#NerdsUnite: 5 Undergarments That Are Modest, Without Being Boring

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's Deidre Simpson

As Marilyn Monroe so aptly demonstrated in “The Seven Year Itch,” an ill-placed subway grate or a stiff breeze can unintentionally transform your intimate apparel into a star attraction. It is inevitable that one day, when you least expect it, your run-of-the-mill walk down the street will turn into a wardrobe malfunction. The question is, what do you want the world to see?

Take inspiration from vintage beauties like Marilyn and select classic styles that are both feminine and functional. These five vintage-inspired designs from Yumdrop Lingerie will help you keep it classy and maintain your modesty in style.

1) Peach Bra and Girdle Set

Don’t let the name fool you, this isn’t your grandma’s girdle. This garment will smooth out your curves and provide support and coverage without compromising style. The set is constructed from gorgeous stretch lace and the bra includes underwire cups for additional support. The top and bottom are trimmed with black satin bows for an ultra-feminine touch. The bra’s hook-and-eye closure back is thicker than a normal bra, which provides additional smoothing under clothing. In this vintage stunner, you’ll give Dita Von Teese a run for her money.

2) Stretch Silk Bustier

A bustier can be a wonderful way to enhance your assets and smooth out lumps and bumps. This bustier from is the rare combination of form and function; It's both a support garment and an incredibly sexy piece of lingerie. The smooth nylon construction will suck you in in all the right places and will disappear underneath clothing. The black color is particularly sexy yet can go under anything. When it comes time to disrobe, you're left with a scintillating piece that will make you feel so confident.

3) Satin Strap Cami and Boyshorts Set

This classic look doubles as both a modest, yet sexy undergarment or as a pretty sleep ensemble. The camisole comes in stretch lace and offers more coverage in the mid-section than an average bra. You can show off your sweet cami by letting the lace peek out from under a sweater or cardigan. Boyshorts have become as ubiquitous as the standard bikini cut. Women love that they offer more coverage than other cuts, while the lace design ensures a girly look.

4) Teaser Shorts

Sure, you may feel a bit like Little Bo Peep the first time you try them on, but these flirty ruffle panties will make you look incredibly feminine. These frilly under things come in a variety of colors ranging from basic white to lilac. They are also available in a variety of sizes (including plus sizes) and the cut of this style ensures the maximum amount of coverage. This cute panty is topped off with a rear-facing satin bow for the ultimate in ladylike charm.

5) Bikini Bra Set with Tiered Lace Bustle

This beautiful bra and panty set is a 360-degree treat. In front, the set appears very traditional, featuring sheer mesh and lace-trimmed panties and a supportive, black lace underwire bra. But this set is as pretty going as is it coming with a stunning black lace bustle attached to the panty. The bustle is large enough that it provides additional rear coverage, but small enough to wear under a skirt or dress without being cumbersome.

All images courtesy of Yumdrop.com.

#nerdsunite

#NerdsUnite: Fashion ... turn to the left ... fashion ... turn to the right!

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's Leslie Carrillo

Nerds aren't exactly known for being pillars of the fashion community, but our voice and eclectic combinations can no longer be denied! 

Remember when everyone used to tell you that your clothes had to match, and if they didn’t they would assume you were colorblind or just fashionably incompetent? Well, that has all changed!

• Wearing contrasting but complimentary colors is trending today, so you don’t have to worry about picking a color scheme that is going to match because anything goes! (Green and Red, Red and Blue, Yellow and Blue, Purple and Red, Pink and Green... You get the idea.)

• Fashion is all about contrasting extremes. Pairing a girly sun dress with a rad biker jacket, wearing your most comfortable and worn in jeans with some ridiculous 5 inch sandals, or your favorite nerd tee with some kick ass accessories and more dressed up attire.

• No one is reinventing the wheel here. Fashion trends are constantly recycled and there are some that really never go out of style, but simply style in and out of the current fashion scene: Florals, plaid, black and white, etc. Some of the current trends in fashion include: 90s Grunge( A more cleaned up version meaning you need to wash your hair), 90s slip dresses, those stupid shoes the Spice Girls wore, neon from the 80s, and A-line Minis and knee socks. (We all remember Clueless right?)  So, I hope you held on to your scrunchies, snap on bracelets, and Blossom hats because you never know when they’ll trend again. (haha.)

• When in doubt don’t be afraid to consult the internet for inspiration. Fashion bloggers, like me, spend hours upon hours scouring the internet, reviewing fashion magazines, and tracking trends so you don’t have to! 

• Lastly, there really is no way to fuck up fashion. There is no wrong or right way and if it makes you feel good then wear it. It’s not on trend? Who cares? Wear it!

I hope you enjoyed reading some of my suggestions! Please feel free to visit my blog: http://downtownhautefashion.blogspot.com and give me some feedback, some fashion advice of your own, or just to tell me to shove it! (Actually I hope that one doesn’t happen ...)

#thatisall

#WTF: Are Phablets Really Phabulous?

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's Fred Chauncy

The world has gone mobile. Gartner Research reports that 1.7 billion mobile phones were sold around the world in 2012. They predict 1.8 billion will be sold in 2013. They report 120 million tablets sold in 2012 and estimate 201 million sales for 2013. With many tablet owners also owning a mobile phone, the demand for consolidation has come. This may be the age of the "phablet". But does it have staying power?

Too Big, or Too Small?

The phone/tablet combination, or phablet, a word you won't find yet in your spell checker, is technically a device that functions as a tablet and a phone with a screen roughly five to seven inches. Here lies the first problem. Is a seven-inch screen too big for a phone? Is a five-inch screen too small for a tablet? Manufacturers are still playing with the size and format to find the optimal dimensions.

A Great Tablet, or a Great Mobile Phone?

The point of phablets is not to build a better phone or tablet. The point is consolidation. With laptops, tablets and mobile phones becoming the standard choices for the tech-savvy consumer, combining two out of three devices means less to carry around.

So why not a laplet, or tabtop, laptop/tablet combination? It is easier for manufacturers to push the smartphone limits into the tablet arena, than to make a tablet function like a laptop.

Who Needs a Phablet?

On the surface, it would seem that only people who want to carry less gadgets would find this useful. But there is a more subtle niche where this device may exist. That is a niche where a person's lifestyle centers around this technology. Getting the news, watching videos, listening to music, doing research online, controlling the house, and staying connected through social media, email, text and phone are all things this device can do.

Besides the consolidation factor, this redefinition of lifestyle is also important. Since 2005, the length of the average phone call has dropped 50 percent, to 90 seconds according to Computer World. Texting, email and social networks are competing for the simple phone call.

This lifestyle change shouldn't be surprising. In just 20 years, we've gone from desktops, to laptops, to tablets, and from pagers, to mobile phones, to smartphones. Each step required people to change how they live and work with the new technology.

What to Expect

If you look at the Galaxy Note II, a popular phablet, you'll find a great tablet and a great mobile phone. The entire device is 5.9 inches by 3.2 inches. It performs as well as most high-end Android tablets. The phone is clear and works like a phone. For many people, this will be a two-handed device, being just a bit too large for single-handed operation. It's also too big to slip into your pocket. However, most tablets are too big for that. In many ways, this is the description of most of the phablets on the market. You get a great tablet and smartphone that's between the size of both.

Are Phablets Here to Stay?

Phone Arena says not to write off phablets as a fad, but perhaps not because of the interests of the U.S. consumer. It may be because of the developing mobile markets around the world. People elsewhere are not as eager to buy multiple devices when one will do.

Right now, phablets may be the choice of certain consumers well-versed in the use of technology throughout their lives. But there is little reason to think this technology is not the stepping stone to something even more useful.

#thatisall

#Question: Who Am I & What Am I Doing Here?

<editorsnote> Nerds, meet my buddy Eric. He is a MAASSTTEERRR social dynamics expert that will be talking about his experiences in the field from both an expert, and experience perspective. He's not just saying "this is how to get the girl" he's here to share his actual life stories and lessons learned from them. I only have one more thing left to say ... HIT IT ERIC !!</editorsnote>

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's @Redolpho

It's been an exciting week with Surf Prescriptions coming on to make a custom board for the Tandem10. Doc, the owner was so awesome, after asking me a bunch of logistical questions about the Tandem10 he said, "You're doing the three things that I love the most: cycling, surfing, and traveling. I am your man." I was so excited that I shouted in celebration so loud my neighbor came over to make sure everything was alright. They are based out of Huntington Beach and have been doing this for a long time. So stoked to have such an experienced surfboard maker at my back. It still blows my mind to think that this is my life and that the best hasn't even begun yet. The surrealism of what I've committed to is starting to fade a bit and this project is becoming more real everyday. The other night I was talking to a friend who is consulting me on PR for my project and she asked me two questions that were so simple but have been at the forefront of my thoughts lately. 

Why am I doing the Tandem10? and...

What do I hope to gain?

It's hard to pinpoint exactly why I am doing the Tandem10. The Tandem10 aligns so closely with the beliefs that I've always held close.  My life has always been fueled by people, I thrive when I am surrounded the illumination of energy generated by others. It's why the idea of an open tandem bike seat sounded so appealing. Anti-materialism and minimalism is something that I have always aspired to. I have felt for a long time that a life lived in one physical location is a life wasted. I grew up in a small-minded town where travel was something celebrated by only a few. It never made sense to me. Are we really supposed to work until our bodies are limited by their physical ability to finally explore a world that we are no longer able to fully embrace? This is what drove me into such a deep depression in the first place. I knew that I was building a prison for myself. I knew that I was allowing myself to follow instead of lead, and that traditional path was completely antithetical to what I believed in. So I think that if I was to pinpoint the number one reason I am doing what I am doing it would be to save myself first with the hopes of giving back after.

As far as what I hope to gain from this, it's an equally hard question to answer. My initial response to this question was the futility of the question to begin with. It's like asking me what I am going to be like when I cross that 10,000 mile mark. I have no fucking clue. I know that I'll be irreparably different but in what ways that'll happen is impossible to predict. I can promise you that I won't want to stop. I am not going back to any normal life, may not be coming back to the states. So if there was one thing that I could say I am hoping to gain is the ability to continue that forward movement and keep the journey going in a similar or greater capacity than when I started. I just want to keep getting better as a human, as an explorer, and as a surfer. I have no desire for wealth or power. I just want the means to travel and explore which doesn't require much, especially the way I travel. If I am bestowed some power through my blog I would love to have to opportunity to direct that energy towards social good. So I could tell you a laundry list of things I want to gain but at the end of this trip I will have gained what I needed and what I wanted won't matter at all. And I guess that's just where I stand on that. 

Here is this photo because it's awesome ... 

#thatisall

#NerdsUnite: Still Single? 5 Reasons Why You Can’t Commit

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's Tyler Farmer

You want a committed relationship, maybe a happy marriage to a great partner. Yet, getting from "a serious relationship" to marriage is still elusive. It’s easy to blame the partners you have been with, but you picked them, so why does it seem that things never work out?

Reason One

Maybe one of the key reasons you're not married is because you already act like you are. You live together, share expenses, have two kids and share childcare activities. You have been together a long time, and when you have an argument you always manage to talk it out. Everything is ideal in your relationship except that you're not married. Yet, the kids call you Mom and Dad and you've taken on the role of either wife or husband. If you're the one hungering for marriage, you need to come up with a good reason to change the status quo.

Reason Two

Physical attraction is frequently mistaken for love. The statement may be a cliché, but it's true. The reasons can vary from preventing guilt to believing that you cannot be physically attracted to someone unless you are in love. It's no different than liking plain pizza but loving pepperoni pizza. If you're dieting, you can pass on plain pizza - you do not love it. But, if given the option of a pepperoni pizza, you seize it. Of course, this is not the case-- "loving" pepperoni pizza doesn't give you permission to act on that feeling and have a slice. Just as loving someone who attracts you physically is often the only reason you date the person-- even if they have traits you dislike. Pepperoni pizza really messes up your diet, and dating an attractive stalker can really mess up your life.

Reason Three

You are a member of the "Choisters"-- a word that was created, according to the Brisbane Times, by combining the words choice and oyster. You believe that something better will come along as soon as you make a commitment. So, to reserve your right to choose, and there are many choices available, you make no choice and as a result are not in a committed relationship. It seems the more choices we have; the less likely we are to make any at all.

Reason Four

In an article called "Love is Blind" (Psychology Today) the author, relationship expert Hara Estroff Marano suggests that we are often too eager to rush to commitment, and that truly committed relationships are built on five important concepts, in order:

• Know
• Trust
• Rely
• Commit
• Touch

These are not physical attributes but mental ones. Even touch is mind to mind, as we must be able to touch one another emotionally if we want to build a strong and lasting relationship.

Reason Five

Your online life is awful; in fact, if your parents read it they would disown you or insist you get counseling. You can never really erase anything you posted online, it's always at risk of going viral. This becomes a problem if someone gets a hold of your information and steals your identity. If you're dealing with credit card fraud or piles of debt -- as sad as it is -- chances are someone isn't going to want to quickly jump into a relationship with you. Your first line of defense is to learn financial responsibility. If that fails, identity theft services watch your personal information online and alert you of potential threats. A service life Lifelock Ultimate expands that watchful eye across a broad network of databases and information and uses advanced technology to watch your bank account, the use of your name and credit score. A person with their life in order attracts the same. You may not meet your perfect match overnight, but you can ready yourself in case you do.

#nerdsunite