The Swagger of a Man

By L’Andre Farrell-Andrews/VOX Staff

Alot of people think that women are the only ones who obsess over their appearance, but we men, too, often spend exorbitant amounts of money and time adjusting our swaggers. A swagger is the way young males present ourselves to the world, and it’s not just about the clothes or styles we wear, but also about the confidence that lies beneath.

Countless times I’ve been fashionably late to a party or even a casual get together because my homeboys just had to take the extra time to adjust themselves until their ensembles were completely perfect. Just as the male peacock uses the vibrant colors of its tail feathers to attract females, we male youth strive to look good to bring the girlies flocking.

A close friend of mine even has an elaborate routine he goes through before he even thinks about leaving the house. It’s a well-know fact within our group that if you’re going out with Sol, you need to tell him to get ready at least two hours ahead of time. Otherwise, you’ll be left waiting for him to adjust his swag and you’ll be late to the gathering.

I myself am not blameless on the swag front. I have been known to change clothes multiple times in front of my mother’s full length mirror before I let anyone see me. I don’t know how many times I’ve stood looking at myself, thinking that I’ve gotten everything just right, only to notice some small flaw in the presentation and take off all my clothes and start over.

Despite all this fussing, the most important thing about a guy’s swagger is not his looks. It’s the self esteem underneath it all that counts the most. If you can’t feel good about yourself without the clothes, kicks and accessories, then your swag is malnourished and incomplete. People will look right through the expensive and stylish fashions and know you’re a poser. You can’t pull off a swagger without confidence, the right attitude and a sense of being comfortable with who you are.

Sure, we say we shop for clothes, workout constantly, get new haircuts — and spend loads of money doing it — all to impress the ladies. But the truth is we don’t do it for them; we do it for ourselves. Going to a party and rocking a pair of new kicks makes us feel better about ourselves.

Society pushes on us its standards of beauty, what’s cool, what’s not and who we should be. It’s easy for us to get caught up in all the hype of it all, and often it’s a fun ride. However, fads come and go, styles change and new celebrities emerge bringing the next big image we want to copy. None of this matters if you don’t have a solid definition of yourself. Ultimately, it’s you who shines through.

You can only take what you have inside and make it work. No matter how hard you try, you can’t “get ya swagger right” if you’re not completely honest about who you really are.

L’Andre will start at Lincoln University this January.