The Modest Manifesto (Why We Care About Style)

My mission here at The Modest Man is to help short men dress well. But why?

On the surface, this website is just a style blog. But it's not really about the clothes we wear or appearances at all.

Wanting to look good is just one manifestation of a much more fundamental desire that people like you feel, way deep down in your being.

I made a video to explain what I'm talking about, and I'm calling it The Modest Manifesto (see what I did there?).

These are my core beliefs that drive everything I do here at The Modest Man:

Text Version (Video Transcript)

In this world, there are many, many things over which you have NO control, but that influence your life.

Things like your ethnicity, your genes, how you were raised, your age, illness, your childhood, your eye color, your skin color, your IQ, the economy…

…and of course, you can't control your height.

It's so easy to spend so much of your time and energy dwelling on these things you can't control.

And that typically leads to one of two negative feelings: worry or regret.

Worry is when you experience anxiety about something that hasn't even happened yet, and might not happen at all.

Regret is when you feel bad about something that happened in the past – something that you can't change.

Worry and regret are not productive feelings. They don't make you happy, and don't help you get stuff done, so they should be avoided at all costs.

So instead of dwelling on all of the things that you can't control, make every effort to focus on the things that you can control.

Things like your habits, your grooming routine, continuing education, your haircut, the way you smell, your skills, how you spend your time, who your friends are…

…and of course, your style.

If you can manage to do this, it will lead to increased confidence, happiness and fulfillment.

Guaranteed.

Now obviously, this sounds great, but how do you actually do it?

Well, my friend, it takes effort.

And this is why so many people aren't satisfied with their lives – because it's not easy to put in the effort required to change the things that can be changed.

But what is effort?

Effort is some combination of time and money – two resources that are so precious and limited that almost everyone wishes they had more of each.

And while you can make more money, you can't make more time.

So my advice is to start with the easy stuff.

Of all those factors you can influence, your style is the low hanging fruit.

Sure, you can transform your body by exercising and eating well, and that's a worthwhile pursuit.

But it's really, really hard – much harder than simply changing the way that you dress.

That's why upgrading your style is a great entry into the vast world of personal development.

It's not that hard. You just have to:

1. Understand clothing fit
2. Understand your body type
3. Get good at shopping
4. Learn where to shop
5. Try new brands
6. Get your clothes tailored
7. Experiment with color
8. Find a style role model
9. Keep learning
10. Don’t settle

That last one is important: never settle for subpar style.

Let's summarize:

Ignore everything you can't control.

Focus instead on things you can control, and start with style.

Don't ever let anything you can't control hold you back, especially your height.

You only get one life, so live huge!

If this way of thinking resonates with you, be sure to ‘like' it and share it with someone who needs to hear this message.

And as always, please share your thoughts by leaving a comment below.

Until next time, stay stylish!