Rule: A gentleman understands the difference between matching and complementing
Pairing reinforces the gentleman's commitment to creating symbiotic harmony. Knowing style through truth, the gentleman avoids kitsch paired sets and creates his own masterpieces based on tacit knowledge and a keen sense of self.
Rule in practice: A gentleman intuitively pairs food and wine by country and region on a tertiary level, and his necktie and pocket square by pattern on an emotional one. It is the deep understanding of how life pairs that the gentleman uses to create jocular festivities and light hearted banter reinforced by subtle harmony.
Rule: A gentleman creates masterpieces that satisfy his body and soul
Trained in a variety of styles, the gentleman is able to prepare exquisite meals with minimal tools and preparation that sate hunger, quel thirst and convey his undying commitment to the culinary arts. Careful to use only the freshest and rarest of Earth's inner treasures, a gentleman understands the need for balance between immediate and sustainable culinary pleasure. Cooking according to the season the gentleman is able to extrapolate flavors and minimize seasoning. The result of such careful planning is a meal suitable for royalty, but deemed worthy to be the symbolic equivalent of his damsel's beauty.
Rule in practice: During the courtship of a lady, a gentleman can often prove his valor by taming the kitchen and returning victorious with multiple courses. Having armed himself with a variety of dishes, each meal the gentleman has prepared will carry his lady on a buccal journey that is the perfect equilibrium between erotic and conventional. Done properly, she will leave with an awakened sense of self and a deep gratitude for a meal that was as tantalizing as it was robust.
Rule: A gentleman's cultural capital affords him the luxury of relevance
Aware that the class system is dominated by those who have aggrandized cultural capital, a gentleman seeks to optimize his own capital to remain relevant amongst the upper echelon of the society in which he resides. This accumulation is a lifelong process that requires constant cultivating and tweaking. If accomplished, the habitus of the gentleman will be defined less by his panache and more by his finesse.
Rule in practice: One can observe this aggrandizement through the perfection of speech, the collection of fine works of art, and through scholarly degrees. This combination of cultural capital grants not just the luxury of relevance, but of authority as well.
Rule: A gentleman's suit is his psychological as well as physical armour
Amour protects the body on a corporeal level and the mental faculty on an intangible level. Relating the suit to armour reinforces the analogy of every day life to the battlefield. Thus, the quality of the gentleman's suit relates directly to his ability to be victorious in the social arena.
How to Select a Suit: While quality suits are as unique as personalities; guidelines exist. The most important things to consider are: the cut of the suit, the fabric it is made of, and the design of the jacket. To express further refinement one must also consider: the use of a waistcoat, the fit of the trousers, and the appropriateness of wearing breeches in various settings. The etiquette, accessories, and perceptions of suits shall be discussed ad absurdum in future posts.
Rule: A gentleman understands the relationship between commitment and doubt
Often times it is the beast that fails to understand the role of doubt in commitment; for example, when confronted by a suitor it is the beast who assumes an all or nothing mentality. This flawed logic holds doubt and commitment to be antagonistic towards each other. Although this might appear true prima facie, a gentleman realizes that the relationship between commitment and doubt is more complimentary then adversarial. Therefore commitment exists not without doubt, but in spite of it.
