Why must we pay attention to "cleanliness" as we get older?
Nice to meet you, or thank you for your continued support. I have recently rebranded this magazine to "In Search of the Best Business Casual Style."
Until now, I have focused on the charm of cheap Casio watches, but I realized that to make a watch look stylish, the total outfit of the "person" wearing it, and their "cleanliness," are essential.
The theme of our memorable first issue is a universal question that no one can avoid: "Why must we pay so much attention to cleanliness as we get older?"
Even though you are wearing the same clothes as when you were younger, for some reason they suddenly don't suit you anymore. I will unravel the truth behind this feeling and the reasons why we need to face it seriously now.
The real reason why clothes from your youth "stop suiting you"
Once you pass your late 30s or 40s, there is a moment when your "favorite classic clothes from the past" stop suiting you surprisingly well. There are two main reasons for this.
1. Changes in body shape and flesh (the battle against gravity)
Even if your weight hasn't changed, your muscle mass decreases compared to your 20s, and it becomes easier to gain soft fat around your stomach and face. As a result, your body line (silhouette) loses its shape, and if you wear clothes of the same size as when you were younger, it inevitably creates a sense of "trying too hard to look young" or "sloppiness."
2. Changes in skin and hair texture (decrease in dullness and luster)
Whether clothes suit you or not is determined by the balance between your facial impression (skin and hair) and the texture of the clothing. As you age, your skin's moisture content decreases, leading to dullness, and your hair loses its shine. When you were young, you could offset wearing a "casual, washed-out, thin T-shirt" with the youthful glow of your skin. However, when the adult generation does the same thing, your skin quality is dragged down by the cheapness of the clothes, making you look "exhausted" overall.
Adult "cleanliness" diminishes if left unattended
It is a cruel reality, but the cleanliness of your 20s was guaranteed by your "material (youth) itself." You looked clean even without doing anything.
However, that is not the case once you pass 40. Changes in body odor (such as age-related odors), skin condition, and messy hair—the reality for adults is that "if left unattended, cleanliness automatically diminishes every day."
That is precisely why, in adult business casual style, "cleanliness" is not just grooming, but a "base layer" (foundation) as important as the clothes themselves.
No matter how high-end a jacket you wear, or how stylish a polo shirt from a select shop you put on, if that foundation of "cleanliness" is missing, everything is ruined. Conversely, if the base of cleanliness is maintained, even budget-friendly items like cheap Casio watches can be elevated into items for "fashion experts who use them as a deliberate contrast."
As the first step toward the "best business casual style"
As you age, it is perfectly natural as a biological being for your body shape to change and for age-related odors to occur. However, there is a huge difference in how cool your future life will be between giving up and doing nothing because "you're old," and accepting your changes logically and thinking, "So, how do I handle this?"
Choose clothes from select shops with good textures that fit your body shape.
Address the root cause of odors with supplements or quasi-drug shampoos.
On your wrist, wear a cheap Casio watch chosen for its value, not its price.
These are all connected. It is not just about relying on products, but about facing your age and your clothes from the ground up. That is the first step toward the "ultimate business casual style" we are aiming for.
Adults have a mature, smart coolness that can only be achieved now. I would like to explore the right answer to that together with all of you from here on.
(To be continued in Part 2)