Fandom Fashionista

Does anyone remember the Necklace/Photo Motivation Pact of 2008?

Contrary to popular belief, I do.

Way back in March, after having a long discussion with friends about fandom fame, photos, and being fit, we decided to use objects in our lives (like dresses, photos, or necklaces) to motivate us towards better health and fitness, in order to look our best for all the fandom events this Summer.

Well, three months and nearly 8 pounds later (gained, not lost), I can tell you that it didn’t last long. Due to the constant yoyoing and fluctuating in amount exercised, or the preoccupations of work and travel, we lost sight of our goal. I can tell you now that I stopped wearing the necklace not long after the pact started, firstly because it doesn’t go with any of my work clothes and secondly because it is not appropriate jewelry for the office (read: tacky!). The long and short of this is that we saw a goal, realized what we needed to achieve it, and abandoned it for some reason or another. My shortcomings are probably the most clear.

Diet and exercise have always been an issue for me. Ever since I was young and could eat anything, I always depended on my metabolism to break down any high-fat and high-sugar foods I consumed. The good news is that at some point I started getting taller and my skinny frame filled out. The bad news is that since my eating habits and fitness regime hasn’t really changed (for the most part) over the course of the last ten years, I’ve begun to feel uncomfortable with my weight and body image. I like the way I look (most of the time) but I don’t like how I feel.

The list of reasons for me to be more interested in my health is literally a mile long and I’m not going to bore you with it. What I can tell you, however, is that one of my main reasons to feel better about my body is the coming Summer, which brings us full circle. Being in the public eye has its demands and those demands can only serve as a constant reminder of the scrutiny from others. What I need is someone (or something, hint!) that will hold me accountable for bad choices in health and fitness, while still making the prospect getting healthy encouraging and fun.

Enter WiiFit, Nintendo’s newest game for the Wii console, complete with the Wii Balance Board Accessory. The WiiFit experience is unlike any other and I’m glad to be nearing the end of the first week of my goal. With Yoga, aerobics, strength training, and fun games to promote good balance & posture, the WiiFit has literally become my personal trainer and trusted friend, allowing me to become more aware of my body as it changes day-to-day.

This is by no means a WiiFit review; not at all. You don’t need a non-gamer to tell you that it’s a lot of fun to virtually ski-jump or practice heading soccer balls. No, I’m more interested in how I can use the “WiiFit challenge” (as WiiFit bloggers like IGN’s WiiGetFit are dubbing it) to supplement my Motivation Pact, which already includes a regimen for diet.

The original pact stuck to relying on objects and friends to promote the “power of positive thinking” in bringing good health and wellness to you while rethinking eating and exercise habits. Well, I’m here to tell you that wearing a reminder necklace or staring at a photo of a popstar’s abs isn’t the only motivation you need. Just like when you were young (especially if you’re a millenial like me), you need positive reinforcement. A cross-country friend isn’t always going to say “Good Job” after you finish your run or eat your yogurt and I can assure you the photo and necklace certainly won’t.

With this in mind, I purchased WiiFit in order to get more focused on my fitness goals and learn more about my body. I am not (read: NOT) replacing healthy diet and exercise outside of the game with 45 min of hula-hoop like some WiiFitters out there. In order to track my progress, I will be posting weekly blogs about how I’m doing (in this blog, of course) and posting daily tweets (on my Twitter; if you don’t have one, get one!) reporting on my daily body tests. Unlike the wonderful folks over at Whompy’s Weight Loss Challenge (WWLC; love you all, esp. Mel, Matt, and Lizzie), I have chosen to opt out of video blogs because it’s very time consuming for me to record and edit when I have a 50-90 minute commute every day.

I’m already on day four of my goal, which is to lose five pounds in the month of June (specifically June 29, with possibly an extra pound or two before I leave for Portus on July 8) and although (since I’m at work) I can’t post my current progress here, expect my first progress tweet later this evening. I won’t be working out today as I have an event, but even though I may not workout daily, I can assure you I will not miss a daily body test (they’re actually fun!).

This being my first blog posting, I’ll have to post my original stats for you, by memory, with edits to come later when I’m at my console.

My Real Life Stats:

25 year old female, 5′10″, skinny frame with some excess distributed in midsection, poor vision, average balance, poor eating habits (an addiciton to snacks and sweets) and total lack of exercise regimen

My WiiFit Stats on Day 1 [May 30]: (EDIT: Stats Updated 9:00am on 6/3)

136.7 lbs, BMI 19.57, WiiFit Age 23

To close, I’ve outlined some guidelines for my workout (which will be more or less daily) and diet (which cuts out my problem foods):
- WiiFit Workout
- Daily Test (with Progress Tweet!)
- Cardio
* 30 to 45 min treadmill/elliptical/jogging outdoors
(or)
* 30 to 45 min aerobic activity on WiiFit, while monitoring heart rate
- Fitness/Strength Training
* do every Yoga pose once; repeat until at least 20 min/more
* do as many of the strength training exercises (esp. those pertaining to abdominal area) as you can, without straining yourself, until 20min/more
- Cool-Down
* an extra five minutes of Yoga or balance games to slow heart rate/cool off

- WiiFit Diet
* eat small meals/eat every two hours; don’t eat late/after 8pm if possible
* in-betweener meals can be simple: fruit, nuts, granola, yogurt, etc.
* avoid trouble foods: creams, heavy sauces, enriched/bleached starches and complex carbs, unhealthy sweets, etc.
* drink mineral/water(still or sparkling), lightly sweetened tea (hot or iced), and 100% juices only; no exceptions
* don’t skip meals
* replace high-sodium intake with a high-protein intake
* don’t eat from boredom (a bigger problem than you think); make something of every moment of every day

Comments and thoughts are always appreciated, but it you’re here to hate on WiiFitters, I’ll ask you to please keep comments to yourself. Cheers!

(apologies for post-title’s lameness; will do better next time?)

[The speaker the title quote is at the end of this post.]

Ever since getting the new job and making certain life-decisions, I’ve come to realize something:

Fashion and family go hand-in-hand.

Sure, you could take this to infer hand-me-downs and playing “grown-up” in Mom’s heels, but I think for me it goes beyond that.

When I think of the people who raised me (my Mom and my two older brothers), I don’t necessarily remember what they wore on a daily basis, but I remember how their style evolved as they evolved. With my mother there were slight changes year-to-year; whether a hairstyle was modified or purses grew in size, the changes were subtle and simple. My brothers, who grew up alongside me in a single-parent household, both evolved strangely. Eldest brother Paul went from slightly sporty to total jock to hippie to business man in just a matter of years. Second eldest Kenn went from comfy casual to urban ( the politest way of putting it) to clubby to frat boy (I mean that in the nicest way possible). More-so than their style evolution, is the way that those evolutions advised me on good style choices over the years.

For example, my brothers convinced me that my wacky habit of wearing two different socks wouldn’t last. While he was at college and I was just entering high school, Paul taught me that regardless of how you keep your hair, it matters to others what you do and how you represent yourself. Surprisingly, he spoke quite a lot like the future Paul would teach me about branding and marketing onesself. Later on, Kenn convinced me that you dress for the job you want not the job you have, an age-old adage that came in handy at my first ever job-interview (at CVS!) at 14 and the interview that got me the job I sit at right now. Most of all, my mother, who always seemed to have a surplus of fashion advice (whether I liked it or not), taught me several things:

1) Practicality is not always practical. If you don’t explore new things, colors, fabrics, looks, etc, how do you know what works for you? I think the wardrobe I had when I was 10 years old was the best I’ve had yet. When we’re little, there are no boundaries; no color is too bright, no shoe is too flashy and no accessory is left behind. When we’re small, style and our imagination are BFFs and I hope to regain more of that friendship in the years to come.

2) Fashion can be bought on-the-cheap, but true style is an investment. My friend Megan hates when I use investment in this way, but it’s true! Sometimes the classic pieces that you spend a little extra on become a best friend, a trademark, or the item that catches an admirer’s eye. Also, it’s not just an investment of fortune, but one of time, thought, and careful planning. Yes, I know I sometimes say the best looks come with no plannng, but great looks (we’re talking truly memorable here) are just a thought process away.

3) Style is a revolving door; what was once “out” can soon be “in” again and what’s old will soon be new. I know I’m not a huge trend-sympathizer, but there’s one trend I can always approve of and that is vintage. For years my mother kept pair after pair of shoes, dress after dress, and every bit of costume jewelry and I was too young to understand why. Now, I sometimes come home after shopping with her and she throws the pants or shirt we just purchased with a necklace from 1987 and a pair of shoes she bought in Spain in the 70s. Like always, fashion is perennial, but style is eternal.

The moral of this blog is not “wear the same color socks and don’t throw anything away.” I guess what I’m trying to impart from this is that regardless of how they dress, act, or talk, the people who were part of your upbringing have given you more knowledge than you think they have; use that knowledge when you dress yourself and dress your life.

More blogs are coming soon. I’ve missed writing and I have lots to talk about as far as my work wardrobe, my Portus & Terminus wardrobes, and my fandom event wardrobes go. I also may want to take a look back at some of the style stars of The Summer of Potter (other than myself).

Until then, ciao!

[Quote from Mary J. Blige.]

I’ve been really busy learning the ropes at my new Job (which I obviously can’t write about here…yet), so I’m blogging to let you all know I’m writing a piece either tonight or tomorrow about fashion & family. Expect it soon.

The next event I’m attending is a private party in June, but there will be lots of pre-Portus and pre-Terminus coverage coming up, along with pics from past cons and so much more.

More soon, I promise. Ciao!

I so dislike blogs that include the word “update” too often. They remind me of news feeds or screen crawls; so abbreviated and so staccato. I decided to use my handy thesaurus for a better title to this entry.

I haven’t written in what seems like a long time but it’s been only 11 days. The truth is I expected the next round of events and parties I was going to to produce blogworthy looks from both me and my colleagues. Despite my efforts, this was not the case. I’m not criticizing any of my fellow geeks, not at all. I think what’s bothering me is that the general malaise of unemployment, coupled with my lack of fashion inspiration and mixed with non-fashionable events, has given me a kind of writer’s block.

In case you were wondering, We Are Wizards was fantastic. I urge non-fans and fans alike to go see this film. For my article and my coverage of the event for Fandom Forecast, go here.

In other news, this past weekend I attended a double fandom birthday celebration down the shore for two friends and it was a lot of fun. The weather was not that conducive to my fashion efforts, so I basically scrapped using it for coverage, though I should mention that I thought Samantha G.’s Forest Green vintage shades were fabulous. Plans for my birthday party are already going into effect, with an announcement of the date, theme and evites to come shortly.

On a completely different note, the JKR & WB vs. RDR books trial began today. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, read this and then this. I don’t want to go into my feelings about it here, but I will say this: Don’t presume to know what’s best for the fandom or presume to pick a side without being informed about the situation. Reading one article on a newsblog does not make you qualified to pass judgment on either party (I’m looking at you, people who comment at LawBlog). That being said, I hope the proceedings run smoothly this week and my thoughts are with Jo, Melissa, and everyone at Leaky during this difficult debacle.

I’m still waiting to hear about the job prospect from that interview. They can be a tricky business these interviews.

Lastly, no fandom events coming up for a little while. I am, however, looking forward to Portus and Terminus which are nearing ever closer. These posts may be of a more personal nature in the near future, so I hope you stick around. Perhaps I’ll write about the new Whompy’s Weight Loss Challenge project over at FittingItIn. Perhaps.

I’ve said this many times, but perhaps I’ll say it again as a courtesy to those who haven’t heard it. Fashion isn’t a magazine, or a designer, or even a blogger. Fashion is one of the fine arts of self-expression. It exists everywhere including where you least expect it. It isn’t the number of bills in your wallet or your favorite shopping destinations. It is what you make of it.

That being said, I will periodically cover Fandom events and write about trends, inspired looks, and other fashion-related items I encounter. This is not to say that I will be critiquing or reviewing looks at these events, but suffice it to say that if I find a stand-out style star or two I won’t hesitate to mention them.

Last week, I attended the Wizard Rock Show at the Sidewalk Cafe in New York and was pleasantly surprised at what I saw. As a fashion nerd, I am usually observant to what people wear, however with the idea of writing a blog in mind I paid much closer attention to detail on this outing. Apart from the always fashionable wearing of house-colors, there were some very interesting looks and trends I spotted.

Devon’s fabulous jacket.

Devon Bennet, 18, was sporting a traditional track jacket with a pleasantly geek chic back design: The X-Men. Personally, I’m a sucker for a comfy track jacket and this one was no exception. The design’s colors are well-printed and vibrant, terrific for a dark venue like The Sidewalk Cafe, and it definitely kept heads turning. If I was a style biter, I’d totally get one for myself, but perhaps with only Storm on the back. She was always my favorite.

Leah’s belted Hufflepuff tie.

Leah Bartels, 18, is definitely going for something different here. I know this is not a new trend, but I think it really works. The belted house-tie is a totally chic way to show your house pride. Plus, if you tie it an a Windsor knot like Leah has here, it lends a nod to traditional British menswear; subtle yet pleasing to the eye. If you’re looking for a new way to tie your favorite house tie, why not try it belted? House colors are meant to be expressed any way you like. After all, we can’t all rock short-sleeve white uniform shirts and sweater vests like the lovely Moaning Myrtles do.

Marci rocking R-Claw prefect threads.

I’m sorry, but I just like putting Marci Morimoto in my blog. She’s just so cool and if you don’t already, you should want to be her. Plus, the very excellent black clam-diggers she paired with this traditional House look, were a nice surprise. Well done, Marci. You’re a style star as always.

Mercy’s awesome wizard tee.

So, apparently this is one of those epic Threadless tees that only the online tee-shopping experts know about and Mercy Diaz, 17, is definitely one of those experts. People may have claimed they’d seen this shirt before, but I hadn’t and I love the 80s era silhouetting on the dark violet. Also, and I think I would be remiss if I didn’t mention this, this tee glows in the dark! How awesome is that?! Any tee that is part 80s, part glow-in-the-dark, part wizard and part rock wins in my book. Other tee shirts that night may have stood out from the crowd, but this was the top tee of the night.

The infamous “Pickle” shirt.

Speaking of top tees, I can’t write this post and not talk about my now ever-popular “Pickle” tee. Like most every tee I have ever purchased, this one comes with a story.

After much agonizing over what I was going to wear to the concert (this was the first event I would attend after starting this blog), I knew I had to get something that would set me apart from all the other great shirts I would see that night. I could try a band shirt from a band people may not know, but then I would have to give each person a description of the band and a MySpace URL and I wasn’t prepared for that kind of responsibility. There were vintage tees from my “stolen-from-family” collection, but nothing was really rock show appropriate. I had to find something unique.

Luckily, I have wonderful friends who spend hours chatting on Skype discussing everything from tee-shirt websites to barefoot shoes and beyond. In one of our vast link-sharing nights, everyone was showing each other different shirts on Threadless and ThinkGeek and when I saw this shirt I knew I had to have it. It reads “Pickles are cucumbers soaked in evil.” Yes, it is a tongue-in-cheek reference to the popular Harry Potter podcast MuggleCast and their fan-club called PicklePack. However, everyone knows I have nothing but respect and admiration for what the MuggleCasters do and I know they appreciate my subtle humor.

Once we were at the Cafe, it was only a matter of time before someone ordered something that came with pickles and we took this photo. I want to thank everyone for their nice words and compliments, especially Melissa Anelli of The Leaky Cauldron and Andrew Sims of MuggleCast, who later told me he “wanted” it for himself. Unfortunately, I think Threadless has sold out. A special thank you goes to the wonderful Hayley Hoover who found this shirt. Miss Hoover is the notable Potter YouTuber and can be found on her personal channel and on Thursdays at FiveAwesomeGirls.

Please stay tuned for another “What I Wore” and style review from the upcoming ‘We Are Wizards’ premiere this Saturday in New York. For details, visit The Group That Shall Not Be Named at Meetup.com.

I’m a big fan of wizard rock and I usually try not to miss any shows that are within a 200 mile radius of my apartment. When I heard back in January that four of my favorite artists/bands would be playing at The Sidewalk Cafe this month I knew that all the horses in New Jersey would need a high dosage of steroids to keep me away.

Later, I’ll be giving a great review of a few awesome concert-style fashion items I saw at the show, but for now, here’s what I wore.

This is my classic concert look. You can never go wrong with a great black vest, a humorous/musical tee, and a pair of Chucks. Can you guess what the most expensive piece was? If you guessed the vest, then 50 points to the house of your choice. Although the now infamous “Pickle” tee was $9 on sale, the jeans were already mine, and the Chucks are usually $40-$50 from your nearest athletic shoe retailer, the vest is from Express and cost me a whopping $70. I bought it to use over and over again, for work, for play, for cocktails; and I’m sure I’m going to make great use of it, seeing as how it’s only the second vest I’ve ever bought in my life.

Now the faux wallet chain is an interesting story. Some of you still live at home, and are privy to the mysterious world of Mom’s drawer full of costume jewelry from the 70s and 80s. If you don’t, there may be great thrift and vintage shops near you that sell great pieces like this. The necklace (yes, it is a necklace) is a four-tiered varied chain that is costumed gold and absolutely great for that multi-necklace feel. I sometimes wear it (as a necklace) with a white collared shirt if i want to take a work look to a night look with a cute kitten-heel. On rare occasions, however, I use it as a faux wallet chain and the effect works wonders. It’s glam meets jam when you’re headed to a rockshow and if worn with heels and slick-tight jeans screams Joan Jett.

More on the infamous tee later (in the review post). The pro of this look is that it’s comfortable and relaxed, but still glam enough to set you apart from the other tee-clad fans. The vest gives you a dressy feel and as I’ve said before, the chain adds the edge.

The con is pretty obvious to those who have felt the sting of the Chuck after dancing nearly four hours at a show. They’re not exactly the best shoes for support, comfort, or dancing, but honestly, heels would have been too dressy or would have been ruined. Besides, you can mess up or spill something on a pair of these and no one cares and Chucks are nearly the official shoe of wizard rock.

Stay tuned for the full report from the show and the infamous “Pickle” tee story.

When I was at college, I was part of a co-educational fraternity. Now, as an active member of its esteemed alumni, I look forward to attending events and staying in touch with the happenings over at my alma mater. This brings up the age-old question: when attending an event that works like a “reunion” where lots of other alumni will be present, what look do you go for?

Corporate can seem too stuffy. A little black dress can work wonders. However, for an event that starts at 1:00 pm, it may be a little too formal. So, what can you do?

You dress up a pair of jeans. Now, depending upon your skin tone, the jeans’ wash is an important factor. For dressy, I go for a darker wash as I’m of fairer skin. I really like these jeans and I actually bought a second pair of them recently.

Here, I simply layered two light linen collared shirt dresses, a white ruffled under a black. I used the skinny cinch patent belt that came with the red dress from last week. The black peeptoes are my reliable pair that I seem to have fallen in love with all over again.

The pro here is that I come across as casual, but still making a stylish impression. Sure, I could have worn the shirt dress with a black or tinted tight, but the jeans give the impression that I’m easy to approach (I can get overconfident in dresses; they just make me feel fierce!)

The con here is that I was not prepared for the transparency of the overdress. It sort of left nothing to the imagination and I was suddenly very aware of my tummy, which can make me a little crazy sometimes. I did, however, get complimented on the good use of layering.

Another “What I Wore” is coming tomorrow, along with a full report of the fashionista sightings at the Sidewalk Cafe Wizard Rock Show last Friday. Ciao!

So, I’ve been reading a lot of different blogs lately and I’m finding some great sites. One blog, Ringo, Have A Banana!, has proven to be quite a resource and inspiration. Blogger Siri Thorson comes from the Pacific Northwest, but has been infused with citystyle by her student life in Brooklyn, NY. She often takes photos of what she wears to events, concerts, or just out for the day. This is where the inspiration (read: stealing) comes in. I liked the idea so much, I might make it a regular feature here at FF.

So I had a couple of job interviews today. Anyone who knows me knows that I like to be the candidate that stands out. I try to avoid looking ultra-corporate, with a nod towards preppy-chic when I can pull it off. Unfortunately, today was substantially rainy, so I had to bring a pair of walking shoes with me.

The red 3/4-sleeve shirtdress is from Express. I bought it yesterday for $40. The black flower cut-out peeptoe pumps (a staple in my wardrobe right now even though they are from last Spring) are Abaete for Payless and cost $25.

I’d have to say that the pro of this look is that the color is not something you see on other applicants waiting in the lobby with you, which is great. If for some reason I don’t make a standout impression with my resume, at least they’ll remember the color of this fabulous ruched shirtdress. I’m glad I took the risk of wearing red.

The con for this look was something I did not expect to happen. As I walked into the second interview, the HR person I met with told me she had the same dress I was wearing in green. That’s something I never like to hear, regardless of where I am or what I’m wearing, but that’s the risk you take when shopping at a store like Express. However, this negative turned positive when during the same interview we were discussing appropriate office attire. She mentioned that what I was wearing would be the perfect work look for the office. So, make of that what you will.

All in all, a simple work look with a bit of stand-out flare in color was all I needed to knock these two interviews out of the park.

Hello all you fellow fashionistas out there! Today, I bring you the first of my Fandom Style Profiles. For the inaugural installment, I’m bringing you to the heart of New York, The New York City HP Meetup “The Group That Shall Not Be Named“, and their style maven, Marci Morimoto. Marci is one-of-a-kind, and not just because she is a fabulous HP Meetup organizer. She also creates terrific original and replica costumes and accessories for formal affairs, book releases, and other wizarding world events.

(pictured above) Marci at Celestial Warmbottom’s February 2008 birthday party.

Every time I’ve spoken to Marci, she’s always well-dressed. Anyone speaking to her for the first time would assume she’s been involved in the fandom for years, but in truth she’s only been aware of our massive community for about a year. She had always been a Leaky fan, but didn’t know how large-scale it had become until last year. While reading a fellow fan’s HP blog, more specifically author of the new HP Trivia book Racheline Maltese, she discovered that Racheline was preparing for Phoenix Rising 2007, the HP symposium in New Orleans. Her first reaction was shock and surprise: “They have conferences that revolve around Harry Potter?” Needless to say, she quickly turned to the Fandom community as a source of fun and inspiration and found herself attending events, listening to Wizard Rock, and reading fan fiction. This was around the same time she first attented a meetup. When she finally met other fans in person it wasn’t long until she formed fast friendships.

(pictured above) Marci, at the Midnight Magic Party for “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” at Union Square Barnes & Noble, as Bellatrix LeStrange as performed by Helena Bonham Carter in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

Marci first got into sewing at 10 years old. Although her classes were focused on routine sewing for everyday clothing, Marci quickly became interested in historic costumes. As a young girl living in Hawaii, she much desired the grand formalwear and pomp & circumstance of a grand gala; she fantasized about beautiful costumes and upon watching certain dramas and reading novels, she began to sketch costumes she would someday recreate. Inspired by films, plays, and books, she became obsessed with costuming and soon turned to her high school and college theatre departments as an outlet to express herself. The Halloween and Shakespeare Festival seasons were always a yearly highlight. She always jumped at the chance to “dress-up”, which even included joining the Medieval Club in high school.

In college, she majored in History (with a minor in Art History and Museum Studies). She decided she had to work her love of clothing and museums into what she might do for a career. “Clothing has always been a lense through which I viewed the world,” she recently told me. She attended NYU and got her Masters of the Arts in Visual Culture/Costume Studies. Through a series of successful internships, she ended up working at the Costume Institute at The Metropolitan Museum of Art — her dream job. Currently, her day-to-day activities in Collections Management include caring for the collections and maintaining a database of the collections. However, she also gets to pull certain items from the collections for fashion and costume designers to peruse. “There’s nothing quite like knowing I have daily access to one of the best collections of costumes in the world,” she said. With everything from 18th century gowns to Gaultier’s recent couture collection, I don’t doubt that there’s nothing like it.

(pictured above) An example of Marci’s custom accessories. The ‘C. Warmbottom’ hat was a gift to Celestial.

Right now, Morimoto is working on an 1880s ball gown for an event at the end of March. “I’ve made it Ravenclaw colors so that is able to cross over into both of my worlds,” she jokes. She’s also begun to make personalized accessories and custom costumes for friends in the Fandom. A small business or start-up Fandom label on the horizon? “Perhaps,” she told me at a recent HP function. And on the 2008 Summer event season, she only has this to say, “I’m so excited about Terminus, I’ve already started my packing list and I think I might have to buy or borrow a larger suitcase.”

Those are the words of a true Fandom Fashionista.

[Marci Morimoto will be attending Terminus 2008 and is an assistant organizer in The Group That Shall Not Be Named.]

I’ve given a lot of thought recently to what kind of guy I look for; what my type is. When I was first asked this by someone, I was puzzled. Have I ever had a type? Didn’t I always just fall for the guy who played the piano/guitar/french horn? (Boy, do I sound like a groupie!)

I think somewhere deep down we all have a type, even if we have not yet realized it. I’ve thought lately about whether or not I could be with someone who hadn’t read Harry Potter. It’s not that the thought of someone who hasn’t read the books repulses me. Not at all. The Fandom has become such a part of my life that I sometimes worry that future mates may not understand the devotion. However, I don’t think “hasn’t read HP” is on my list of reasons why I shouldn’t date someone. In fact, more and more I’ve come to think that a lot of those reasons aren’t the same now that I’m older and wiser.

So, this got me thinking a la O-town (if you’ll pardon the reference). If I were to create my ideal geek boyfriend/husband, what would he be like? Who would I model him after? From where would I get my inspiration? With those questions as my prompt, I have compiled the following list.

He would have the romantic side of Duckie from Pretty In Pink. When you consider those geeks in pop culture who are absolutely devoted to their love interests, who is better than the Duckman? Duckie muses to himself while in Andy’s room about telling her, talking to her, being with her; and yet he chooses instead to appeal to her through a lip-synced performance of the Otis Redding classic “Try a Little Tenderness.” A true romantic and best friend, he is what every good significant other should be: loyal, spontaneous, and crazy in love.

He would have the intelligence of Chris Knight from Real Genius. This casual Einstein is also very attractive, but even hotter because of his big brain. In the film, Chris works with a team of grad students in order to create a laser so powerful it can reach the Earth’s surface from Space, igniting whatever lay in its wake. Now I’m not sure if that’s possible, but I’m positive that if it is possible I want to be on the good side of whoever is creating such a weapon. In addition to his list of wonderful qualities, Chris also has a top university education, a fine-tuned knowledge of music and art (he is cultured), and he knows how to let loose and have a party. All in all, he’s my kind of geek.

He would have the fashion sense of Gary Wallace from Weird Science. Ok, maybe I mean the fashion sense he has after he creates ‘Lisa’ and goes from geek to chic. In all seriousness, Gary’s wardrobe throughout the film is pretty sharp. He’s not afraid to wear a suit. He knows what colors look best on him. He enjoys shopping, even in the (gasp!) mall. Most of all, you can tell when you watch the film that he, unlike his cohort Wyatt, is not afraid to express himself through style. That’s a quality I can’t live without.

He would be as determined as George McFly from Back to the Future. Okay, perhaps not ‘determined’ in the peeping tom sense and more ‘determined’ like the “Hey, you! Get your damn hands off her!” sense. Anyone who is willing to not back down, not let a brick wall stand in his way, can rescue me from a brute anytime.

Lastly, he would have the knowledge of pop culture minutiae like Dante Hicks from Clerks. Because, well, lets face it: if he reads this post and doesn’t know who any of these characters are, I can’t date him.