Girl Hot vs. Guy Hot

“We both wear Gucci / She match my fly” – Fabolous, “Miss Independent Remix” (a.k.a “She Got Her Own”)

Every morning . . . OK, not every morning but most . . . 90 percent – I swear . . . Most mornings I get up and think very, very carefully about what I’m going to put on for the day. Today, for example, I pulled out a gray wool three-quarter sleeve jacket (the kind that only has a button at the stop and flares out ever so slightly like a cape or trapeze skirt) with a navy and chocolate stripe pattern. This would be the basis of my ensemble. I have the matching pants, but that would be so predictable. Instead I pulled out a chocolate turtle neck and tights and navy dress. I added some chunky silver jewelry and topped the outfit off with my navy blue suede pumps. I even put a lot of thought into how I wear my hair, what make-up colors I’ll use and which coat and gloves I’ll wear to top off the ensemble. Just about the only thing I don’t care about is my bag – and that’s only b/c it has to be big enough to haul around my laptop – so only a few bags need apply today. I’m ready for the office. My outfit says “I’m a diva in professional clothing.” At least, that’s what I like to think.

Later that night I head to dinner with my friend (you know the one). As we walk into the Thai spot (our haunt this month) he compliments me on my gloves (a fabulous pair of Michael by Michael Kors brown leather gloves with silver studs) and jacket (that amazing BCBG jacket that I played dress-up in all summer long until it was cold enough to wear it!). Then, as we sat down to eat he blurts out, “why do girls dress for other girls anyway?” He always has a way of making me think. Side note: Now, I can’t possibly answer for all of womankind, so I’m only answering for myself. I tell him that, for me anyway, it’s about girl hot and guy hot.

You know what I’m talking about. Kate Moss = girl hot. Giselle Bundchen = guy hot. Need another example? Kerry Washington = girl hot. Kerry is always flawlessly pulled together managing to marry sexy sophistication with classy charm. Megan Good = guy hot. In my humble opinion Megan looks like she just got off of her shift at Hooters. Always. Period. Dot. I believe that any girl can master the art of guy hot. Throw on a pair of tight jeans, a sexy, tight white tee or tank top and some stilettos. Boom! Guy hot. Or, visit Fredrick’s of Hollywood. Again, guy hot. Don’t believe me? Try it. I double dog dare you.

It takes much more thought, effort and care to be girl hot. And, a lot of women haven’t mastered the art of it. Most women’s magazines teach women how to be girl hot. Ever looked at the fashion spread of Elle, Vanity Fair or In Style? The clothing and make-up styles are often daring, couture, a little bit out there and completely esoteric to high fashion virgins. If you don’t understand girl hot, you wouldn’t get the fashion spreads. To be girl hot takes work. It’s not effortless, but it LOOKS effortless. And when you get a compliment from another woman about your outfit/shoes/hair it feels good, doesn’t it?

That’s how I explained it to my dinner buddy. Now guys, don’t take this the wrong way – it’s pretty easy to garner a compliment from a guy if you’re a woman (guy hot, girl hot, doesn’t matter). If I keep touching my hair, eventually you’ll say something about it. If I smile at you enough, you’ll tell me I have a pretty smile. And, if a girl dresses guy hot, well, guys will tell her she’s hot. Women are not so simple. We are in competition with each other; we’re trying to get the attention of (for all intensive purposes) a limited pool of potential mates. So, we’re usually trying to one-up each other when it comes to our fashion game. Don’t believe me? Go walk onto Howard University’s campus, right now, in the middle of finals and tell me what you see. Girls in stilettos, mini skirts and skinny jeans trotting up the hill to take their exams on icy sidewalks and snowy paths.

Being girl hot is kind of like being in the NBA. If you’re Kobe Bryant and some third string (wait, do they even have that?) player walks up to you and is like “dude, you’re awesome,” you would, of course, welcome the compliment. However, that’s the way the balance of the world works. The sucky guy is supposed to tell the awesome guy that he’s awesome. Let’s face reality, boys are supposed to compliment girls. It’s the way of the world. But, if you’re Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan walks up to you and says “dude, you’re awesome,” that’s a huge compliment. He’s the greatest in the game. And that’s what it’s like for women (well, me anyway) when another woman compliments our style. To have someone that you are in competition with compliment you is a big deal. It just is.

I tell my dinner buddy this and he gets offended. He understands it, but he gets offended because I’d rather dress for another girl than for a guy. I try to explain that it’s not always the case – that I do my fair share of dressing for guys (I’ve got the pictures on Facebook to prove it . .. and some that are never allowed to be shown on Facebook) but that my personal style will always lean more towards being girl hot than guy hot. I’m sorry. It is what it is. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

So ladies do you agree with me? Do you consider yourself girl hot or guy hot? And guys, do you really want a girl who is guy hot all the time? Or, do you just want her to be guy hot for you? And, which girls do you approach more – girl hot or guy hot girls? This is fascinating stuff people, so please give me what I need by commenting below.

Signed,
Girl Hot Barbie

---

Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)

• Girls Drive Me Crazy
• ’Gossip Girl’ Style Revealed in Costume Designer’s Book ’You Know You Want …
• The bullying of Wendy Portillo
• 10 Songs Worth at Least 99 Cents

~ by countryclubbarbie on December 9, 2008.