10 Fashion Tips for Nerds

Everyone has an inner nerd somewhere...I most certainly do! If you're a nerd, you should absolutely embrace it, but don't set yourself up to be ridiculed when you wear things that don't flatter you and most certainly doesn't separate you from the stereo typical nerdy look. I'm going to name off 10 nerdy things that you may currently be wearing and tell you what you can replace it with...AND still feel comfortable. Here it goes!

Company logo shirts are a no-no.

1. Company Logo Shirts: C'mon really?  Are you really wearing that?  Now unless it is a fabulous stylewithanna shirt...your IT company logo screams "HI I'M A NERD, I JUST THOUGHT I'D LET MY COMPANY DRESS ME."  No honey, NO!  Company logo shirts are free and meant to be used if you must wear that to work, or for laundry day, or when you're doing yardwork or painting or any other household chores where it is acceptable to "rough it".  If you're a t-shirt and jeans kind of person, that's fine!  Try layering different colored t-shirts with no logo, or if you're going to go with a logo, brand name honey -- that's what they're there for.  Same goes for polos: brand name or no name is fine.  Now make sure if you're a skinny guy, you don't shop in the kids section for your t-shirts where your shirt barely covers your belly button.  Get a shirt that is at least halfway down your butt.  And make sure it's not too wide or too fitted. A rule of thumb: if you spread your arms out to the side, you should have about 1" to 2" between you and the t-shirt on either side of you. Find your own swagger though!  Feel confident in what you're wearing and don't show your insecurities.
2. Tucked in Shirts: Now when you tuck in your shirt, don't tuck it in all the way and then walk out the door!  You must pull some shirt out so it doesn't look so uptight.  Of course dress shirts and certain occasions call for tucking in your shirt, but if you're out with friends, relaaaaax.  Pull out your shirt and it will actually help you feel more comfortable in most situations.  Same rules apply with buttoning your shirts.  You should not button them so far up that people need to perform CPR on you because you've choked and passed out.  Please do not button your shirts all the way up! It's extremely uncomfortable to do and to look at! One of the ways you can exude confidence is by relaxing and really looking like you're relaxed.  Unbutton the top 1 or 2 buttons and wear a white undershirt.  It makes you more comfortable with your look and your body, and less awkward in social situations.


Let Dad handle the pleats...rock a more flattering cut.

3. Pleated Pants: I don't even know why these things exist.  Pleated pants never looked good on anyone!  It makes your hips look big and when you sit down, it puffs up and gives you an air roll at your crotch area.  Not hot!  When you're wearing dress pants, go for a straight fit.  It fits better and is definitely more flattering!
4. Gym Shoes: I know they're comfortable, but if you're going to go with comfortable shoes, go with something not so bulky. Instead of gym shoes, go for something similar to these Payless Airwalk Kicks.They're inexpensive, comfortable, light weight and trendier.
5. Phone Clipped on Belt: Unless you're in business attire or sell cell phones at the mall, you should never clip your phone to your belt.  It's bulky and weighs down one side of your pants which sometimes result in showing your underroos.  Definitely do not clip your phone onto your belt if you have a ghetto phone!  I've seen it, it's not good. If you haven't spent the extra money to upgrade your phone, it needs to be hidden in your pocket.  Just don't do it, it's tacky!
6. Fat Wallets: Wait a sec...is that a third buttcheek? No, it's your wallet! I know you don't carry around that much cash, so why is your wallet so fat??  Sometimes those receipts that we can't bear to throw away, needs to be thrown away!  Clean out your wallet once a month and ditch any old receipts or papers that may be fattening up your wallet, causing you to be lopsided when you sit down.  There is no reason to look like you have a 3rd buttcheek when we spend so much money trying to slim down the 2 that we already have.  Clean out your wallet!
7. Jackets: In order to stay warm and look good, you have to shop for one that fits you properly.  Guys can throw on a jacket and look so slick and stylish.  I love the look on guys during the winter time when they layer on sweaters, a jacket and scarf...hot.  Make sure it flatters your figure.  I do not want to see bubbly jackets with the tight elastic at the bottom cutting off your circulation and making you look all round and puffy on top.  Here are some options to consider.
8. Eyewear: Let people see your eyes!  Let people know who you really are and let them look into your eyes.  Don't use your glasses to hide behind -- people want to get to know you and you want to get to know them.  If you're hiding, you're not giving other people the time of day and that's why people stay away from you.  Now I'm not always suggesting that you have to wear contacts.  If you're more comfortable with glasses, there are such things as trendy glasses. Bring a fashionable friend or consult with the eyewear specialist to find the frames that are trendy and fit your face. Frames Direct offers a huge selection of designer frames.
9. Hair: You guys give me no median here.  You either have way too much gel here and your hair looks like a comb over helmet, or it's too messy like you just rolled out of bed.  Try using hair wax.
   It gives you a more natural look and still holds your hair in place so it's easy to style and it doesn't give you that stiff hair effect.
10. The Unibrow: Yes....this is classic.  In no way shape or form would you ever need a hair trail that goes from one side of your forehead to the other.  Wax, shave, pluck, do whatever you need to do to separate your eyebrows.  You are supposed to have 2.  You have 2 eyes, and an eyebrow goes on top of each one of those beautiful eyes.  Not in the middle somewhere random by itself.  Do not let yourself be made fun of when you can easily get rid of the unibrow.  Check back for future post on the best hair removal techniques, but for now, any technique you use to remove that hair is absolutely necessary!

There you have it, your first few steps to being a more fashionable nerd.  It's ok to embrace your inner nerd!  My tips are for you to not get yourself made fun of to have even more issues to tell your therapist about.  Hope this helps, if you have questions, leave me comments!

How Guys REALLY Feel About Bras

Matt Hosley is just an everyday guy who encounters strange things. He  currently resides in Lexington, KY and has his own hilariously entertaining blog, Strange Situations. He will be joining us as a guest blogger from time to time, to give us the his take on fashion, beauty, and women.

In the eighth grade during spirit week each day was devoted to a different theme.  There was Maroon and Gold day (where students dressed in the school colors), twin day (where you and a friend dress like alike), and cross dress day (I think this one is self explanatory).  I honestly don't know how cross dress day was approved, but as the self proclaimed most spirited guy in the school (later I was actually voted most spirited by the students and teachers in my eighth grade yearbook) I had to dress like a woman.   My mom would never have let me leave the house in a dress, wig, pantyhose, and bra so I had to borrow them from my cousin and change in the bathroom during homeroom.

Turns out that most of the students skipped this spirit day, but I was in full on female clothing.  I stuffed my bra with toilet paper like many of the girls in my class did on a daily basis and by the end of first period I had a rash where the wire on my bra was rubbing against my boyish pecks.  I was also sweating profusely through the bra which was starting to smell like my athletic supporter and cup after a long baseball game in 100 degree weather.  I know it is said that girls do not sweat, they glisten, and this is the first time I actually believed this statement.  Girls don't typically smell like my athletic supporter and cup, so they must not sweat while wearing a bra.  I found the material to be very itchy as well.  By third period the bra was in my backpack, I'm sure whoever got my french and math books the following year wondered why they smelled like boy crotch.

By the end of the day I was wondering how girls wear a bra everyday, it is a headache and a hassle.  It wasn't until several years later that I experienced a bra from the other side of equation.  Guys always complain about how hard it is to get a bra off of a girl in the heat of the moment.  Every once in a while I would have trouble, but for the most part a quick snap of my fingers and the bra would be unhooked and I would be trying to rip it off and throw it on the floor.  I guess guys get nervous in the midst of passion. They struggle to get the bra off because they are worried about not living up to the girls expectations and they stumble and shake as they mess with the metal hooks on the back of the bra.

Taking a bra off while you are shaking with nerves is like trying to draw a straight line during an earthquake.  What makes it hard is that you have to be gentle and suave while you are doing it, you can't just pull and tug or you will either A: rip the bra, or B: turn the girl off.  If I had to pick the worlds best bra removers it would be, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, The Fonz, and Ellen DeGeneres.  Let me explain... the first two are inhuman athletes, they perform under pressure better than just about anyone on the planet.  They would be calm and cool during the process of removing the bra and have no trouble seeing the treasure held behind them.  The Fonz and Ellen both have experience taking off several bra's and are not as good under pressure but have so much experience it is second nature to them.

I have gone bra shopping with girls and it is horrible.  They always want to know my opinion on the bra.  I do not care what the bra looks like, guys do not care what the bra looks like.  When bra shopping you should base your decision on the following factors, comfort and then price.  That is it, nothing more.  Honestly, how often does someone else see your bra?  If you have a boyfriend he most likely only sees it for a few minutes before it is in a pile on the floor, and even then a lot of the time the light is off anyway.  Guys typically don't care what the bra looks like, they care about what is behind the bra.  When was the last time a guy carassed your bra?  Do you know why?   Guys don't care about bras.

Every once and a while it is nice to have a nice lingerie bra that can set the mood, but don't spend a lot of time or money deciding. Guys who like boobs are not going to care if the bra matches your panites and how much lace is on it.  A bra can be sexy but don't spend a lot of money investing in something that has little to no use on a day to day basis.  If the bra is comfortable, and it fits, buy it.

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