The Right Guys are attracted to the Right Things. Trust me.

So many of my female friends ask me the same thing “why do I attract all the wrong guys?”

In an era when everyone seems to be obsessed with how they look, I think maybe we have lost touch with the importance of what we do….and I’m not talking about your job.  As long as you don’t do something self destructive, you could be anything from a barista to the chairman of Microsoft and I’m pretty certain it wouldn’t alter the opinion of any guy worth his salt.  I’m talking about what you do with your time.

There are certain hobbies that are just damn sexy as hell.  It can’t be a complete surprise to hear this.  Most girls have their own list of things they find attractive in a guy, we all know the stereotypes, Athlete, Rock Star, Actor, etc…..but what are the equivalent pastimes from a man’s point of view?

I can’t speak for every guy, but for me, there are three.  If she rides a motorcycle, surfs, or plays golf, I’m in big trouble.  Proficiency at any one of those activities instantly adds 5 points on a scale from 1 to 10.  Ride your motorcycle to the golf course on your way home from surfing?  You are already a 15 out of 10 in my books.  Plus it just makes you more interesting.  Straight up.

Don’t believe me?

Go to youtube and search for girl riding a motorcycle.  See if you can find anything that doesn’t have tens, if not hundreds of thousands of views.

I knew two girls who were best friends.  One of them wanted to buy a motorcycle, the other wanted to get her boobs done.  They both worked and saved for nearly a year, and they both got what they wanted at about the same time.  A few months later when I ran into them and asked how it was going, the girl with the bike said “amazing” and the girl with the boobs said “I’m pissed”.  Then she explained that her friend with the bike was getting “way more attention” than she was.  Now she wanted a bike too!  I can’t argue with that.  There are few things in this world hotter than a cool girl, getting off a cool bike, and doing the hair shake out thing as she removes her helmet.  Sorry, but a bit of cleavage can’t compete with that.  You know what I’m talking about.  

Plus in golf you have the fashion.  Let's face it, most ladies golf outfits are beyond cute,  and in surfing you are wearing a swimsuit.  Is it any wonder these particular hobbies have us drooling?  Not to mention that all three are perfect for travelling, which I have still never met a girl who didn't name that among her list of things she likes to do.

Last January, when Miss Canada, Chanel Beckenlehner stepped out of the crowd and crushed a drive at Doral during the Miss Universe pageant (pictured left), the looks on the faces of all the men (including Donald Trump) tells you everything you need to know.  It also got more media coverage than the actual crowing of the winner.  I can't add much to that, but maybe keep it in mind.  Spend a bit less time in front of the mirror, and a bit more time out there doing things that you love.  You will be happier, healthier, and that ALWAYS makes ANYONE more attractive.

The coolest gift for HIM that you can actually afford.

Today's lesson is fashion (for him).  We all know, the world is full of fashion icons, for her.  From Chanel bags to Louboutin boots, if he has been paying attention even slightly, any man worth his salt already knows what you want.  In film and television, iconic images abound.  Marilyn’s white halter dress in the Seven Year Itch, Ursula Andress bikini in Dr. NO, or Carrie Bradshaw's Manolos.  If that wasn't enough, every year the media patrol the red carpets, giving us even more first hand accounts of what the beautiful people are wearing, but still it is mostly all about the ladies.

What if there was a fashion statement just as cool for HIM?  And even better, what if you could afford it?  

There is.  You just didn't know it.

They say it is the thought that counts, and when birthdays or the holidays roll around, I know that many of my female friends put a lot of time and effort into choosing a gift for their man, and I also know that it’s not easy to find something with that WOW factor (that he will actually enjoy).  

After all, he is good to you.    You want to return the favour, but you're not in a position to buy him a muscle car or .  I get it.  What should you do?

Don't worry.  I've got you.  The coolest thing you are ever going to find (for less than $500), is an iconic little jacket, called the Baracuta G9 Harrington.  It has been worn by everyone from Sammy Davis to Superman.

Seriously.  How's this for a list: Elvis, James Bond, Bradley Cooper, Frank Sinatra, Steve Mcqueen, Jason Statham, Paul Newman, James Dean, Damian Lewis, and thats just for starters.    

There is a reason that so many leading men have worn, and continue to wear this must have jacket.  Designed in 1937, it hasn't changed a stitch.  Still made in England, this beautiful jacket is available in fine menswear shops for only about $400.  But don't take my word for it.  The virtues of the Baracuta have been praised in publications like GQ as the jacket for people who know.  

See (www.gq.com/style/blogs/the-gq-eye/2012/05/dropping-knowledge-the-baracuta-g9-harrington-jacket.html )

  

Available in 11 colours, the Baracuta G9 is perfect for day or night.  He can wear it to work, play a game of golf in it, drive his sports car, or take you out for dinner at that new little place everyone is raving about. 

 

Maybe that is why the versatile G9 is still going strong after nearly 80 years.  The pictures say a thousand words.

Take this one, from the Hangover (part 2)…it's the coolest of the four guys (Bradley Cooper) who is the one wearing the Baracuta.  You saw the movie, but did you notice it?  Probably not.  That's how the Baracuta rolls, always understated.  The people who know, just know, but I will bet you he kept the jacket.  A guy only needs to try one on, and he understands.

A young Paul Newman got it (on his motorcycle).  So did Steve Mcqueen (with his Jag). When Canadian rocker Chris Crippin got his, I saw it, because I was there when he tried it on for the first time.  He didn't want to take it off.  

There is a reason they all chose the Baracuta, and as soon as you're man slides into his, he will know why.  After that, he will wear it every day.

Let's face it.  If there was a ladies jacket this famous, you would probably already have it in at least 3 different colours. 

He will look great in it, and YOU will get credit for it. 

When he is blown away by the beyond super cool, super thoughtful gift that you found for him, it only make sense that he should want to step up to the plate the next time he has to get something of for you?  Damn straight!

Obviously, only something iconic, like a Birkin bag would be the perfect choice on your arm (next to his iconic Baracuta).

Why not?  It could happen.  A girl has to have dreams.  Now all you have to do is choose the colour,  and you're welcome.  www.baracuta.com  

 

Selfie Contortions

Selfie contortions.  What do they mean?  You’ve seen them, and if you are a girl of the selfie generation, you’ve probably even done a few.  And yes, I said girl, because I think we can all agree right up front that, without exception, MEN SHOULD NOT TAKE SELFIES.  Period.

Selfie contortions, rattled off in rapid fire succession, are the near gravity (and anatomy) defying manipulations of the face, body and limbs, which are done in the quest of the perfect digital self portrait.  They are, to be certain, entertaining to observe, but I wonder, do they hint at an even wider problem?

Many before me have editorialized the selfie epidemic, but I want to suggest that perhaps we have only been looking at the tip of the iceberg.  If the typical selfie shared on social media is merely the end result of an extended round of selfie contortions, is the problem not exponentially worse than it seems?

How many shots are discarded in pursuit of a single post worthy selfie?  Five?  Ten?  How about a hundred?

I was sitting in Starbucks last December, when a lovely college age female came in, no doubt fresh from some last minute holiday shopping, and sat down next to me with her frothy white hot chocolate and a candy cane topped brownie.  It looked delicious, but she would never know.  After spending the next 20 minutes (not kidding) staging the perfect playful look-at-how-much-I-love-christmas photoshoot with her hot chocolate, at first frolicking joyfully with the whip cream and an impressive array of kissy pouts, she then started in on the brownie.  She did pretty much everything except eat them.  Once she had finished shooting, I thought ok now finally she is going to enjoy her selections, but oh how wrong I was.  She needed to spend another 20 minutes selecting/filtering/posting her choices (no doubt accompanied by suitable #extrahollyjolly hashtags).

Once all that was over, she actually leaned back in her seat to check her messages, and took a sip of her now stone cold chocolate.  Eww!  No wonder she pushed it away, gathered her parcels and bolted out the door (leaving the untouched drink and snack on the table as a very confusing barrier to whoever might next want to sit down).

At least she was fully clothed.  On a daily basis my social media feeds are bombarded by ever more provocative self captured imagery.  I used to get one, or two, a day, but now?  Its more like one or two a minute, is it not reaching near epidemic proportions?  And when did the word "throwback" come to mean "in my underwear"?  It must, because I don't think I have ever seen a fully clothed pic with that tag? Throwback…code for rememberwhenIlookedthisgood.  

All of this might be a new twist but its nothing new.  Even back in my day, we had a name for pictures of semi clad women in trashy lingerie, it was called “pornography”.  Today it is known by a different moniker, “profile picture”.  Hey don’t get me wrong, many of you are in fact very, very, veryyyy beautiful, I’m not complaining.  At least I don’t have to steal my father’s playboy anymore.

I get it.  Everyone is trying to “go viral”, which also makes me laugh, because when I was twenty something, believe me when I tell you that “viral” was not a good thing.  The last thing you wanted to hear was that anything you had was viral.  Trust me.

Is it really any wonder that my generation occasionally finds ourself laughing at yours?