A-Dressing a Few Fundamentals

2 Corinthians 6:14 “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?”
What man wants to marry down? None that’s worth having. (Those lacking confidence need not apply.) FYI guys, no woman really wants to marry down either despite popular commentary to the opposite effect. For example: “I married beneath me -- all women do.”~Lady Nancy Astor.

I don’t know about you, but as a BYU student, I have had the opportunity to know many, many amazing women (and some that made me want to ram my head into a wall) and some fabulous men. But, unfortunately, the number of impressive women and the number of impeccable men have not been equal. In my opinion, brethren, you’re getting quite the lucky break!

I know that President Hinckley is infinitely more qualified (and dead on…) than I am to discuss this (or pretty much any) topic, so I’m going to quote his talk “Rise Up, O Men of God” from the Ensign in November of 2006. The title is taken from a song that he quotes and gives history on if you’re interested. The lyrics are really cool.

“Awake, my sons; put on the armor of righteousness. Shake off the chains with which ye are bound, and come forth out of obscurity, and arise from the dust” (2 Nephi 1:23). Really guys, don’t be afraid to stand out. HINT #1: Women like confidence. We crave it. It’s unbelievably hot- even if you were beaten by the ugly tree on the way up and down- if you’re confident enough, we might not notice. Wear it like cologne. Oh yeah, cologne is really good; just not too much of it. HINT #2: Try spraying one (yes only one) spray on your chest near/right under where the knot of your tie is/would be. When we hug you, our faces will be right there; it’s a nice place to be. The goal of cologne is for it to be faint and to mingle with your scent. If I have to get close to smell it, oh darn! It’s a great excuse that I want to take advantage of. Give me that opportunity; it's a win-win situation!

“Some of you young men seem to delight in dressing in a slouchy manner. I know that it is a sensitive subject, but I believe it is unbecoming to young men who have been ordained to the holy priesthood of God.” Okay guys, I’m not saying that you have to wear suits all of the time by any means, but dress your age. Hoodies and jeans are do-able, but they’re not head-turners. HINT #3: A sure-fire hot outfit: dark brown shoes, dark/stone wash jeans, and a white crewneck T-shirt or button-down shirt. Hot. So hot. It’s classic, it’s masculine. The colors work on anyone.

HINTS #4 & 5: When it comes to dressing up nicely, a two-piece suit will pretty much always beat out a pair of slacks and a shirt. A three-piece suit is infinitely better than a two-piece. Why is this? I’m not sure; it could be a throw back to classier times. But my hunch is that it’s straight-up sex appeal with no other thought behind the opinion. HINT #6: Make sure your socks match your pants; you’ll look taller (this is a desirable thing even if we don’t like admitting it). Match your socks to your shoes in a pinch. Deacons wear white gym socks, not men.

“Women have earned more bachelor’s degrees than men every year since 1982 and more master’s degrees since 1986. ...And so I say to you young men, rise up and discipline yourself to take advantage of educational opportunities. Do you wish to marry a girl whose education has been far superior to your own? We speak of being 'equally yoked.' That applies, I think, to the matter of education.” Intelligent women are intimidating, we realize this. HINT #7: Go to college, get an education, and give us a run for our money. If we’re worth our salt, we’ll enjoy the competition and benefit from it as much as you do.

This is long enough for a maiden voyage. Happy hunting! Oh, HINT #8: do the hunting. We enjoy being chased.