There are times we all wished we looked like strength athletes, but the hours in the gym we’ve put in haven’t started paying off yet. Don’t fret! There are some faster ways to look more masculine that you can start doing right now. Combine these methods of how to look more masculine with your long-term goals, and you’ll be top of the male hierarchy in no time.
I recently wrote an article How to Be More Masculine: 9 Things You Must Start Doing, which focuses on how to act more masculine. This post will help you look more like a manly man.
Ditch the Teenager Look by Wearing Men’s Clothes
Your clothes are the first place you must start when you want to appear more masculine. Clothes, to a large extent, define gender; there are men’s clothes and women’s clothes. So it only makes sense that you should wear clothes further toward the male side to look more masculine. If you’ve ever wanted to become a Sigma male, you must learn how to dress.
I learned this late in life. After years of wearing a suit and tie every day to work, I wanted the comfort of an Abercrombie T-Shirt and lounge pants. So outside of work, I lived in them.
While it’s okay when you’re at home, I noticed that people related to me differently. For example, when wearing a shirt or a suit, I’d get better service, people were more friendly, and I’d even get more attention from women. You can even get upgraded on flights for wearing the right clothes. But, when I was in casual clothes, I just blended in with the crowd.
Outside the corporate setting, many men often wear gender-neutral clothing, which only makes them look less masculine. This includes:
- T-shirts
- Jeans
- Hoodies
- Sweat pants
There’s nothing wrong with wearing these items, but you must be aware that they won’t help if you want to look more masculine. So instead, add some of the more traditionally masculine clothing into your rotation.
- Shirts
- Polo Shirts
- Suits
- Chinos
- Sports jackets
These will accentuate your masculine features.
Have Your Hair Cut in a More Masculine Style
For most men, short hair looks more masculine.
Short hair gives military vibes as most military personnel keep their hair short, but you don’t need a buzzcut to look like a man. Here are a few rules to help you style a masculine haircut next time at the barbershop.
- Keep the hair on the sides of your hair very short. Your head will look more angular and chiseled, and it will accentuate your jawline.
- Keep long hair off the shoulders.
- Don’t try to hide a receding hairline; it makes you look less confident.
Stay Well-Groomed and Maintain Personal Hygiene
There’s something about the rough-looking oily mechanic or dirty tree logger, but you wouldn’t want them in your house before they’d washed up.
There’s nothing attractive about being dirty. Part of attractiveness is just staying on top of your daily showering and hygiene routine; it makes you look more youthful. A youthful appearance will do wonders for your manhood, especially after 30.
- Shower daily (does this even need to be said?)
- Maintain a simple facial routine to stop acne, make your face look its best, and overall skin care. Face scrub and moisturizer will keep your facial features fresh and help reduce wrinkles.
- Keep your teeth in healthy condition by brushing and flossing and look into teeth whitening (keep it natural-looking)
- If you grow a full beard, keep it trimmed; if not, shave daily with a decent razor (we can tell!)
- Use a little aftershave or cologne, enough that only those who come close will smell it.
Wear Manly Accessories
Although people often think that women get all the accessories, there are still tons of manly accessories you can add to your look to make you look more masculine.
Remember, however, that accessories enhance what you’re wearing and your overall style. So the accessories you wear must complement your look. So don’t think a Rolex will help you when wearing a T-shirt and sweatpants. Instead, here are some great men’s accessories you can try with your outfits.
- Watches
- Ties
- Pocket Square
- Tie clips or tie bars
- Rings
- Bracelets
- Necklaces or chains
- Wallets
- Glasses and sunglasses
- Hats
- Belts
- Cufflinks
- Lapel pins
- Scarves
- Gloves
- Bags
- Suspenders
- Headphones
Carry a Prop that Accentuates Your Masculinity
Certain items give off manly vibes, and others that don’t. If you’ve ever held a woman’s handbag for her, you’ll know exactly what I mean.
Of course, you can’t walk around carrying a toolbox everywhere you go, but there are items you can easily carry to give you a little masculine edge when needed.
Carrying a prop is a great conversation starter because people will ask you about it if they’ve nothing else to discuss. So create the illusion of masculinity by carrying one of these objects:
- A book – try one of Jocko’s
- A tool, spare part, or something broken gives DIY vibes.
- Cigars
- Dog leash (you might need a dog for this to work!)
Hobbies for men in their 30s often come will cool manly props you can carry around and use as conversation starters.
Improve Your Posture
Improving your posture isn’t just about bone structure; it also enhances the overall aesthetic of your body. Your shoulders will spread out further, making your look wider, and your chest will appear fuller, thicker, and more muscular. Your body will get more of a triangle shape which makes you seem stronger and thinner at the same time.
Gain Muscle Mass and Look Like an Alpha Male
Gaining muscle isn’t going o happen overnight (although there is a trick to look bigger instantly below), but as a long-term strategy to better your body proportions, increase your manliness and attract more of the opposite sex, increasing your body-to-fat ratio is king. It’s a great monk-mode idea to focus on.
From an evolutionary standpoint, a more muscular man is a better provider (hunter) and protector. Although we might not think in these terms today, something deep inside our genetics still keeps track of these things.
From a more modern point of view, getting in the gym and lifting some weights will make you look better in off-the-rack clothes which are not designed for a stereotypical man’s body. A bigger chest, boulder shoulders, and chunky arms will fill out a slim-fit shirt and ooze sexuality. The last thing you want is sagging clothes.
Putting on a few pounds of muscle increases testosterone. When we talk about becoming more masculine, testosterone is the secret sauce. Many methods to increase testosterone naturally online, but few of them work. Lifting heavy weights forces your body to adapt, become bigger and stronger, and it needs the male hormone testosterone to do it.
Higher testosterone levels do more than just make your muscles grow. It helps you lose weight, makes you more confident and decisive, and gives you more masculine energy.
Get a Pump
Use this trick for instantly swelling muscles for a photo shoot or your next Tinder profile pic: Get a pump.
Before bodybuilders go onto the stage, they pump their muscles full of blood by doing low-weight, high-rep lifts. Aim for about 30 reps, and watch your muscles swell up!
Don’t Be Afraid to Smile
Ever seen a grumpy man in the grocery store? He doesn’t look very masculine, right? An alpha male or sigma male type doesn’t walk around with a frown all day. They’re confident and successful, so they look happy and aren’t afraid to smile at you.
So if you want to look more successful, more approachable, and more manly, don’t forget to smile.
Smiling has been shown to reduce stress and even make you live longer. If you’re worried that people will think you’re odd or react negatively, try it and see. You’ll find that most people will smile back, act more courteously, and might even start a conversation with you.
FAQ
How to Create a More Masculine Profile Picture or Portrait?
You might be tempted to try flexing for the camera in the hope that you’ll come across as a big man; unfortunately, it’s likely to have the opposite effect. Unless you look like Arnold, trying to hit a bodybuilding pose for your profile pic will make you look pathetic. However, here are a few tips that will get you some good attention:
- Show off your tricep, not your bicep. The tricep is a more prominent muscle than the tricep, and it looks more manly; it’s used for lifting, throwing, and punching. Extending your arm straight down tenses it, so it will pop if you’re carrying something heavy.
- Wear a tight T-shirt. No matter how big your chest is, it will look more impressive with a tight T-shirt.
- Follow the other tips above.
Should I Try to Hide My Masculinity?
Recent cultural changes have some men worried about toxic masculinity, and some are even trying to hide their natural male sides. I recommend you be who you are, so if you’re a man, that means being manly. Trying to look more masculine is simply being a little more you.
