First Date Fashion Disasters

February 20, 2009 by Anna
Filed under Ask the Guys

I have been with my fiance now for almost 7 years. Our first date, he wore a short white t-shirt (as if he just took his work shirt off and kept his undershirt on), washed out jeans that were way too big in proportion to his tiny shirt, and bulky black Etnies (FYI: he is not a skater). I fell in love anyways. However, I would like to point out that I will never ever forget his hideous outfit. Thank God he has a personality because his looks alone wasn't going to get him anywhere. Seven years later, I am happy to say that the black Etnies are no longer in the house. Thus, making us a much happier and more stylish couple. I mean, have you guys ever seen a size 13 pair of Etnies? It's pretty ridiculous. It's like 2 black ships on the Pirates of the Caribbean.

Anyhoo, I am addressing this because I felt that even though he was very charming on the date, I didn't consider it an official date because of the way he dressed. I did follow him home from work (no I am not a stalker, at least not on the first date. We worked together.) and we went out to dinner immediately afterwards. Maybe he was nervous and forgot to lay out an outfit, maybe he forgot to do laundry, or maybe he just didn't have a clue. Whatever the case was, I did not let him live it down. And I'm not the only one that has experienced odd fashion choices by guys on the first date. Let's review 3 cases:

Case#1: Bolo Tie Man
"After doing some heavy flirting for months with this guy I worked with, he finally asked me out on a date. I was so excited! We planned to go to a dinner and a movie and I spent hours in the bathroom getting ready. Eight o'clock rolls around and I hear a knocking at my door. My heart was pounding and I was nervous and giddy all at the same time. I reach for the doorknob and slowly open the door thinking, "what am I going to say? How big should I be smiling?" Before I could decide on what to do, I opened the door to a bolo tie staring back at me. Confused and extremely curious what the rest of the ensemble could possibly look like, I did a scan from head to toe. A darker small striped button up shirt, the bolo tie, tight black jeans, and cowboy boots. What in the world?! After working with this guy for 3 years, he had no mention that he was a closet cowboy. Turns out he isn't a cowboy at all. He just had no clue on how to dress. I ended up marrying him but not before I took years to perfect his style. But I will never forget the first date because of the outfit."

Dear Mrs. Bolo Tie,

You are a great woman. I don't know how my reaction would be if I had a bolo tie staring back at me. Seriously though, who wears those? It's like a tie/necklace and it needs to be banned. However, I do appreciate his coordination, as his outfit was very themed. Thank goodness you were forward enough and he was open enough to let you redo his style. All I have to say is, it must be love if there was a bolo tie.

Anna

anime shirt Case#2: Anime Cartoon Character
"I knew this guy through some friends and we thought lets hang out on a first date. Something with not a lot of pressure so we ended up going to the park and having a picnic. I understand the casual occasion, but what was presented to me was incredibly interesting. He showed up with a horrendous anime shirt (he was about 27 years old at the time) and floral board shorts with coordinating colors. I was speechless and a little repulsed. Because he was a gentlemen on the date, I gave the relationship a go for 2 years and found that an anime shirt also came with Bruce Lee posters and other baggage so it ended. We honestly got into a lot of disagreements and he just wouldn't put away the anime shirts. I knew it was time."

Dear Sailor Moon,

Wow....I did not know what an anime shirt was. I wonder why they make these in adult sizes. I think it's only ok for kids to wear it to sport their favorite cartoons. However, for a 27 year old man...I'm glad you got out. Unless you were an anime fanatic yourself, what would you talk about? You wouldn't be able to hear him over his loud shirt. It's almost forgivable if he didn't try to pair it with floral board shorts. That is amazing. Congratulations, you dodged being Mrs. Sailor Moon.

Anna

crazy hair Case#3: Sideshow Bob
"I knew this guy through mutual friends and we had only started talking online. After months and months of talking, we finally decided to have our first date at the museum. Boy was I in for a treat. The fashion, not that bad. He was into vintage almost garage sale clothes and it was not good, but it wasn't horrendous. It was the hair! He showed up at my door with an afro of dirty unwashed hair. I gagged a little. Then I was confused. Did he not know we were going to the museum? This is a perfect way for us to get kicked out! Anyway, I dated him for about a month or two and finally had to end it because he was a huge asshole. I should've known. All of the signs were right there on his head."

Dear 1month Afro Lover,
So you were hypnotized by the hair. It has happened to me before. And funny enough, mine was a complete a-hole too! So, rule of thumb: If your first date is sporting the fro, run for your lives! It is no longer the 70s and I don't think the fro is coming back in style. Put it away. Also, If you have dirty unwashed afro hair, you need an AMAZING personality. Or a haircut before you get off treating people badly. Did the hair stink? Ugh, nothing worse than smelly bad hair or smelly anything for that matter. You were smart to get out soon. I hear your boyfriend now is an absolutely hotty! Congratulations!

Anna

So there it is...Guys, let's put some effort into our outfits shall we? You want to dress like you, but a little better. If girls are spending 2 hours in the bathroom getting ready for her date, I say you should put in the same effort. Let the girl know that you want to impress her with how you groom and style yourself. It's hot!

Links à la Mode Feb 19th: The Independent Fashion Blogger Roundup

February 19, 2009 by Anna
Filed under Miscellaneous

Fashion Tips for the Skinny Guy

February 18, 2009 by Anna
Filed under Ask the Guys

12 Comments

Girls are insecure about being fat and guys are insecure about being skinny. But with a little bit of self confidence and some tricks to creating an illusion of a heavier frame, you should get over this insecurity in no time. Here are some tips to adding 10lbs to your figure and giving you the swagga you need.

Skinny Rocker Look
Are you skinny AND a rocker? If so, you're in heaven. Rockers usually have a smaller frame (perhaps it's easier to jump around on stage without all that extra weight and muscle) and girls love it! For this style, you must be skinny and proud so show off your figure. Wear smaller shirts, fitted jeans, and a light jacket. Accessories are your friends. Wear colored and/or studded belts, leather bracelets, maybe a hat, and layer on different types of accessories. Side note: if you go this route with your style, you may have to get tattoos and piercings to be more legitimate, thus attracting types of the girls mentioned in our tattoos post.

the skinny rocker look

Skinny Urban Look
Layers honey! Layers layers and even more layers. Use light jackets and coats to your advantage. I recommend only going one size up on t-shirts. Of course that depends on the manufacturer, but I notice that skinny guys who go for humungo t-shirts end up looking like they're drowning in their clothes. One to two (that's really pushing it) sizes up is enough because once you layer your shirts, it will look bulkier and you will fill into that one size up better. And as for jeans, go for a slightly baggier fit, but don't mess around with going with sizes too big. Baggy jeans are already very wide and big and if you go too many sizes up, it will look like you're wearing parachute pants. Needless to say, you'll spend the whole day pulling your pants up and unless you're a rebel teenager, that's not cool anymore. Please do not unflatter yourself on purpose. Oh and I must address the bling. If you're wrists are too small, go for a medium size face on your watch. Nothing worse than having a huge watch spin around on your wrist all day. Uncomfortable and unsightly. As for the chains: Do not wear a super thick one. It'll look too heavy on your body frame and weigh you down. Go for dog tags and a beady chain. That way it gives the illusion of something thicker, but still doesn't overpower you.

the skinny urban look

Skinny Preppy Look
The preppy look is very beneficial because you have the button up shirts and the sweaters and vests to bulk up your frame. The best way to cheat is by going for thicker materials or layering 2 or 3 different types of shirts. For example: undershirt, button up, pullover and or sweater. Rock the trench coat and layer on a scarf during the winter (or a lighter scarf during hotter seasons). For pants, go for a relaxed or straight fit. Remember, no pleats! On a skinny guy, the pleats are even more apparent. You can always wear a slightly thicker ring for more girth, or even leather bracelets, but that would be enough. Sport the man bag for school or work!

justin timberlake - skinny preppy

Nerdy Chic
Alright nerds, you know I love ya. For this look, thick plastic framed glasses, cuffed jeans, button up shirt, bow tie, sweater cardigan, a scarf, a man bag, and top it off with a hat. Did you remember how skinny you were just now? Of course not, as there's a lot of coordination going on. I love this look because it's so themed and you can definitely have a lot of fun with it. Commit to the look and embrace your inner nerd -- it's hot right now.

nerdy chic

Ok guys, I hope that you get the idea of adding on weight to you frame. The trick is to layer and use thicker materials, and divert the attention by utilizing more accessories. If I didn't cover your specific style, leave me a comment and let me know! I may dedicate a whole post just to help you out. And of course, like everything else, confidence is the key to every style!

Crazy Japanese 3D Nail Art

February 17, 2009 by Anna
Filed under Hair & Makeup

10 Comments

Wow this is really cool and weird and a little bit creepy, but I think I'm diggin it! Remember when a manicure consisted only of slapping on some red paint, a top coat and calling it a day? But then we got more creative and started airbrushing little designs on our nails, sometimes sticking diamond decals to spice things up. Well it has been taken to a whole other level and these nail technicians are taking their art very seriously!

My friend recently invited me to go with her to get Japanese 3D nail art done. I wasn't sure what she was talking about, but after doing some research on it, it has opened my eyes to a whole other dimension in the world of manicures. This technique got big in Japan about 5 years ago and it is starting to get more popular here in the US. In fact, it is so popular in Japan that they actually hold contests to see who can turn out the most outrageous and wildest designs. These artists go crazy with the embellishments using feathers, diamonds, pearls, jewels -- basically everything but the kitchen sink. The results? Kind of insane, busy and crazy, but for a special occasion, I think it's fun to switch up the old predictable manicure. I only have one question.....how does one go to the bathroom without....snagging...or.....things getting in the way? Hey I had to ask, you know you were wondering it too...

Where to buy Japanese 3D Nails:
If you're looking to buy some 3D nails, ebay and ioffer have some wild and unique nail sets for cheap, although I personally think ebay is more trustworthy.

Check out these wild and crazy 3D nails (click photo to enlarge):