What does it mean to be classy?
It doesn’t necessarily mean to be rich (or act as if you are).
Rather, being classy means behaving with grace, respectfulness, and confidence. When you act in a refined, discerning, and deliberate manner, you’re being classy.
And, more importantly, it’s the ability to remain like this in any situation.
From the way they speak to the way they dress and eat, lots of things go into being classy. So, if you notice these 11 behaviors, you’re dealing with a genuinely classy person.
1) They have integrity
Perhaps most importantly, people with class are people with integrity.
They are honest and sincere. They are trustworthy and honorable.
They have a strong moral code that isn’t swayed by temptation, greed, or struggle. Thus, they always do the right thing, no matter the situation.
They may act “softly” with how graceful they are, but the inner core of their character is rock-solid.
This is why people respect them! Everyone wants to be their friend, and they are even seen as leaders in many respects.
Other people may act classy when things are good and easy, but the real test of character and classiness is when times are tough. That’s when one’s integrity shines through.
2) They’re never late
Classy people are respectful—both to themselves and to other people.
As a result, they put a premium on other people’s time. They don’t value their own schedule above everybody else’s.
Rather, they manage their own time, so they don’t take too much from that of others. They’re always on time, no matter what the occasion is.
After all, being “fashionably late” is not being classy. It’s just being late.
On the rare occasion that they are late, they apologize sincerely and will strive to do better next time.
They don’t make any excuses like citing the heavy traffic. They take all accountability!
No wonder people always want them around.
3) They always have proper etiquette
Etiquette refers to the set of rules (often unspoken) and social expectations that people are subjected to in any given place or event.
Different places and different events will have different etiquette:
- Eating out in a restaurant;
- Attending a concert;
- Going to the gym;
- Thanksgiving dinner at home;
- Academic conferences or classes.
These all have different etiquette, and other situations will have their own etiquette as well.
Even within the same activities, it can also vary depending on the context. For example, eating at a fast food restaurant will have greatly different etiquette than eating at a fine dining one.
The etiquette at a pop concert may seem different than, say, a metal concert, which usually involves moshing and rough play.
And no matter the situation, a classy person always follows proper etiquette. If they don’t know the etiquette heading into a situation, they’ll research it first to ensure that they’re well-prepared.
4) They dress for the occasion
In the same vein, classy people also dress suitably for the occasion. It’s part of the following etiquette if you think about it.
They always know what to wear for any event. You’ll never catch them being underdressed or overdressed or just out of place in general.
They’ll never look out of place in a business meeting, nor will they ever seem too stuck up with what they’re wearing to a casual event. It’s part of the reason why they always exude confidence and elegance.
Don’t get me wrong, though; this doesn’t mean they have a boring sense of fashion. If anything, classy people tend to be quite fashionable, in my experience.
They’ll dress comfortably and in a way that suits the event at hand—but they always express themselves with their clothing choices, too, and they look great in it.
So, while they dress to fit in, they tend to add just a little extra flavor to their outfit to stand out (but not too much or in a bad way).
5) They’re confident—but not boastful
Classy people act with soft yet tangible confidence. They move deliberately, and it always seems like they know what they’re doing. (Like I said, they always come prepared!)
It’s always obvious that they’re comfortable with who they are. So, while they always follow etiquette and dress codes, people never feel like they’re being fake. They’re always being themselves.
It’s why they’re often so alluring and do great in social situations.
It’s important to note, too, that this self-assuredness never turns into cockiness. They have great self-esteem and have pride in their accomplishments, but they never boast about them nor do they try to hog all of the attention.
If anything, being cocky or boastful is the opposite of being classy!
6) They’re friendly
Classy people are not just gracious in how they behave, but they’re also gracious when it comes to interacting with other people.
It’s a misconception to think that classy people are stuck-up, cold, or even elitist. It comes from the belief that being classy means being high-class or rich.
In reality, classy people are incredibly warm to everyone around them.
That’s why you often see them:
- Initiating conversations;
- Asking questions about you (instead of talking about themselves all the time);
- Laughing at people’s jokes;
- Matching the energy of the people involved.
And when they’re met with someone who is rude or doesn’t quite match their energy, they know how to remove themselves from the situation in a polite, classy way as well.
7) They’re genuinely kind
Classy people aren’t just “nice”, however. Their politeness isn’t just for show—they’re genuinely kind as well.
Remember: classy people are honest and sincere. It’s not in their blood to fake being nice.
You’ll see them do kind, thoughtful acts all the time, even when it’s to their detriment. And what’s more, they don’t tell other people about it. It’s not classy to boast, after all.
Part of this is also being highly sensitive to the people around them. They’re mindful of their surroundings and can sense when someone is not feeling comfortable.
Then, they act considerately towards them or do what is best for the situation.
They sincerely want the best for people. And if that’s not class, I don’t know what is.
8) They’re knowledgeable and well-read
It may not be obvious at first, but classy people tend to be incredibly well-read. They read everything:
- Fiction;
- Poetry;
- The news;
- Feature articles.
I have a classy friend who even reads online forums and academic papers!
And they make it a point to read on a broad range of topics as well.
This is why they’re able to socialize so effectively with just about anyone. They can comfortably hold conversations about pretty much everything under the sun.
At the same time, they don’t act like know-it-alls. They know that there is always more to read or to know about the world. This is why they’re curious and open-minded as well.
9) They’re resilient
Classy people are not just calm even in the face of adversity—they’re resilient as well.
While not losing your composure is an admirable thing, being able to learn from struggle and recover from it is another thing.
While they’re soft and warm to other people, they’re also rock-solid and stoic when confronted with problems or even failure.
Being able to accept failure and, more importantly, bounce back from it is what strengthens their character. This is why they’re so confident and self-assured in themselves.
10) They’re adaptable
And one of the main underlying reasons why they’re so resilient is how adaptable they are.
I’ve said before that they’re open-minded, right? Well, they’re not just open-minded when it comes to theoretically talking about things, but also in practice.
They don’t believe in being rigid and being stuck to certain ways of doing things. They always look at things from different angles and try to be resourceful when solving a problem.
Of course, they’re also adaptable and flexible socially as well.
We’ve established that they can mingle with just about anyone.
This is partially because they’re well-read about a variety of topics but also because they’re open-minded enough to try out or learn about things they’re unfamiliar with.
11) They’re unselfish
Because of their resilience, they are also able to foster compassion towards other people.
Why? Because overcoming struggle requires a deep understanding of it. And because they understand it so well, they’re able to empathize with other people with their own struggles.
This leads them to act generously towards them. They offer what help they can, whether that’s material aid, advice, or even just a listening, empathetic ear.
In my experience, this generosity is not limited to personal relationships either. Classy people are often heavily involved in their localities as well, doing what they can to give back to their communities.
It’s one of the main reasons why they’re looked at so fondly!
Summing up: how can I be classy?
I hope it’s abundantly clear that one economic class doesn’t equate to classiness. There are lots of rich people who are not classy!
It’s about who you are and what you do.
And if you think that you’re not classy? Well, maybe you’re not classy yet.
I wrote this article not just because I wanted to describe what it means to be classy but also to help people become classy in doing so!
As I’ve said countless times before, if you want to, you can change and be better. Class mobility is a thing, yeah?
