Blog Posts by Marie Claire

Marie ClaireOne of the best parts about graduating from college and matriculating into Real Life is getting away from all those awkward guys who a) you've already hooked up with or b) boned your roommate or even c) whose roommate you hooked up with a week after him (sorry!), d) realized they were gay after you dated them, or e) you drunkenly made out with one time (one time!) and had to see in class every week thereafter for the next three years. Yes, it is good to be rid of them.

And then, you're graduated. You are in Life. You were told there would be men here. Hot ones. Nice ones. But where are you supposed to find them - bars? Good luck.

But I have discovered a solution, a secret pool of confirmed decent, nonpsycho, attractive men: guys you went to college with, but who weren't in your year! Genius, right?

6 Online Dating Profile Red Flags

They're generally easy enough to find, particularly if you're in a major city. If you want to be proactive about it (and let's face it,

We asked professional jean-iuses for a cheat sheet.

Marie Claire

BUILDER

PERSONALITY: An even-tempered, family-oriented homebody who checks the date book before doing anything.

BIOLOGY: Builders tend to have higher levels of serotonin, a brain chemical known for instilling calm.

IDEAL MATE: A fellow Builder, who appreciates crucial details like alphabetizing the owner's manuals for appliances dating back to 1987.

OUR FAVORITE COUPLE: Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, whose marriage lasted for 50 years. In Hollywood, no less.

EXPLORER

PERSONALITY: A sensation-seeking creative type who would rather let dishes pile up in the sink than miss a chance to go bungee jumping.

BIOLOGY: Explorers have high levels of dopamine, a chemical in the brain associated with feelings of euphoria and optimism. Explorers love sex. Love.

IDEAL MATE: A fellow Explorer. In short, a partner who won't flinch if you ask him to play hooky and go to Bangkok on a whim.

OUR FAVORITE COUPLE: Duh. Brad and Angelina, the jet-setting, tattooed,

Marie ClaireIt's fascinating to me that dressy evening events - cocktail receptions, charity galas, premieres - elicit such excitement of anticipation, yet so frequently disappoint from a fashion perspective. Why is it that so many people choose eveningwear that is lackluster? I write choose, because it is a choice. If you want a look that's humdrum, then, OK, accept responsibility for wearing it. But I find it hard to believe that all of those humdrummers out there are really satisfied with their look. In most cases, people are simply in a fashion rut. Here's how to get out of it:

40 Best Online Shopping Sites

Handbags
Why, oh, why do people persist in dragging around luggage-size handbags to evening events? I see this with more frequency than I care to recall. What are people thinking? Do they line these behemoths with plastic in order to escape with leftovers? There is an easy prescription for getting this right: The dressier the affair, the smaller the handbag. I want to sing the praises of

Want to join your man for Super Bowl Sunday? Learn how!One conflict rears its ugly head in many men's lives: sports versus significant other. It's understandable that a woman might feel like second fiddle to her boyfriend's sports obsession. With a few quick etiquette tips, though, women can figure out how with their guy's life during sports seasons.

We love a gal who truly loves sports. When a woman caters her schedule around her beloved team, it's real. My best girlfriend from college is a Steelers fan who not only caught every game, but also vented frustration with little known Steeler backup players. These kinds of women are welcome additions to a group of sports viewers.

But if a woman tries too hard, we'll see right through it. Fringe fans flock to teams like the New York Yankees because they're trendy. A woman who roots honestly for random teams like the Buffalo Bills, Northwestern Wildcats, or Kansas City Royals is much more respected among males. We notice when women come out of the woodwork to support a team in the playoffs, or

Marie ClaireDiana Odrasso, a 32-year-old film coordinator from Palm Beach, Florida, always considered herself a stellar conversationalist. But for years, she was oblivious to her annoying habit of cutting off people mid-sentence with this rapport-killing phrase: "No, I know." She was, in fact, a serial interrupter. No surprise, her penchant to talk over people didn't score points with colleagues and friends.

Odrasso admits she was far from Miss Popularity among her coworkers on the film festival circuit. Even worse, she lost many friendships and had no idea why-until a roommate intervened. "She told me that I came across as a know-it-all," Odrasso says. "At first, I felt deeply hurt. But my roommate helped me understand that I was being perceived as self-righteous and rude, like I already knew everything."

Before you label Odrasso as singularly clueless, consider this: "To one degree or another, most of us have blind spots about our own behavior," says

Valentine's Day is right around the corner!1. Single or coupled, if you didn't make a reservation in January, your options for going out to dinner are limited to the local fast food drive-through.

2. The hour of our lives we waste every year in the greeting card aisle, looking for the perfect one.

3. The overnight tripling of the price of roses, forcing your boyfriend to choose between getting you a bouquet of a dozen or paying his cable bill that month.

20 Secrets Men NEVER Tell Women

4. The 24/7 romantic comedy marathon on TV during the month of February either makes you feel like a loser for being single or makes you resent your boyfriend for not being John Cusack.

5. If you've had anything resembling a date in the past two months, it always prematurely launches the "where is this going?" conversation.

6. If you're single and lucky enough to have three close, single girlfriends, you can't go out for drinks with them without being a cliche.

8 Texting Mistakes Men Make

7. We don't need another stuffed teddy bear

These ladies are not having it.

The other night I was talking with friends about how awkward it is to meet people at bars. The women in the conversation were sharing their frustration with the whole "getting the number" process. They feel they have to give their number out to be friendly (and to get a guy to go away if he's hitting on her). But some guys make it tough for girls to be nice.

The common move among guys (I'm guilty of this one too), after getting a girl's number, is calling her phone to confirm that that it's real and that his number is now registered in her phone. Most guys will watch the girl's phone as they call it to make sure there's no funny business going on. Essentially, cell phones have made it impossible for a girl to give a guy the wrong number.

The best way for a girl to avoid that awkward first date is to not give her number out in the first place. As a guy, I know the ins and outs of the phone number game. If a cute girl is giving me any sign of hope, I'm going to try for