How to not be the old dude in the club
We all thought that we would be young forever and party like its no tomorrow, but as fate would have it, you eventually became 30 and started to realize that many of the people in the club with you were probably in elementary school when you started clubbing. As you approached 40, you start to see some of the children of your old running partners become old enough to be in the club with you. Imagine the embarrassment of hitting on some chick only to realize that you helped their moms change her diapers some 20 odd years ago.
Many of us may be at or close to that golden age of 40 or beyond, but still feel the urge to get out and party but don't want to be the old man at the club. Every one has seen one out before and wondered to themselves; is that the club owner or some weirdo who needs to be at home in bed by now?
Age isn't an instant stamp of "old dudeness" per se. Many celebrities see to be in place in social settings when they are well into their late 30's or even 40's. Will Smith, LL Cool J, Chris Rock and others are timeless players. Samuel Jackson is damn near 60 and can still hang.
Its not just the age, but the mindset of the player that comes to play in clubbing situations, and by following a few tips, you will be able to hang well until midlife.
1. Your clothes and gear.
Those polka dot shirts and parachute pants may have been the rage in 1992, but today, they just look silly. You want to be fashionable, but not over do it. if you are over 29, dressing like Lil Wayne, Soulja Boy isn't going to cut it. The key word is grown and sexy. Consider rocking more suits and less jeans and oversized shirts. Get a copy of International Male or GQ to see what the grown folks are sporting. Also check your shoes. Stay the hell out of Payless shoes ang get something that looks good on your feet. Real men wear gators, but if you can't afford them, you can't go wrong with Stacy Adams.
Jackets. Try to wear a sports coat when you can. Even with jeans, they improve the look and sets you apart. Remember the commercial for Just for men hair coloring when the guy says "The gray says experience but the color says energy"? same with coats and designer t shirts.
2. Your Dome
Lets face it, Jerry curls, mullets and High top fades are not coming back in style. On the other hand, wearing braids, bushy ***** ponytails make you look like you just left your parole officers office if you are over 30 and trying to sport it. The word is stylish but simple. If you are balding, just rock a a clean shave. in the 80's we use to make fun of the kids in school who were bald headed due to a bad hair cut, accident, cancer, ect. But then in 1985, a phenomenon named Michael Jordan came to be and history was changed forever.
Hats. There is a reason they are called baseball caps and that they were because they were designed for baseball. Younger cats can mix it up with their hip hop garb and attire, but it just doesn't mix well with suits.
3. Dance moves
Running man, Chinese Typewriter, Cabbage Patch. Again cool as hell 20 years ago, outdated now. With the exception of break dancing and b boying and possibly swing, No dance styles from the past have ever died out and made a successful comeback. We all have that relative at family reunions that loves to get up and show us how they got down back in the day and we thought they looked silly, but we still loved them for the effort. Guess what, one day that will be you up there doing the Troop.
The key is to look like you blend in, but don't put too much into the latest trend; dance routines. As a player, you really shouldn't be out on the floor that much anyway, unless some girl or girls pull you out there.
4. Club Venues
Unless you are specifically targeting a certain demographic, you should consider avoiding these types of clubs if you are over 35:
- 18 to enter, 21 to drink (16 if you have a fake id, tired of immature boys in my age group, you get the idea).
- Clubs with a weak or no dress code. If dudes can dress like they just got out of bed, they will (this should go for any age group)
- Clubs with rap/hip hop only mandates. If you are macking to a chick and things are going good, it was always a plus to get her on the floor when the slow jams came on. Nowadays, its like one long ass 106 and park episode.
5. Attitude. We are are own worst enemies when it comes to attitude. we think "I'm too old to be here and they know that" we might forget that still look like we are 20something; we can't fool our biological clock.
I hope these tips help older players. I thought about this as I am 39 myself and will hit the big 40 this summer.
We all thought that we would be young forever and party like its no tomorrow, but as fate would have it, you eventually became 30 and started to realize that many of the people in the club with you were probably in elementary school when you started clubbing. As you approached 40, you start to see some of the children of your old running partners become old enough to be in the club with you. Imagine the embarrassment of hitting on some chick only to realize that you helped their moms change her diapers some 20 odd years ago.
Many of us may be at or close to that golden age of 40 or beyond, but still feel the urge to get out and party but don't want to be the old man at the club. Every one has seen one out before and wondered to themselves; is that the club owner or some weirdo who needs to be at home in bed by now?
Age isn't an instant stamp of "old dudeness" per se. Many celebrities see to be in place in social settings when they are well into their late 30's or even 40's. Will Smith, LL Cool J, Chris Rock and others are timeless players. Samuel Jackson is damn near 60 and can still hang.
Its not just the age, but the mindset of the player that comes to play in clubbing situations, and by following a few tips, you will be able to hang well until midlife.
1. Your clothes and gear.
Those polka dot shirts and parachute pants may have been the rage in 1992, but today, they just look silly. You want to be fashionable, but not over do it. if you are over 29, dressing like Lil Wayne, Soulja Boy isn't going to cut it. The key word is grown and sexy. Consider rocking more suits and less jeans and oversized shirts. Get a copy of International Male or GQ to see what the grown folks are sporting. Also check your shoes. Stay the hell out of Payless shoes ang get something that looks good on your feet. Real men wear gators, but if you can't afford them, you can't go wrong with Stacy Adams.
Jackets. Try to wear a sports coat when you can. Even with jeans, they improve the look and sets you apart. Remember the commercial for Just for men hair coloring when the guy says "The gray says experience but the color says energy"? same with coats and designer t shirts.
2. Your Dome
Lets face it, Jerry curls, mullets and High top fades are not coming back in style. On the other hand, wearing braids, bushy ***** ponytails make you look like you just left your parole officers office if you are over 30 and trying to sport it. The word is stylish but simple. If you are balding, just rock a a clean shave. in the 80's we use to make fun of the kids in school who were bald headed due to a bad hair cut, accident, cancer, ect. But then in 1985, a phenomenon named Michael Jordan came to be and history was changed forever.
Hats. There is a reason they are called baseball caps and that they were because they were designed for baseball. Younger cats can mix it up with their hip hop garb and attire, but it just doesn't mix well with suits.
3. Dance moves
Running man, Chinese Typewriter, Cabbage Patch. Again cool as hell 20 years ago, outdated now. With the exception of break dancing and b boying and possibly swing, No dance styles from the past have ever died out and made a successful comeback. We all have that relative at family reunions that loves to get up and show us how they got down back in the day and we thought they looked silly, but we still loved them for the effort. Guess what, one day that will be you up there doing the Troop.
The key is to look like you blend in, but don't put too much into the latest trend; dance routines. As a player, you really shouldn't be out on the floor that much anyway, unless some girl or girls pull you out there.
4. Club Venues
Unless you are specifically targeting a certain demographic, you should consider avoiding these types of clubs if you are over 35:
- 18 to enter, 21 to drink (16 if you have a fake id, tired of immature boys in my age group, you get the idea).
- Clubs with a weak or no dress code. If dudes can dress like they just got out of bed, they will (this should go for any age group)
- Clubs with rap/hip hop only mandates. If you are macking to a chick and things are going good, it was always a plus to get her on the floor when the slow jams came on. Nowadays, its like one long ass 106 and park episode.
5. Attitude. We are are own worst enemies when it comes to attitude. we think "I'm too old to be here and they know that" we might forget that still look like we are 20something; we can't fool our biological clock.
I hope these tips help older players. I thought about this as I am 39 myself and will hit the big 40 this summer.
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