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This is a post by Angel Ng.

Photo from gossiportruth.com

Personally, I think engineering guys are a great catch. For example, consider Wentworth Miller, who plays the role of a Structural Engineer in the television series Prison Break. Unfortunately, not all engineers exhibit the same sense of fashion that Wentworth does.

Most of the engineering guys just need… umm… a little tweaking. I hear it over and over again from some of my intelligent, witty, sweet engineering guy friends, “Why do nice guys always lose?!” I wonder the same thing! Why do some women choose to date jerks and pass-up these well-qualified guys?! One conclusion I came to is: engineering guys in general don’t know how to package and market themselves. I mean, don’t you engineers check out a company’s website and immediately gage the company’s prowess (or lack thereof) by the website’s appearance? Or judge the latest RPG game by its graphics?

I am neither a great marketer nor a dating expert by any means, I just want to pass along some random (and seemingly obvious) observations to guys from a chick’s perspective. So for whatever it’s worth, here is the first set of practical advice to you male engineers, from a female non-engineer.

You know what’s more attractive than a smart and sensitive guy? A smart, sensitive guy who has a basic fashion sense and can carry himself with confidence. I would be lying if I said appearance doesn’t matter at all. If you were to ask any girl, “What do you like most about that guy?” Her answer will most definitely include some mention of his appearance… “his awesome eyes,” “his killer smile,” “his broad shoulders.” You get the idea. While you don’t really have control over the physical traits you were born with, you can most definitely alter your wardrobe! There’s some intangible appeal to a guy who can dress himself… he possess the swagger that makes women stop and smile. So the first hurdle to get over is knowing what fashion mistakes to avoid. In no particular order, here are some of the most commonly made mistakes among the male engineering crowd.

8 common Fashion Mishaps by Clueless Engineers

1. Lose the super (or “uber”) geeky graphic tees. If you have to explain the meaning of your t-shirt with words such as Linux, World of Warcraft, binary, n00b, leave that shirt at home! There’s a time and place for these t-shirts and trying to make a good first impression with a cute chick is definitely not the time for it. No, that t-shirt is not a conversation-starter, trust me.
   
   

2. No tapered jeans, please! From my perspective, tapered jeans are the worst fashion idea ever… they are not flattering to any body shape (too loose/puffy in the postier and thighs) and they look as if you have been digging through your grandpa’s closet. So if you have some looming in your closet, it’s time to make a stop at your nearby Salvation Army or Goodwill. (picture taken from Bozanimal)

3. Anything else besides blue, black, and white?! Don’t get me wrong, those three colors are classic and versatile, but not every shirt you own have to be in those colors. You are not a cartoon character who needs to sport the same uniform day in and day out. Mix things up. Try brown, maroon (a personal favorite), light green. If you are bold, how about salmon or lavender? Alright, alright, maybe I am pushing a bit with the salmon and lavender. But the other colors of the rainbow are not bad to have.

4. Shirt tucked in or out? When you are not at work and tucking in your polo/t-shirt is not mandatory… consider leaving it untucked. An untucked shirt make you look more relaxed, approachable, and less rigid. (picture taken from buycostumes.com)

5. No high-waters. When standing in front of a full length mirror with your shoes on, check to see if you can see any part of your socks, if you can, your pants are just too short. The bottom of your pants should be approximately 1.5 to 2.5 inches off the ground when standing.

6. Wear clothes that fit. Clothes that are too loose accentuate your thinness and alternatively, clothes that are too tight draw unwanted attention to your beer belly. Don’t know what size you are? Go to a nice department store like Nordstrom’s and ask the helpful salesperson to help you find your size (yes, they will measure you if necessary). If you are too shy to do that, go to the dressing room with a medium and a large shirt in hand and try both on.

7. Iron your clothes, especially your button downs. Otherwise, you look as if you just rolled out of bed (or pulled another all-nighter playing World of Warcraft) and grabbed something that smelled “clean” off your bedroom floor. No girl wants to think that by becoming your girlfriend, she automatically becomes your mom/maid. (picture taken from sometimesdee)

8. The use of hair gel should be in moderation. Too much hair gel makes you look stiff and borderline OCD, which are some of the common misconceptions that females have toward the male engineering population! (picture taken from answers.com)
   

The Bottom Line

Sorry for the cliché, but what you choose to wear and how you choose to wear it reveal who you are. Both men and women subconsciously determine your general personality in the first few minutes of meeting you. So rather than allowing your profession immediately corners you into the not-so-flattering stereotype (e.g. super smart but socially awkward, uncommunicative, and passive), surprise your friends with your sense of style, intelligence, knowledge of countless random facts, witty puns, and all the amazing things engineers are known for.

Next advice topic: The essential clothes that all guys must own