The Victor Pride Casual Style Guide

Style, boys. Style is what makes or breaks you.

Style is what makes the girls smile and giggle when you walk in the room (or sometimes they just open their eyes and drop their mouths). Either is fine with me.

From my website, to my wardrobe, to my house, to my electronic gadgets – everything must have style.

Classic style. I’m not trying to be a New York cosmopolitan spending all of my money on clothes. I want to look good.

When you look good, you feel good. When you feel good, opportunities seem to present themselves.

So what’s Uncle Vic’s rule?

Always.
Look.
Good.

I don’t leave my house in sweatpants and dirty t-shirts. I don’t leave my house with dirty shoes on. I don’t leave my house unkempt.

I’m always on when other people see me. When you’re alone, do whatever you want, but around people you need to be on.

First impressions, second impressions, and 37th impressions matter.

Always look good.

Some jokers are going to tell me you don’t need to wear a suit and tie every day to look good. I would respond: no shit.

You don’t need to wear a suit unless the situation calls for it. You dress for the situation, you dress for the event and you dress for your climate.

I’ve previously said you should dress your best all the times. Well, two things…

1) You should dress your best at all times.
2) I only wear t-shirts and jeans.

“But wait, Vic? I thought you wore a suit and tie everyday? Did you lie…”

I never wear a suit unless it’s for business. Even though I wear a t-shirt and jeans every day you should still dress your best at all times.

It might make me a hypocrite but it doesn’t make me wrong.

See, you dress up in the finest threads until you don’t need to dress in the finest threads anymore.

I don’t need to dress to impress anymore because I’m already there. I don’t try to impress anyone, people try to impress me (but I still always look good).

Not to mention it’s really damn hot where I live. Too hot for a suit. Remember, you need to dress for the situation, the event and the climate. The climate where I currently live (Saigon) is hotter than hell.

So how do you dress well without going overboard?

That’s an easy answer but it might be a tough pill to swallow.

You can dress modestly but still be the most stylish guy in the room if! you have a bold physique. I stand out because I have a physique. Clothes look good on me when they would look like slop on other men strictly because I have a physique.

Your physique is the basic element of your style. Everything you wear should be based off on and built onto your physique.

I dress modestly and I’m still the guy. The guy who walks in a room and everyone stares at.

I’ve got the style with a smile, but even better I’ve got the physique to pull it off.

If you’re built like Adonis you don’t need anything more than a form fitting t-shirt, nice fitting jeans, colorful sneakers, an expensive but understated watch and all of a sudden you’re the guy who everyone looks at.

When I walk into a room people stare and girls start giggling and whispering to each other.

Why? Classic style and good physique.

I have a very modest and simple wardrobe but it’s right for my physique and for my climate.

I also like to keep it simple. I wear the same clothes every single day. Currently, this is my entire wardrobe…

T-Shirts

I have about 35 t-shirts that I go through. Typically I wear two t-shirts every day. I wear one shirt in the morning, typically I will wear the same shirt to the gym, then I will shower and change shirts. I wear…

• BADWEAR t-shirts.
• Uniqlo t-shirts and tanks – I buy single color t-shirts made by Uniqlo for about $7 apiece. I buy them in Bangkok, but if you did some digging your could probably find them online. I also like Calvin Klein tanks.
• Calvin Klein micro modal t-shirt. This is my favorite shirt because it’s extremely comfortable. I like the fabric to be 10% lycra for extra comfort in hot climates. I buy from freshpair.com (they ship worldwide), you can also get this Calvin Klein shirt from amazon.

Pictured: BADWEAR t-shirts size xl. I’m 6 ft even and roughly 200 lbs.

Pictured: This is a Calvin Klein micro modal t-shirt size XL

Jeans

I have 4 pairs of jeans that I go through but I only really like one pair.

• Levis 504 regular straight double stitch jeans. I wear Levis jeans size 34/34. I wear Levis because that’s all I can find that fit my long legs and my muscular thick thighs. I really have no other options for Jeans unless I get on a plane and fly somewhere. I used to wear Buffalo David Bitton jeans and they looked fantastic and they were the most comfortable jeans I’ve ever owned. Unfortunately they are made in China and both pairs I have owned developed a hole in the crotch within a few months of purchase. My Levis are extremely comfortable, they look good and they’re very durable (made in Mexico).

Pictured: Mr. Lion tee, Levis 504 jeans

Pictured: Buffalo David Bitton jeans, Uniqlo t-shirt, Superdry sneakers.

Socks, Underwear & Shoes

Pictured: Onitsuka tiger sneakers, black hanes low cut socks, 2xist boxer briefs.

Underwear

I have about 20 pairs of the exact same brand, color and style of boxer briefs.

• 2xist black boxer briefs. It always struck me as odd that men’s underwear never had a pouch for a package, I used to just not wear underwear until I found these that give you some room to breathe. You can purchase them from freshpair.com (worldwide shipping). You can also get them from amazon. Get black! Always black, never white.

Socks

I have about 25 pairs of the same socks.

• Hanes classic black low cut socks. I wear low cut or no show socks. Personally I hate seeing socks unless you’re wearing slacks and dress shoes. With tennis shoes I don’t want to see socks. I also don’t wear white because white always appears dirty after a few uses. Black socks always look the same. You can get them from amazon or even Wal-Mart.

Shoes

I have 4 pairs of the same brand of shoes, each in a different color.

• Onitsuka Tiger sneakers. These are currently the only sneakers I wear. I have four pairs in four different colors. You can purchase them from amazon.

Gym style

At the gym I wear my regular t-shirts or I wear tank tops and I wear sweatpants from H&M.

Pictured: These are Uniqlo shirts size XL (veins sold separately).

Pictured: Square cut tank top

Pictured: SPARTAN STARS Raglan

Gym Bag

I use a sackpack rather than a traditional gym bag. In my gym bag I keep: one extra t-shirt, one pair socks, one pair boxer briefs, one bar of nubian black soap, one stick of deodorant, baby wipes (only animals use toilet paper), one razor and one tube of aftershave.

Pictured: Gym sackpack

Accessories

• I wear one mildly expensive black Vabene watch. The watch looks fantastic, it’s understated and classic in style and the street thieves where I live don’t understand it’s value because it isn’t gold. The right watch for you depends on your personal. Pick one that you like.

• Clark Kent eye-glasses at night (I’m blind from writing all this time for you), Ray-Ban prescription sunglasses when outside.
• A baseball cap that was given to me.

Pictured on left: Raglan Henley 3/4 tee

 

I keep a very modest wardrobe, but it’s very effective in getting eyeballs on you…

IF!

You have the physique to go with it.

And if you don’t have the physique it doesn’t really matter how you dress, you’ll still look like shit.

So fix the physique, then fix the wardrobe, then be the guy who gets all the eyes from all the girls in all the world.

Beyond the wardrobe you need to think about hair, skin, facial hair and teeth and all the other things that slobs don’t worry about.

Hair

I keep two hairstyles. I’ll call them shaved and classic.

Classic hairstyle:

I like a nice, clean style of hair. I’m often asked what the name of the haircut is, but I typically cut it myself so there is no name. I suppose you could call it the Victory haircut, but I just like it clean, simple, classic and stylish. To keep this hairstyle I use a light amount of American Crew pomade.

Shaved head:

Typically I shave my head with a zero guard about 6 months out of the year. I do this for comfort and simplicity. To keep this clean look I need to shave my head one time per week on a zero guard (no guard). You can pick up some hair clippers from amazon.

Skin-care

Personally I only use one soap, Nubian african black soap, for all my washing needs. You can buy Nubian African black soap from amazon or iHerb.

I like nubian black soap this much.

Shaving

Baxter of California After Shave Balm – The best after shave I have ever used and I never get those nasty red bumps on my neck any more. I live in Thailand and I pay double to have this product shipped to me.

Taylor of Old Bond Street Jermyn Street Luxury Shaving Cream for Sensitive Skin – The best shaving cream I have ever used.

For extra skin care tips see: What I’ve Been Using to Look Younger That Actually Works

Teeth

I said style with a smile. Bad teeth, ugly teeth, is ugly style. I never liked my teeth so I got them fixed professionally. Now I have Hollywood teeth.

Electronics

I try and carry the least amount of stuff I possibly can.

• iPhone, MacBook air, Synapse 25 bag, small MacBook air bag for the moto.

That’s it. That’s nearly everything I own.

Put it all together and what do you get?

PS – For more tips about casual style be sure to check out Iron and Tweed and grab the book Casual Style 101.

There Is No Such Thing As Tomorrow

 Tomorrow doesn’t exist. Yesterday doesn’t exist. There is only the now. The right here and right now.

When we wake up ‘tomorrow’ it becomes the now. Because there is only the now we have to make the most of it. We cannot rely on ‘doing it later’. It must be done and it must be done right now.

The past is the past. We cannot live in the past, it’s over. Let go of it. We have to look back on our successes and mistakes and we have to learn from them, so that we can do the right thing right now.

The future doesn’t exist. We can’t rely on the future. No one is guaranteed a tomorrow. If you say “I’ll do it tomorrow” you might as well say “I’ll do it in 7 years”.

Learn this phrase:

“I’ll do it now!”

The most successful, happiest people in the world get that way because they don’t put anything off until later. They take care of business right here and then.

You won’t hear a top CEO say “oh, I’ll take care of it next week. I want to watch this TV show now”. You won’t hear a top bodybuilder say “Oh, I’ll work out in a few days”.

Are you living in the now? Are you TRULY living in the now or are you just going through the motions? Do you love your work? Or are you filled with dread every day?

We only get one shot at this life, just one chance. We have to make it count.

Is there a girl you like but you’re too scared to call, or you think you’ll call later? Drop everything and call her this very moment! Maybe this very moment she is waiting for you to call.

Is there a business you have been dying to start but “it’s just not the right time”? There is only ever one right time and it’s right now!

Are you sick of your flabby gut but you’re waiting to go to the gym? Get up off your ass and go to the gym right now!

Quit your soul-stealing job now!

Paint a picture!

Make a movie!

Write a book!

Do it right now!

Go out for a jog!

Go talk to the pretty girl that works at the coffee shop!

Change the world!

Change your world!

Sell all your worthless electronics, sell your house, buy an RV and drive across the country!

Go to the airport right now and book a flight!

Take your dog for a long walk, get your thoughts clear and figure out what you really want!

Figure out who you really are and what your life’s purpose is! It certainly isn’t to work for someone else, come home to watch the idiot box, eating chips and soda pop.

Your life has a purpose, a meaning. You have goals and dreams.

Quit whining and complaining, quit procrastinating, don’t give in to apathy – go do something this very instant!

You are ALIVE!

Get out there right now and live your fucking life!

……if you don't do it right now, when will you?

5 Must Read Books (and how they will help you live the life you want)

 #1) Think and Grow Rich

If you only read one book in your entire life make it this book. This book is about the power of motivation and visualization. If you want something bad enough and you visualize it enough you WILL get it. All current motivation works have borrowed or completely plagiarized from this book.

This is the end-all, be-all book for living your dreams. Highlight your favorite parts to go over again and again. Write down your favorite parts and tape them to your walls to recite daily. Sounds crazy, but it works.

#2) The Richest Man in Babylon

This book teaches you about money. Specifically about the need to save money and about the power of leveraging your money.

#3) How To Win Friends and Influence People

How can you get what you want if you can’t get people to do what you want? This is an oldie but goodie and the lessons hold up in today’s world. Maybe even more so because we are all so disconnected.

#4) The 4-Hour Workweek

The newest book on my list. Don’t let the title fool you, the book is all about using your time wisely and becoming hyper productive. Whether you put in a few hours a week or many hours, make sure you are actually doing stuff and not being a time waster.

#5) Arnold: The Education of a Bodybuilder

This is the most motivating, inspiring book I have ever read. Arnold went from a tiny town in Austria to being the #1 bodybuilder in the entire world. He made millions as a businessman before getting into the movies and becming the highest paid movie star of all time.

Then he got into politics and become the governor of the 3rd largest economy. This book details his life up until the end of his bodybuilding and the very start of his acting career.

These books have changed my life so much that I now use hundred dollar bills as bookmarks.

The Reality of Money

Ah, money. Money is our savior. Money is our God. Money must surely be valuable if so many people chase it fruitlessly. But there is a dilemma…

Money is not real. Money is imaginary. We could just as easily use twigs and leaves as currency. The only value money has is the value we give to it, the value we think it has. Even if there were a gold standard (there isn’t) it wouldn’t matter, the only value Gold has is the value we give it. The only possible way to give money value is to use food as currency.

Imagine…

You stumble upon an Island inhabited by people who have not been corrupted by the outside world. This Island is rich in natural resources. You convince the inhabitants of the Island that this paper you have is incredibly valuable. In exchange for this paper they agree to toil away in the mines, giving you all their natural resources in exchange for these pieces of paper. You have an infinite supply of paper, it doesn’t mean anything to you. You take the natural food this island has, turn it into processed garbage with a long shelf life and sell it back to the inhabitants of the island. With all the natural resources you are getting you become wealthy beyond belief.

While you become wealthy the inhabitants of this island become extremely poor, unhappy, malnourished etc.. They think to get better they need more of this paper. Remember, you have unlimited paper, but to keep these people working for you you do not give them a raise in paper. You pretend to be on hard times, you tell them they need to work harder and eventually they will make a good wage. They just need to keep their heads down and power through.

Now what would you think about the people of this island that you were so easily able to convince them they need this worthless paper in exchange for valuable resources? You would think they were pretty stupid. They had a wealth of resources, they had a wealth of free time spent with family and loved ones, they had a wealth of natural food.

Think about the people of this Island, and then think about your office job.

Do you feel duped yet?

Do you still think it’s worth it to toil your life away for what amounts to nothing?

Or do you think it would be a better idea to quit your soul-stealing job and do what you love?

I do.

You’ve only got one life to live. Don’t live it to make someone else wealthy.

The Value of Loyalty

I had 3 dogs. After a breakup I now have 1 dog. When I had all 3 I was fascinated by their behavior and the way they presented a unified front against any perceived threat.

Dogs have a pack mentality. That means that they are happiest when with their pack, or as humans call it, family. They are not happy when they are alone or away from their pack. Dogs all know their place within their pack. They may test their status every now and again but they know where they belong.

Dogs love to play and fight with each other. When one of my dogs had a toy he was playing with, the other dogs immediately wanted that toy. Even if there were several other toys available they had to have the one that their brother had. This fascinated me that they could be so selfish one moment and want to take away the toy the other dog had.

But what really fascinates me is that in an instant the dogs behavior can change and they present a unified front. Say they heard a sound in the backyard, they would all run to the backdoor and bark together.

It didn’t matter what they were doing, or if they were fighting with one another, if one dog barked or sensed a threat they would all 3 jump in and immediately help their pack member.

“Don’t ever take side with anyone against the family…ever.” – The Godfather

This is why I love dogs. They are 100% loyal to their pack without question. Doesn’t matter if they are barking at a squirrel, a bigger dog, a bear, or a neighbor, they are all there together to protect each other. A dog will die for his pack.

Because of my dog’s unquestioning loyalty he isn’t just ‘my dog’, he is part of my family. Because he is part of my pack his loyalty is returned with my unquestioning loyalty and companionship.

Primitive tribes had the same structure as a dog pack. Each tribe had it’s de-facto leader(s), the Alpha Male and Alpha female, the followers, the beta males and females, and the weak, crippled, sick, and young, the Omegas.

They would have had to present a unified front in the presence of danger – other tribes, large carnivorous animals etc.. If they did not remain loyal to their tribe they risked being ostracized and banned from the tribe.

Humans, like Dogs, need companionship, security, comfort, and a sense of belonging to be healthy and happy. Think of the dogs that have been chained in a backyard for their entire life without much human contact or care and without another animal to interact with.

These are not the dogs you want to stumble upon unknowingly. Those of us without a tribe, pack, family, to give us a sense of belonging and purpose are like these chained dogs. We may be content but we can’t be truly happy without a purpose.

Young men who do not have a strong family life, or sense of purpose, will get together with other guys from the same background and form gangs. In interviews these guys will repeatedly say that they joined because they had a sense of family and loyalty for the first time in their life.

These guys would unquestioningly inflict violence against anyone who harmed (real or perceived) a part of their tribe, or gang. These guys referred to their gang buddies, which they really felt like were their family, as their “dogs”. These guys are the true backyard dogs who have been chained up for their whole life – and this is what can happen without a strong sense of loyalty and belonging.

In our modern world of celebrity gossip and other BS, loyalty is not a common trait. Just take a look at the latest divorce figures. 50% percent of first marriages, 67% of second and 74% of third marriages end in divorce.

What it would take for me to get married is 100% unquestionable loyalty from my spouse. If you don’t have your spouse or significant others back 100% of the time and don’t present a unified front it can never work. You can’t have a fulfilling relationship without loyalty.

This is not easy to find. In fact, you have to treat your s/o like you would your dog. If she is good you reward her (attention), if she is bad you punish her (withdraw attention) until she learns what you demand – loyalty.

To be a real man you must be loyal to those you love and you have to demand loyalty right back.

You must be willing to die for what you believe in.