own a decent car & have some decent money in your bank, it is time to upgrade your home. With the huge number of branded residences coming across the top cities in the country, it is considered extremely classy to stay in one of these branded residential apartments or villas which come along with a society club house, round the clock security, plush lobby, intercom & a host of other amenities. Although your monthly maintenance bill will go up drastically, it will be money well spent.
7. Handling Pressure: Classy men don’t crumble under pressure. How much ever pressure they may be under, they never show it. Sporststars like Bjorn Borg, Steve Waugh & MS Dhoni are admired for keeping their cool & not letting pressure show on their faces during the most tense situations. This irritates your opponents & earns you their respect. Subordinates love working under a boss who doesn’t crumble under pressure.
8. Club Membership: Nothing says classy, like being a member of one of the prestigious clubs in your city. Owing to club managements restricting memberships to select few & based on recommendations of existing members, club memberships are a coveted prize. The membership may cost you anywhere around INR 5L – 50L, but the sheer discounts on everything from food, alcohol, sporting facilities make its worthwhile. Besides you cant put a price on the prestige factor can you? Most of the elite clubs have closed their memberships & open only when one of their member dies! The biggest advantage of club memberships is the networking opportunity it offers. Prominent people across various fields like to put their feet up post their round of sporting activity to spend quality time with friends & family surrounded by the cream of the city.
9. Staying Fit: The Opinionated Indian strongly believes in the adage that Health is Wealth. With increasingly hectic lifestyles it is becoming important to devote time to health & fitness. It is strongly recommended to indulge in some sport like tennis/squash/cricket/soccer 3-4 days a week, followed by a weekly round of golf if possible. Most CEO’s or head honchos are golf fanatics & most high profile deals are struck on the golf course is a well documented fact. If not sports, at least spend time walking/jogging daily for an hour & complement it with yoga sessions in the morning. Staying lean makes you look good in almost anything that you wear, makes you look young, feel positive, energetic & also has a host of other health benefits.
10. Stop Washing Dirty Linen in Public: We all get into fights or arguments with our family, friends or relatives. What differentiates a  classy man from a moron is how he deals with the situation. Airing your inner most thoughts or squabbles out on social media is the stupidest thing one can do. Your thoughts on such fights should be private & should not be aired to the general public. Consider the example of Narendra Modi & Arvind Kejriwal. In spite of being an IIT graduate & a government official Delhi CM Kejriwal wasted no opportunity to speak ill about Narendra Modi. Whereas PM Modi never responded to any of Arvind Kejriwal’s barbs, clearly coming off as the classier one amongst the two.
11. Gadgets: People who are well versed & own the latest gizmos are considered to be cool & sophisticated. It makes sense to read & educate yourself about the latest mobile phones, tablets, cameras, watches & other gadgets.






12. Speaking about Relationships: It is bad practice to speak about/post pics with someone whom you have just started dating & are you both not ready to make the relationship official. It makes you liable to embarrassing questions from friends, family & colleagues in the event of a break up. We would suggest dating for at least a year & being supremely confident of your relationship before announcing it on social media.
13. Handling Relationships: It is considered extremely classy to come across as devoted family man, loyal to your spouse/companion & involved in your kids lives. It is very immature of people to give details of their bedroom exploits to anyone & everyone who bothers to listen. Gentlemen don’t kiss & tell. It is considered rude of people to speak about their exes in front of their current love interest.
14. Gossip: Although it is extremely difficult to resist the temptation to gossip with friends & colleagues, it is advisable to limit the amount of gossip you indulge in, lest you become known as the gossip queen of your office. This may lead to your hard work getting over shadowed by your image of being a gossip monger.