How often do you get criticized for your style?
How does it make you feel?
It hurts right?
Of course – most people's opinion don't matter, but what about friends & family?
Your closest pals rip into you at the fact that you upped your style.
Just when you're feeling confident about a positive change, someone tries to bring you down.
Itโs inevitable โ being criticized for how youโre dressed.
You canโt seem to please everybody, not all at once.
Whatever peopleโs concept of perfect is, itโs unattainable.
Maybe thatโs the way it is. Perhaps weโre supposed to just handle our critics as they come along, whatever way we think best.
Should we be defensive? Or shoot back with a witty, sarcastic remark?
Letโs take the high road instead, guys. Channel the gentleman in you by following these five tips in facing criticism โ whether coming from brutal honesty or arrogance โ towards your style.
1. Understand It's A Reflection Of Them, Not Necessarily You

A lot of times, the fact that somebodyโs criticizing has nothing to do with you, and everything to do with them. It could be an inferiority complex. They could be turned off by how much control you seem to have over your style and image. It could be envy, or they simply started to think they no longer know you.
That may happen more often when it comes to the people close to you. It could be your friend, family member, S.O., boss or colleague. If it seems like they resent the positive changes youโve made to your appearance, thatโs a red flag. Your relationship might not be the healthiest one.
The solution here would be aย conversation, not confrontation. Be polite and ask if the two of you could talk. Smiling helps. You donโt want to give them the idea that theyโre in trouble or thereโs a problem.
Once youโve got your time and place, just be cordial and natural. Start somewhere along the lines of, โI notice youโve been acting a bit differently since Iโฆโ Make the other person comfortable enough to feel they can be honest with you.
Youโll go a long way by engaging in civil conversation. It lets both parties hold a ceasefire, puts aside passive-aggressive behavior. You get to hear their side of things, and itโs your chance to explain why youโve made those changes. By clearing that up, they might be more accepting.
The foundation of any good relationship is respect. You need it to call it aย truce and rebuild bridges. However, you also deserve respect from your critic. Itโs your job to figure out whether theyโre concerned about you or just hating the style.
If itโs the latter, youโll have to shake it off. Itโs not your fault if they canโt accept the new you. Distance yourself from them if you can.
2. Routinely Question Yourself โ Take The Critiques Of Others Into Some Consideration

Make this a precautionary measure from time to time. When getting used to certain changes to your style or adopting different ones, take a step back.
Are you really doing this for yourself? Are you aiming for your inner self to shine its brightest? These are the questions for you to keep in mind.
Never lose sight of the big picture โ to treat every day like youโve got a job interview. You always want the best version of yourself presented since you never know what opportunity might come your way.
Remember itโs opportunity you're after, not attention. So every now and then, you should question whether your style might be getting the kind of attention thatโs driving away opportunity.
Hereโs where criticism helps, especially if it comes from people you trust. Compare yourself to a diamond in the rough โ uncut and unpolished when itโs first taken off the earth.
Understand the โflawsโ in your style that you didnโt originally see but can now work on. Learn to take in constructive criticism as part of your self-development. Let your ego take the back seat.
As the Jewish proverb goes, โA man who covers up his mistakes will never be prosperous.โ You canโt always identify every single mistake or area of improvement on your own. That's why it helps to get feedback on how others perceive you.
Make it a habit to question your stance on style objectively. It will only help you become a better man.
3. You're A Leader โ Accept Leaders Are Never Universally Loved, Especially In Their Own Time

To stand your ground with your own style โ looking as sharp as you do โ takes confidence.
Confidence is a great thing to have, especially for a leader. And as you probably guessed, leaders arenโt usually the most popular guys around.
But there are lots of benefits to showing your ability to lead. You convey a sense of authority, especially with a suit and tie. You command attention instead of just blending into the background. You earn yourself extra time to deliver a sales pitch or pass on an idea to someone. Thatโs why youโve got to go the extra mile in looking like a star.
So naturally, more attention could mean more haters. Despite the old saying to not judge a book by its cover, many people still do.
But that shouldnโt get in the way of how you view yourself. You have to BELIEVE youโre a leader who excels and inspires. If others think youโre a pompous jackass who craves attention, let them be.
As long as youโre confident and secure, and you know your intentions, youโll never have self-doubt. And you should beware of self-doubt โ it plants ideas in your head that โproveโ youโre not good enough.
Donโt enable the source. Donโt feed the trolls. Itโs your race to lead, not anyone elseโs.
4. Meditate โ Understand Your Left Storytelling Side Is Pretty Crazy

Hereโs where you can hone your ability to put mind over matter. Itโs easy to watch people meditate and think itโs simple to do. The science behind it says otherwise.
Meditation is seen as โattention training,โ which is mainly about getting the right side of your brain (visual and literal) to upstage the left side (analytical). Itโs proven that focusing on your left brain leads to a lot of negative thoughts and feelings.
So to counter that, you must train your mind to feed off the โhere and nowโ elements of the right brain. By disengaging from the left side, youโll find yourself getting less angry, anxious or stressed out.
Proper meditation involves breathing in and out. The process is slow, takes time to get the hang of, but worth the long-term benefits. Doing a two-minute routine once a day is all it takes. With repetition and focus, youโll soon avoid falling victim to negative stories or interpretations.
5. Surround Yourself With Peers You Can Share Stories With
Finally, donโt think you have to brave the world of scathing critics by yourself. Always know there are guys out there who are struggling the same way. Some might be worse off than you are at the moment.

Either way, itโs good to have a support system. Even the toughest men arenโt immune to hurt feelings. We need to pat each otherโs backs once in a while.
Weโd like to invite you to join our RMRS Facebook Group (if you havenโt already). Itโs the perfect den for guys like you to share stories, say theyโve been there, done that and give advice.
We regularly vet the group to get rid of spammers and abusive users. So donโt miss out on this safe and fun community of stylish everyday gentlemen!