HOW TO HAVE “SWAG”--Michelle

Cool. Style. Confidence. Groovy. Drip. All terms synonymous with “swag,” a word introduced to the contemporary mainstream in the mid 2000s by, none other than underrated rap artist DeAndre “Soulja Boy” Cortez Way. Being in the public consciousness for more than a decade, this way of life is still unattainable for most or hard to achieve. Have you ever found yourself wondering what it would be like to have swag? If by the end of this article you don’t have it, I’d be profoundly shocked

This pyramid describes the 5 levels of what my definition of “swag” consists of. The varying sizes of the areas are intentional due to the fact that not all levels are equally distributed.

Source Jean Michel Basquiat

01.                 “CONFIDENCE”

a.     The building block of what swag is, a feeling or belief of what many people lack which explains why a good portion of society doesn’t have swag

                                           i.         To have confidence does not directly coordinate with loving yourself, although it is a gateway philosophy that would enable you to self love. If you have low confidence you won’t be able to exude drip or wear fire fits, which are later on addressed in the ascending levels.

1.     ‘FAKE IT ‘TIL YOU MAKE IT’

a.     Building up confidence is extremely difficult to most people so by following this mantra, you will eventually trick yourself into establishing a solid faith in yourself.

                                                                                                 i.         Ways of doing this involve over compensating for your lack thereof by being cocky or braggadocious.

1.     A less contemptible approach would be to countdown before you do something that would otherwise stop you in your tracks due to no self confidence

a.      An example would be if someone who has little driving experience is supposed to go on the freeway and doesn’t belief in themselves that they can do it. To fake this confidence for a successful stroll down the 210, this driver would just say “3-2-1 I’m doing it.” Period.

b.    This can be applied to virtually anything, whether it be telling someone they’re dreams in life, asking someone out on a date, or even something as simple as wearing an outfit.

Source Jean Michel Basquiat

02.   SELF-APPRECIATION

a.     Many will confuse this level with confidence, yet they are two distinct layers. To have either one, you don’t need the other. Self appreciation is being conscious about who you are and being able to appreciate, embrace, and accept it.

                                           i.         To achieve this:

1.     Start off your mornings by admiring one unconventional thing about yourself and dedicating 2 minutes to think about why you are so grateful for its functionality and look on you.

a.     For example, you wake up and say “Today I am grateful for my wrists. They allow for my arms and hands to interact with each other so that I can create.”

b.    This will lead to conscious “auto-appreciation” and ascendant self esteem.

                                                                                                 i.         This level is crucial on your quest to achieving “swag” due to the fact that, if you can’t love yourself, how are you going to love your clothes.

1.     Keep in mind, swag is not just about fashion, rather it is a lifestyle.

Source Jean Michel Basquiat

03.                 OPEN MINDED

a.     Having swag will naturally draw people from all walks of life towards you and in order to “vibe” with these different characters you’ll need an open mind. Also, the essence of having swag will lead you to want to appeal to the unconventional, organically, and in order to properly execute these looks, one must be non judgemental. Crucially, this achievement will allow you to not be a hater and understand people’s concepts.

                                           i.         To achieve this:

1.     Reading more literature exposes you to the opinions and perspectives of cultures you may not have ordinarily come across on the day to day.

2.     Travel

a.     One doesn’t need a 401k to be able to travel to any location. You can even just drive to the other side of town and have an afternoon there, talking to the locals of that area.

Source Jean Michel Basquiat

04.                 STYLE

a.     [LIL BLACK JEAN JACKET, GOT VLONE ON IT- JORDAN CARTER]

b.    The level with the largest area, style, is the first thing people sense about your swag. Specifically, your “DRIP”. Seen as superficial to the norm, style doesn’t just stop at the surface, it goes deeper and allows for a way to express yourself. With your 2 previous levels achieved, confidence and self-appreciation, this will allow for your outfits to go twice as “hard”.

                                           i.         Out of all levels of swag, this is by far the most difficult to acquire because style cannot be bought, but drip can. [On God.] However, drip doesn’t necessarily require wealth if you have style. A paradoxical dilemma which stumps most from reaching peak swag. To achieve this:

1.     Find an aesthetic that works for you.

2.     Learn to distinguish what you like versus what has hype.

3.     Look for style icons that have swag.

4.     BE YOURSELF

a.     Prioritize this over trying to be different. If everyone is different, then everyone is the same. Effortlessly wearing what makes you you, is so “swag”. Due to your achievement of the previous three levels, you are able to wear out your swag through your style, open to criticism, being able to love your fit, and having the ability to learn and adapt to trends.

                                                                                                 i.         Note: Prioritize timelessness over trends. Ignore hype.

If you still need to seek some more guidance on swag, here are a few icons who are living it. All of these images display at least one level of swag from the pyramid.

Bella Hadid

Source bellahadid ig

Virgil Abloh

Source Getty Images

Lil Wayne

Source Getty Images

Playboi Carti

Source rayscorruptedmind ig

Michelle P

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