The Fashion Forward Man

Okay guys, let me put it to ya straight: You really have no excuse -whatsoever- to not dress well. Truly. All you need is a pair of jeans, CLEAN shoes, and a nice t-shirt. Seriously. Let me explain.

My brother, Clay, was my model for this post and his preference is a nice, plain t-shirt. He doesn't like graphics or brand names printed all over the place, and to be honest, I don't either. Why? It makes your eye go straight to what you're wearing. You want people to see how YOU look, not where you got your shirt. Also, I know I've said this before, but I'm going to say it again: PLEASE IRON YOUR CLOTHES. Not only does that make your outfit look better, but it also doesn't have "laziness" written all over it. Plain t-shirts are easy to find, and can often be on sale. Clay's shirt was from American Eagle, and that's where I get most of his simple shirts from because they are good quality with a good price to match.

I want to teach you something in this post that I've taught Clay throughout the years. Neutrals go with everything. For those of you who don't know, neutrals are gray, black, white, brown, and navy. The one combo out of those that I absolutely DO NOT recommend is navy and black. PLEASE don't do that. That just clashes and it's a big mess. Anyways, as you can see, Clay's wearing dark gray jeans, a light gray shirt with charcoal sleeves, and light gray shoes. Obviously, he's got a theme going there.

Let's talk shoes. I pretty much begged Clay to get these when he went school shopping. You can wear them with shorts or jeans and they're a neutral so they'll go with practically anything. Also, they were only $45.00 at DSW and that is a great buy for Ralph Lauren shoes, if you ask me.

At the beginning of this post I presented the point that you don't have any excuse to not dress well. Do you see what I was saying? Grab a t-shirt and jeans with some sporty shoes and you're good to go! Us girls don't get by that easy, so please, consider yourselves lucky.

I hope this was helpful in some way, shape, or form and I'll have another post for you soon!
- Callie B.
P.S. Watch the video! The Fashion Forward Man Video

Dressing to Impress: Why this should be an everyday occurrence

Hello ladies! I apologize for not posting in a while. As it's the start of a new school year, I'm meeting new people and I have been asked multiple times today why I dress-up to go to school. Well, here it is.

To dress your best is probably the biggest confidence booster out there. I'm serious! This morning, as I pulled on my blazer and slipped into some peep-toe wedges, I felt more awake, I felt better about myself, I felt beautiful.

I don't dress up for those around me. I dress up because it makes ME feel better. And ladies, when you feel better about yourself, that's when natural beauty shines through. I promise.

I know, as teenagers, there is a tendency to want to ignore your alarm clocks. I don't have that issue because I am literally excited about the outfit I'm going to be wearing that day (I know, I'm the only one with this problem). I pick out and iron my clothes the night before and I also plan what I'm doing with my hair for the next day. I like to wake up at 6:00 and be ready by 7:00, getting out the door at 7:20. If I am to curl my hair, that means 5:30 is my wake-up time. Planning ahead is a major time saver, in my opinion.

While that may sound absolutely INSANE to some of you, it's my routine, and it's my normal. That's what I'm used to. You owe it to yourself to feel great. It's worth the effort. You may see me dress up on the day of a test. You're like, "Callie, why on earth would you wear heels on a test day?" Confidence. It makes me feel like everything's under control. I'm serious.

Also, when I'm sick, I almost always wear a skirt or dress. When I know I look even just a little bit better than how I feel, it makes the sickness just a teensy bit more bearable.

I'm sorry if I rambled, but I wanted you to see why I dress-up for school and I encourage you to do the same! DO IT FOR YOURSELF. You owe it to yourself to feel beautiful. Express yourself in your fashion choices. My motto for mine is, "Simple elegance."

Put forth the effort. I know you can do it, and trust me, it's amazing what it will do to turn a day around!

-Callie B.