5 Stylish & Trendy Hats For Guys

Men have been sporting hats way before women. It was first used as protective headgear, then as a status symbol, and now more importantly as a fashion accessory. I love this because I don't think guys have enough accessories to choose from like women do. So I'm glad that a lot of guys are sporting the baseball hats regularly. But what if you want to venture into some cooler hats to top off your look? Well, lucky for you there are so many styles to choose from. Here are 5 of my favorites.

1. The Newsboy Cap
If a beret and a baseball hat had a baby, their love child would be a newsboy cap (also known as a Gatsby Cap.). This hat does not discriminate against age as it looks good on guys of all ages. Ashton Kutcher is looking very well put together here and I'm glad we're not seeing him with his usual trucker hats. His angular features offsets the roundness of the top of the hat and it compliments him perfectly. Go with a more dressed up look like Ashton did, or pair a newsboy cap with a casual t-shirt and jeans situation. It works with almost anything and everything.

 

2. The Flat Cap 
The flat cap is very similar to the newsboy cap, but it's cleaner and more structured. It's as if someone couldn't figure out how to wear the beret, so they added a stiff brim to hold it in place. I am one of those people who find that berets can be annoying to fiddle around with, so I'm glad they came out with the flat hat that has more rhyme and reason to it. I love this style because it trends up any outfit and it is flattering on most face shapes. Brad Pitt is no exception. He looks very stylish wearing this flat cap, paired with a simple black tee and jacket. But what doesn't look good on Brad?

 

3. The Cowboy Hat
Some girls really like the John Wayne cowboy look. For me, a cowboy hat only looks hot without the cowboy boots and tight jeans. I know I use David Beckham a lot as an example, but he's just really good at this stuff isn't he? Anyhoo, I love the simple white tank and baggy jeans. I'm even liking the sling pack or murse he's wearing. The result: a very relaxed and effortless look. So if you feel like going for a more casual look, consider cowboy hats like these to complete your ensemble.

 

4. The Fedora Hat
I love the fedora hat when worn with just a t-shirt and jeans. If you were to wear it with a dressier outfit, it might look too much like a costume. With a simple t-shirt, jeans and some appropriate necklaces or leather bracelets, give yourself a more rocker look, as Johnny Depp so successfully shows off here. You should definitely add a fedora hat like this to your collection if you want to have more rustic and edgy style. It's the perfect accessory!

 

5. The Beanie
T.I. is looking very tough sporting the beanie in this pic. It's funny how the beanie started off as a dorky hat, made with felt and a propeller on top. It's now worn as a street look and the results are hot. Now I have seen the beanie worn on the red carpet by rockers and musicians, but they are the exception. I think this look is better paired with everyday wear. Note: Do not pull the beanie too low over your eyes as a driving precaution. Plus it just looks stupid.

Links à la Mode Feb 12th: The Independent Fashion Blogger Roundup

• Breakfast at Saks - Must Have Shoes: Omelle
• Capitola Girl Jewelry Blog - All the rage of resin jewelry.
• Dogmom’s Dish - Flash-tastic Golf Fashion From Across The Pond
• dramatis personae - On Member Only Shopping Sites
• fashion in my eyes - Miami love
• Fashion Pulse Daily - Fashion Pulse Daily: Check out our pick for a funny (yet fashionable) Valentine’s Day gift.
• Fasshonaburu Fashion - Winter to spring transition style tips
• féte a féte - Fascination with Fascinators!
• Independent Fashion Bloggers - Photos you can use on your blog without breaking the law
• produzentin - produzentin’s online shopping guide
• Retro Chick - Have you got that Lovin’ feeling? Stylish & Ethical Gifts for Valentines Day.
• Shopping and Info - Shopping and Info has lilac and lavender tops and dresses in mind for the spring color of the season.
• Solo Lisa y Nada Mas - Get the luxe look of an Alexis Mabille tie waist skirt for less
• Star Fashion Addict - Fun valentine gifts under .00
• Studio Purpura Fashion Blog - Christopher Deane - Emerging Designers Who Embrace the Lace & Love the Chiffon!
• Style Symmetry - How To Host a Clothing Swap Party!
• The Art of Accessories - Show the man in your life some love this Vday!
• THE COVETED - Elixirs of Love
• The Subadult Years - Ethics versus service… what is more important?
• Thrift Eye - Shoe Typeface

Does Smooth Away Really Work?

If you've read my Hair Removal Techniques post, you'll learn that with beauty comes pain. But not with the Smooth Away! Ok, I'll admit... when I first saw the commercial for Smooth Away on TV, I was a bit skeptical.  Then I was walking around at one of those expos where you can actually try the product and I was STILL skeptical.  They did a demonstration on a small area of my arm. At first I thought it was cool -- until I looked at the side of my arm and it looked like my hair was still there.  So I immediately thought, "This doesn't work, it's just another gimmick". Then I recently went to Walgreens and I stumbled upon Smooth Away once again.  For only $9.99, I thought, fine!  I'll try it again.  It says that it exfoliates your skin, so if it doesn't remove the hair, at least my skin will be silky smooth, right?  Well I took it home and tried it on one arm and the results were night and day!  The arm that I used Smooth Away on was smooth like a baby's butt and there were no signs of any hair, while the other arm was still rough, dry and hairy.  So then I went crazy and used it all over my body and now I frickin love this product!  Not only do the mini crystals file down the hair, it exfoliates away any dead or dry skin, leaving you feeling super smooth and soft.  I'm curious to see how long it takes for the hair to grow back. So far, it's been a week and nothing.  Of course results vary, but this is a super easy and painless way to remove your hair and exfoliate your skin.  You have to have to have to try this product.  I love it!!!

Note: when you go to purchase this product, do not order from their website or commercial!  It's a complete rip off when they say they'll give you 2 sets for $14.99+shipping and handling.  A lot of bad reviews came up for this product simply because people ended up paying like $50, which is way too much.  You can purchase Smooth Away for much less on eBay (do not pay more than $10 for 10 pads) or at your local Walgreens/CVS store.  Happy filing your hairs aways!

Tattoos on Women: A Guy’s View

Jay Hornback is a very dear old friend of mine. He is a tall, handsome soccer player who works as an IT consultant all over the country. He currently resides in Atlanta and will be giving his thoughts and experiences with women.

People have been getting tattoos for a longer time than I want to research on Wikipedia, and everybody has their opinion on their attractiveness. Here's mine.

Let me start out by saying that I personally do not have any tattoos, but I have seriously thought about getting one. I’ve just never found a design that I was so inspired or in love with that I knew I would never regret getting it being permanently marked on my body. I can’t rule it out in the future.

And now to the heart of the argument: Do guys think that tattoos are attractive on females? Hopefully I can speak for the average guy. I’ve dated women that hated tattoos, some with very small and concealed tattoos, and I have dated others (well, one) that had a giant design on her back and multiple others on her ankles, hips and legs.

Rule #1:
Keep it classy.

If a girl is going to get a tattoo, it shouldn’t keep her from getting a job. I know that some employers don’t care about expressing yourself on your skin, but you won’t be working there forever. What does this have to do with attractiveness? Well, I like girls that are classy. A girl can have the hottest evening gown on, and a bad tattoo can ruin it. A well-concealed tattoo can be a turn on when it is revealed – it adds a little mystery. “Yes, I have a tattoo, but I can’t show you here…” Some ideal locations include: inside of the wrist, behind the ear, lower hip/pelvis (front or back), shoulder blade, ankle, and toe.

Some undesirable areas include: cleavage (visible on a moderately low cut top), neck, lower back (see #2 below), thigh, calf, or forearm. I’m not saying that I would never like a tattoo in these areas, but it would take something very unique and extraordinary girl for me to overlook a tattoo I didn’t like in these areas.

Rule #2:
Absolutely no tramp stamps or arm/leg wrap-arounds.
This one is pretty obvious. Most guys make an immediate judgment about your character when they see a back tattoo peeking between your pants and shirt (i.e. you must be a freak in the bed). While you might get a guy’s attention with one of these, you generally won’t attract the type of guy you’re looking for (unless you’re looking for a one night stand). I will admit that I have dated a girl with a small lower back tattoo. It didn’t bother me a bit, and didn’t make me think any less of her. It had meaning to her and that was enough for me.

Tattoos also should not encircle your arm, wrist or ankle. Yes, Pamela Anderson got barbed wire around her arm, but only douche bags and rednecks would think that it enhanced her looks. These tattoos just shout out that you’re trashy, which violates Rule #1.

Rule #3:
Don’t over-do it.
I am not personally attracted to females with tattoo ‘sleeves’, and I would guess that the only guys that are attracted to this style have sleeves themselves. So if you want a sleeve tattoo, or already have one, plan on meeting your next boyfriend at your favorite tattoo parlor. I will say that these kinds of females are usually very interesting to befriend, they’re just not my type to date. A tattoo can be colorful, but shouldn’t be all of the way colored in, or take up a lot of skin real estate.

Rule #4:
Make it feminine.
I don’t care how much you like your alma mater, or Bugs Bunny, or ???. Guys should not question your sexuality because of a tattoo, or feel uncomfortable in theirs if they are with you. No faces, tribals, or anything that a (straight) male might consider.

Rule #5:
Be original.
If you follow a trend, or get the idea from seeing it on someone else, chances are that you won’t love it forever. So make it meaningful, and come up with something that you haven’t seen. Going to a tattoo parlor and picking a design from a book is not the way to go.

Females should know that hotness overcomes ugly tattoos. Take Megan Fox and Angelina Jolie, for example. These are two women who most guys would agree are beautiful (although I personally don’t like Angelina – her lips bother me). Now, imagine Megan Fox’s tattoos on a marginally hot female, like Hillary Swank. A guy would probably say that they didn’t find her attractive because of her tattoos, when they would never say that about Megan Fox.

What does this mean? A beautiful woman can get away with anything (but you already knew that). Even so, I still wouldn’t take chances with tattoos that may cause bad reactions. If you can’t follow these rules, maybe you should think twice before getting a tattoo. Some guys will not agree with me on every point here, but these simple guidelines won’t prevent the average guy from liking you.

And if you already got a tattoo that broke one of the rules, there’s no need worry (unless you got your baby daddy’s name tattooed on your neck). There are plenty of tattooed men out there looking for a girl to share their love for body art. Either way, a good guy isn’t going to judge you. You just might have to work a little harder to win their affection… or be really hot.