Trials and Tribulations of being a Fashionable Man Repeller
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Personally, the thought of going out on a date is terrifying. Me? Talk about something other then food or the fact that Wang is going to Balenciaga? What? The thought of “What does one wear on a date?” hit me almost simultaneously as the thought of “Maybe I’m not such a Man Repeller….just kidding.” For those of you who are not familiar with the Man Repeller, it is a website owned by Leandra Medine ( a Goddess in her own right), all about how fashion repels the opposite sex, and other trials and tribulations happening in the fashion world. I find that often times when reading her website, I’m like “yup, wore that yesterday.” Read up:
“Sunday, April 25, 2010
What is a Man Repeller?
man·re·pell·er1[mahn-ree-peller]
–noun
outfitting oneself in a sartorially offensive mode that may result in repelling members of the opposite sex. Such garments include but are not limited to harem pants, boyfriend jeans, overalls (see: human repelling), shoulder pads, full length jumpsuits, jewelry that resembles violent weaponry and clogs.
–verb (used without object),-pell·ing, -pell·ed.
to commit the act of repelling men:
Girl 1: What are you wearing tonight?
Girl 2: My sweet lime green drop crotch utility pants, of course.
Girl 1: Oh, so we’re man repelling tonight?
*DISCLAIMER: the above conversation took place in this room 5 minutes ago.”
So, the question is, can someone as deeply entangled in fashion as I am, come out of it? It wasn’t until I was standing in the middle of BCBG Max Azria, surrounded by leather leggings, long sleeve dresses, and endless chiffon blouses, that I realized I had no idea what people wore on dates anymore. Let alone, what is dating anyway? The definition has become a bit construed over the years. Apparently, I was in way over my head. I promptly decided that my usual leggings and a tank would not cut it, and I ventured forward into the unknown. And when I say “unknown,” I mean the non-Man Repelling section. For once, I steered away from the loose tank tops and over sized sweaters, and drifted towards the peplum tops and silky materials that may actually fool others into thinking I am not a socially awkward girl that never wears make up. Good fucking luck to me on that one.
Now, if this had been fashion related, I would have pranced straight toward the gold sequin leggings, and snagged an equally obnoxious top. Keep in mind, dressing for a fashion event, and dressing for the real world, are two very different things. My peers understand that the creamsicle colored sweater I am wearing is on trend and designer, but to others, I just look like a giant human popsicle. So, instead, I had to reel in my knack for picking up the least body hugging thing in the store, and go for something that might actually give me a shape. In the end, I settled on a solid balance between my fashion self, and a little bit more attractively dressed version of myself. I guess being in fashion does not mean that you always have to be a Man Repeller, there is indeed a middle ground. While I do not recommend wearing drop crotch pants around a member of the opposite sex, I do recommend going with something you feel your best in. Confidence is key, and if you don’t feel comfortable, how are you going to feel confident? From now on, I do plan on dressing like a normal person every once and a while. Yeah…we’ll see how that goes.
