Get Thin or Die Tryin'

These days everyone is obsessed with losing weight, but that takes time, effort, and will power. One truly creative reader offers some sound advice. Her blogger profile can be accessed here: http://anna-skywalker.blogspot.com Here is what she has to say:

Lets face it, ladies. Thin is in more than ever! Look at all those overexposed bony women in the media--Kate the No Weight, Nicole the Pole, and Paris Fatless. I know with your demanding classes and the beloved fermented malt beverages, it's tough to keep your body looking lean and mean. At the same time, you don't want your badunkadunk to interfere with your once-in-a-life-time opportunity of getting with that fly frat guy at a party... Have no fear. Here is my opportunity maximizing advice.

1. Wear well-fitted bootcut dark denim with about 8" rise and longinseam. If you have pale thunder thighs, avoid wearing a short skirt.Instead, well-fitted (not too tight that your fat oozes out of yourjeans or too loose that your butt looks saggy) dark denim definitelyslims down your thighs. 8" rise, which is not a low-rise, prevents thevile butt cleavage from making an embarrassing guest appearance at aparty. Bootcut leg opening gives aesthetic balance with your thighs. I know skinny jeans are so hot right now, but they're called skinny jeans for a reason-- unless you're skinny, your hips will appear ridiculously w i d e and your legs will resemble two backward equilateral triangles. Anyway, this dark denim look is perfect for the winter.

2. Slip on a sexy pair of dangerously tall heels. They make your legs look longer and sexier, but more importantly, your width/height ratio falls, making you look thinner! By the way, the long inseam is to cover your f*ck-me heels.

3. Dust a bronzer on the side of your muffin top. Having a darker tone on the side of your hips gives the illusion of having a more defined waist and less junk in the trunk area.

4. Stand up straight; stick your chest out. Good posture is a key signifier of confidence, and nothing is sexier than that. Besides, having your breast more prominently on display certainly removes focus from your jelly belly.


If you follow my advice, you will go from looking like this:
























to looking like this:















FAT chance of having a hot stud approaching you at a party now? I THINk not!


Leave feedback for Anna and her post here or send to her directly: http://anna-skywalker.blogspot.com

MIT Fashionzine mentioned in OpenDoor!

We are proud to report that the MIT Fashionzine blog was recently mentioned in MIT's OpenDoor magazine, an alumni newsletter. Here is the link:

Link here

We welcome alums to our site and hope that you enjoy it. Drop us a line if youd like!

Aviators are making a comeback

Over the past few months I have seen many instances of aviator sunglasses making a comeback into mainstream fashion. Usually, these types of glasses only come on during parties as a way to distingusih themselves in social settings. Here are some examples of recently spotted individuals rocking the aviators:


Kevin (MIT student, future financial analyst) posing for the camera with an MIT course XV (Sloan School of Management) tee:


Randall (MIT Student, Hollister employee) dressed in an Abercrombie (parent company of Hollister) button down:
Judy (impressionable freshman girl) with her roommate Julia, both wearing hoodies:

Special thanks to Tara Chang (MIT '08) for photos

Simply Jee

I would like to endorse the website Simply Jee (http://www.simplyjee.com). This girl has amazing photographs, and will be very successful some day. Here is a sample from her photoshoot "Think GQ (2006)":

post your fashion related x-mas gifts!

For those of you buying fashion related gifts, or receiving them, comment on this entry and let us know what is going on in your consumer world.

Are you a clueless recipient of overpriced couture?

Are you a brand whore boasting about your burberry cashmere scarf?

Or maybe just a college student who got sweatpants for x-mas.

Whatever the case may be, we want to know.

FINALS Wear

With finals in the midst, fashion is definitely NOT the first thing on our mind. I'm sure that many of you reading this blog, are currently cooped up in your dorm room, frat house, or sorority house - finding a way to distract yourself from your horrible tests. After hours and hours of studying, the last thing you need to worry about is what you look like. After 16 hours of sitting in the same chair studying for your 2.001 final or that dreadful 6.003 test, it is not worth your time to get out of those comfy sweats to just run to Verdes.















If you take a quick trip to Verdes to grab a 2am snack, you will see the student center swarming with students in their scrubby clothes because it is just NOT worth the effort to look good during this stressful week. Guys and girls alike all wear the classic comfortable baggy sweat pants and oversized scrubby tshirt.

But, it is almost time for Winter break, when we will head back home, and everything will soon be nice and relaxed! If you take a week to look scrubby - don't worry, you're just like every other person around campus.

FW: a better question..

Here is another question I want to throw out there. Personally, I wear what I think looks good, whether it is designer label, no label, or produced as a result of child labor.

---

From: Morgan
Sent: Thursday, December 15, 2005 11:11 PM
Subject: a better question..

Hi,

So here's another question that doesn't involve being ridiculously cold and will hopefully be helpful to both genders. I would like to steer away from big brand names that exploit cheap labor in foreign countries and exhaust our earth's resources. Do you know any environment-friendly and economically beneficial clothing brands that will help Mother Earth and keep me looking good?

Thanks!

Chic Tree Lover

FW: next fashion topic...

Are there any ladies out there who want to take this one?

---

From: Erica
Sent: Tuesday, December 13, 2005 2:00 AM
Subject: next fashion topic...

Hi,

I have a big dilemma and need your expert fashion advice (and please, going topless is not an option)! I would like to continue wearing my skirts, but how can I wear them in such a way without freezing in the snow? And despite what Sienna, Mary-Kate, and Mischa all believe, I do not think that spandex leggings look good under miniskirts.

Please help! Before my legs turn blue!

Sincerely,
Confused and Cold

Christmas Fashion

There is a group of people who seem eager to influence their friends during the holiday season. In my opinion, this is the best time to force your beliefs upon others. I am not talking about religious beliefs, but rather beliefs on fashion and fashion accessories. I interviewed a young man who had no sense of fashion and did not care if his shirt matched his pants. As such, he was a great target for a fashion makeover.

I photographed some of the gifts he received over the past two years, including a tie and pocket square from Pink, and a card holder from Louis Vuitton. Both brands are great mainstream luxury labels and these gifts should fit in with almost any somewhat fashionable wardrobe.

After receiving these gifts and others, he went back to the stores and exchanged a few items. He also bought some shirts, belts, and a pair of Seven for all Mankind jeans. It seems as if his friends' gifts pushed him to go into the stores and find out what he likes instead of having his mom buy his clothes and ship them out to Boston.

As part of the interview deal, I must give a "shout out" to the provider of the gifts, his anonymous Suga' Momma....yeah you know who I'm talkin' about.

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nice dress from a girl in baker 4.

WHY do you think that she is smiling so much?

Fashionable Accessories

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Most people think that fashionable accessories stop at cufflinks and tie bars. In keeping up with my previous post "Electronics as a fashion Statement", I would like to show how music can be fashionable. Music, however, is a very broad category, and I would like to condense that to musical instruments. Many people own hard shell cases for their instuments, which keep them protected but also hidden. I decided to show off my beautiful hollow body guitar and hang it up on the wall, along with some of my other instuments.

I have hung guitars in my room for the past couple years and every time I have met someone new, they have always complimented me on the guitars. Regardless of my musical abilities, I have gained respect as the guitar player. In this case, the look of the guitar is more important than the sound, but I am sure that for all other cases any musician would refuse that argument. Still, this guitar sounds just as amazing as it looks.

Who says that guitars can't be fashion? While many people would argue that fashion = clothes, I would argue what constitutes clothes? If I were to wear nothing but a guitar and jeans, would the guitar be considered clothing? It covers part of my body, looks nice, and just happens to be functional as well. Who says you can't look good while rocking out to some emo music?

Pajama Jam

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College students tend to spend most of their time working, but this still includes hours upon hours spent in their dorm room sitting at their desk - studying. Even if it is a nice day out, with the sun shining, unless all of their work is done, these students are cooped up hard at work. Every once in a while though, most people will throw their books aside to enjoy the pleasures of taking a walk along the river or exploring the tourist sites around the city.

As one of the largest college towns, Boston is full of college students in their dorms, out on the streets and all around the city. However, you will not see many MIT students around because life here is about "studies, studies studies." MIT is not just any college. Along with about 12 hours of class a week, for the average student, (if you attend all of your lectures), the average student will spend over 50 hours studying in order to barely pass their classes. The stress that MIT presents sometimes keeps students from tidying their look, but some of the most comfortable and most attractive pieces of clothing can be found in the pajamas that students wear around the dorm.

Studying in the dorms, there is no reason not to be comfortable and to look good at the same time. Pajama pants come in all different colors, patterns and styles and are fit for everyone - men, women, boys and girls. It can look good with a loose t-shirt, a fitted tank top, or even a matching pajama top. You can tell a lot about a person from their pajamas. The traditional stripped pajamas show that they enjoy the classic look, whereas pajamas with bright green frogs can represent the adventurous personality.

You can find students wearing pajamas at all times of day. Many students sometimes even roll out of bed and walk to class in their pj pants to save time. If you are reading this entry and thinking to yourself that you do not own any pajama pants, make this your next purchase! Trust me, you will be comfortable and love your new purchase. It is the one outfit that you can wear any time of day and almost anywhere on campus. Take advantage of your college life, when everyone knows that your main goal is to find comfortable clothes that are convenient and enjoyable to wear!

Make sure to buy your roommate a nice pair as a nice holiday gift as well!

Casual Underwear

While many MIT students wear PJs while studying. Others choose to wear less. Whether they are minimalists or exhibitionists, there are a certain breed of students who prefer to wear boxers while walking around their living groups. When you put 40 guys in a house together, it would seem that many of them would become comfortable with each other. Part of this comfort involves becoming desensitized with seeing other guys in their underwear. Even when there are guests around, many students do not seem to mind that the fact that they do not wear pants.



This particular student happens to sport the boxers daily. He can be seen wearing them at breakfast, lunch, and dinner in his fraternity.

Electronics as a Fashion Statement

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Many men's style magazines have articles and specials on tech gadgets and other stylish accessories. At MIT, many students prefer some of the more non-conventional accesories. MIT has harbored a "hacker" culture, and students take pride in figuring out ways to make their electronics work for them.

Here we have a photo of an MIT student with his computer. Both of the LCD monitors are connected to the laptop, which enables him to span his desktop across all screens. This is particularly useful when using multiple applications at the same time. iTunes can be placed on one screen with Microsoft Word on another and AOL Instant messenger on another. Additionally, some students prefer to have a dedicated screen to view their e-mail, while they use the other screens to do schoolwork or browse the internet.

Bostonian Pride

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Walking around Boston, Massachusetts you will notice that there is a great deal of Red Sox pride out there--a LOT of pride. In about an hour sitting at a Starbucks on Newbury Street, you may see 15 or even 25 Boston Red Sox caps go by. It is not rare sighting to see 30 Boston sweatshirts pass you by throughout your day. The Boston Red Sox fan base is rapidly growing especially due to the tremendous victory that we had last year for the World Series!

At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, one of the hundreds of universities here in Boston, MA, fashion is not always the #1 priority for its students. Studies definitely put their studies in precedence over fashion. However, the Boston pride is still very prevalent among the students here on campus. Just as on the streets of Boston, it is guaranteed that you will pass by a Boston sweatshirt or Red Sox cap on your way to class. There is no way that you can avoid running into the easy-to-spot Bostonian. From afar, you can easily spot the signature "B" written onto the paraphenelia or the classic red-pair of socks presented on the cap or shirt.

However, although there is so much Boston pride around the MIT campus, like most colleges, everyone here is not an original Bostonian. About a total of 18% of all applicants to MIT consist of Northeastern natives. By the time it comes for students to make their decision on schools, about 4-5% of these students end up being from the heart of the Boston metro area. Naturally influenced by their surroundings with the overwhelming amount of Red Sox excitement around the city, it is difficult to remain neutral to the Boston home team of the Red Sox. It is especially even more difficult to root for the rival team of the Patriots. With this said, it is not even just the native Bostonians that love the Boston city along with their amazing baseball team. About 9% of the current MIT population claims to be "original" Boston Red Sox fans and are avid users of Boston t-shirts and baseball caps.

Walking through campus, it is very difficult to pick out the natives from the rest of the population. You may see someone dressed in a Red Sox sweatshirt, along with a Boston cap, and even maybe wearing a "B" logo on their backpack, but this is no indication that they are an original Bostonian. There are many "poser" Bostonians due to the hype about the Red Sox and the city as a whole. However, who is to say that this is bad? Natives may not appreciate these intruders, but it just a way of spreading the excitement about Boston to a larger population - the college population.

The Popped Collar

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This is a new phenomenon that has come about within the past 5 years. The polo is a widely known style that can be worn in many ways and in many colors. There are two extreme thoughts on the topic of popped collars. There is the:
1) anti-popped collar personalities
2) highly approving popped collar personalities.

It is very rare that you will come across someone who thinks popped collars are "okay". Some may claim that people are "posers" if they wear a popped collar, or that maybe some may be trying to be cool, but I say that popped collars are merely a way of showing that you are care a little about your looks. Instead of just slipping on a shirt, with the popped collar you show that you took a few moments out of your life to style yourself in the morning.

There are more than one way to wear the popped collar. I am not saying that everyone can look good in a popped collar, but you have to have a certain type of attitude and a certain type of style.

California Thugging

California has a lot of stereotypes, one of which is the Abercrombie surfer OC type. Another is the alternative rock skater. While traveling in California, I found the "California Gangster". This young man dresses as if he is on his way to rob a convenience store, however he is actually an upper-middle class college student at UCLA. The gangster look is an enigma, and I have yet to figure out the appeal. I would not expect this to occur at MIT.

~sent from Audiovox Smartphone

Slippers Keeping You Warm

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Whoever said that slippers are silly was wrong. These are probably my favorite set of shoes out of my entire shoe collection. Although they are only used at home or around my dorm room, they are the most comfortable shoes that I own. With their soft soles and inner lining, slippers keep your feet twice as warm than merely wearing socks. Even wool socks can't keep your feet as warm as slippers do.

There are many types of "slippers". I am not talking about the flip-flop type of sandles that many people wear, but I am talking about those warm fuzzy slippers that you can wear around with your jeans, pajama pants or even with a suit if you are just coming back from work.

-Fun Slippers-

Some slippers that are very prevelant around the dormitory are "fun slippers". These are shoes that are usually very fuzzy and have a type of mystical character or animal head propped on top of the slipper. There are monsters, monkeys, ladybugs - almost anything you can imagine. I have even seem someone walking around on an open banana peel! Although it is true that it seems that more girls enjoy finding "cute" or "funny" slippers, but once every blue moon you will run into a guy with a good sense of humor walking around with turtle slippers.

-Comfortable Slippers-

If you are more about comfort than style, these are the type of slippers that you probably have. You will see if you look closely, maybe about one in every ten slippers that you come across will be fun slippers. They are not all that common because the idea behind the slippers are to be original. However, if EVERYONE is original, then we are just all the same again.

Winter Wear

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With the harsh winter ahead of us, it is time to start pulling out those down coats and ski jackets. However, this is no reason to forget your fashion. Yes - the number one priority should be warmth. Whereas some may want to sacrifice warmth for fashion, this is the one instance where you should NOT choose fashion over practicality. It is not worth it to freeze.

With this said, this is not to say that you can't find both a fashionable jacket along with a warm jacket. Walking around campus in the dead of winter, you are guarenteed to see all types of winter wear. As the weather gets colder you will see the shift in jackets. Each season has a different type of jacket for the season:

• Spring - This is when you should pull out that blazer. For men and women, wear you're light blazer with a t-shirt underneath to create the casual look.
• Summer - The light sweater or zip-up sweatshirt is perfect. On the rare nights when there is a light breeze, you need something to wear.
• Fall - You should consider buying a fleece jacket or fur-lined coat. These are attractive and still warm enough to protect you from the fall days when the breeze is a little too much for a light sweater.
• Winter - This is when there is a huge change in jackets and outerwear. Those big puffy jackets come out, and everyone is wrapped up in a jacket from head to toe so that only a sliver of their face is showing.

If you are going to remember one thing about winter wear, remember the bigger the better! You want to keep your body warm. Buy a down coat. Buy it with a fleece lining. Buy it with fur around the hood. Anything and everything possible!

Accessorize with a Scarf

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Why do you think that she has such a big smile on her face? This is because she has one of the new trendy scarves for the season.

Since we are all now living in a snow city, a scarf is one of the most essential types of winter wear you will need. Coming to MIT, I was not expecting a lot of people to have very much fashion sense....and they don't always....but one thing that I do see a lot of are scarves. All different colors, all different lengths, worn in all different ways. I think that scarves are a nice way to add some style to your outfit.

Some people who are originally from Florida or California may not see the importance of a scarf, but when it hits -15degrees, you will see why you need a scarf! The good thing is that it will always match with anything you wear!

Funny Faces

DISCLAIMER: The girl pictured in these photographs has given us permission to use these photos of her. She is showing her creativity and love for cameras.

It is interesting how a camera can change the human face. Do you ever wonder why your face looks so different in the mirror than in pictures? Maybe it isn't you, but it is just the camera? It can also work the other way around - you can look tons better in a picture than in real life. That is the sad truth.

To keep yourself entertained, try looking in the mirror and push your cheeks together, open your eyes real wide, and then see what you look like. It will always put a smile on your face.

So in her own words...

Girl: I'm not giving the camera credit!
Girl: I'm the one altering my image
Girl: I have a talent for making myself look beautiful!!

...She deserves the credit. Not the camera.