The growing trend of male image and face value is obvious without even referring to fashion magazines; it is clearly visible in TV dramas and films. Once, the transformation of "ugly duckling" style through clothing and styling was a plot device exclusive to women's films such as *My Fair Lady* and *Miss Congeniality*. Meanwhile, men's transformations were always akin to the "Spider-Man" style of power-based changes. However, today, besides Carl's story, Tom Hanks' new film *Larry Crowne* similarly tells the story of the metamorphosis of a middle-aged man who wears oversized polo shirts and khaki shorts. Not to mention TV series like *Mad Men* and *White Collar*, which feature meticulously dressed elite men. It seems that mastering the philosophy of dressing not only can win back your loving wife or secure a Julia Roberts-level beauty, but it is also an indispensable element for success in the workplace. Coco Chanel once said, if a woman dresses poorly, people will notice her clothes, but if she dresses flawlessly, people will focus on the woman herself. This applies equally to men.
Take a look at the recently popular films *Crazy, Stupid, Love* and *Larry Crowne*, and you'll understand just how important it is for men over 40 to dress well. There was a time when you were in your prime, getting dressed up every day for the girls and for your career before stepping out to face the world. Now, as you enter your forties, your career has stabilized, and your marital life has gradually lost its passion due to the passage of time. If you think you no longer need to care about what you wear, then perhaps a midlife crisis is right around the corner.
The Hollywood film *Crazy, Stupid, Love*, which was released not long ago, tells the story of Carl (played by Steve Carell), who faces a midlife crisis and his wife leaving him. With the help of the suave ladies’ man Jacob (played by Ryan Gosling), Carl transforms his image and rediscovers himself. This is a romantic comedy focused on men, and also a movie about men’s fashion, with the evolution of Carl’s clothing driving the story forward. Carl's old New Balance shoes represent the key to his failed marriage. The issue isn't that he hasn't awakened to the pursuit of luxury brands for his wife, but rather that the long-term marriage has made him numb and lazy, no longer caring about what he wears or does, and no longer cherishing his wife. Even for rare romantic dinners for two, he doesn't bother to dress up. When his wife frankly admits to having an affair and proposes divorce, Carl chooses to jump out of the car to avoid hearing it, using the division of assets as a way to evade the situation. Jacob's critique hits the nail on the head: "Your wife left you because you lost yourself, forgot how to be a man, a husband, and probably also forgot how to be a lover."
In a restaurant with beautiful lighting and an excellent atmosphere, tables filled with champagne and delicious food are surrounded by couples teasing each other by rubbing their ankles under the table. At this moment, the camera shifts to reveal the scene under the main character's table: a pair of elegant Prada high heels and a pair of dirty New Balance 407 sneakers, facing each other. The problem thus becomes clear, and the next words spoken by this Prada-wearing woman to her husband fall perfectly in line with the audience's expectations — she has had an affair and wants a divorce.
Coco Chanel once said, if a woman dresses poorly, people will notice her clothes, but if she dresses impeccably, people will notice the woman herself. This applies equally to men.
Middle-aged men experiencing a wardrobe crisis
This statement actually reflects the situation many middle-aged men are going through. Their careers have entered a stable phase, their marital lives have gradually lost passion due to the passage of time, everything seems taken for granted, and they believe that nothing in front of them requires any effort to maintain, allowing themselves to let their waistlines expand, their hairlines recede, and their clothes become loose and shabby. When Carl first sees the well-dressed Jacob in a bar, he mockingly calls him "gay," thinking that caring about appearance is a sign of lacking masculinity, reserved only for homosexual men. Little does he know that those days are long gone.