By Scott Keith –

It is time for me to wax nostalgic today. My generation, I think, destroyed “classy” and this generation is doubling down on our destruction. This somewhat bombastic statement begs the question: what does it mean to be classy? Being classy has many and varied aspects to its meaning; being classy means to be stylish without being gaudy or loud, being classy means to carry oneself well with gracefulness. One, who is classy, aspires to have a timeless beauty or handsomeness. Most of all, to be classy is never to be trashy. To be classy is a good thing.

Classy people coordinate. Everything from their clothes to their accessories, to their attitude; everything seems to fit together. Classy women know that they don’t have to show the rest of the world “everything” up front in order to be attractive and even sexy. They know that they are sexy and what they wear merely accentuates the mystery that makes them sexy in the first place.

Being classy isn’t about being prude; it is about having a sense of self-respect deep enough to rely on who you are to be attractive, and not just how much of your underwear you can show in public. Classy women will always be more beautiful than attractive women who wear their underwear on the outside.

Classy people have intimate relationships, friendships, and acquaintances, and they know the difference. They don’t allow themselves to be too familiar or intimate with people with whom they are only acquaintances. Further, those who are classy will know that a friend is not someone whom they only interact with via digital media. True friendships are very personal, even dear, and require at least an occasional face-to-face interaction. Finally, classy people court, date, romance one another, even love one another, but they never “hook-up.” It’s just not classy! Those who are classy know that the relationships that they have now are meant to lead toward finding a more long-term––dare I say––even permanent relationships down the road.

Classy people know when to dress up and when to dress down. They don’t show up to help a friend move in a suit and tie and they don’t show up to church in shorts, flip-flops, and a T-shirt. Again, it’s just not classy. They understand that some occasions are special, and they dress accordingly. Taking my wife out to a nice dinner at The Chart House, requires that I know I’m not having a beer at the local dive bar. Being classy takes enough intelligence and discernment to know that different venues require the classy person to comport themselves in a way that matches their surroundings. Further, even when classy people dress down, they are never, never, trashy. The men keep their shirts on, and the women leave their butt cheeks inside of their clothing. Why? Because they are too classy to do otherwise.

Again, this is nostalgia, and I know we can never, and probably will never go back. I know, as I have said, that it was probably my generation that confused the issue in the first place. After all, we are famous for taking the rules that were already broken and smashing them into a million pieces. Maybe I look with a romantic eye on the TV shows, movies, and pictures that I see from the 50s and 60s. But maybe that’s okay. I have been known, in my day, for breaking many of my own “classy rules.” I still aspire to be classy. Do you? Remember, stay classy people! And tell me what classy means to you.