Star Wars, Buffy, and Other Pop Culture T-Shirts Designed by Independent Artists on Red Bubble!

This post has been written in partnership with the Red Bubble Affiliate Program.  Thank you to Red Bubble for providing a gift code for us to shop for t-shirts designed by independent artists and for providing an additional gift code for our giveaway prize.  All opinions expressed are my own.

You know how the story goes . . . boy geek meets girl geek . . . they get married and start their own geeky family.  It's the classic love story, right?  Even though he was a Star Wars fan and she was a Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan, they were determined to make it work.  She went to midnight showings of Star Wars Episode 1 through Episode 3 with him and he admitted that "Hush" was the best Buffy episode ever.

Despite their differences, they were in love.  I know you must have heard this saying a million times, but it is worth repeating:  "True love means walking proudly down the street with a man dressed like a wookie."

Do you and your significant other each have your own pop culture favorites?  Have you learned to co-exist peacefully in spite of your differences?  Well, my husband and I have!  In fact, we actually helped each other pick out Star Wars and Buffy t-shirts from Red Bubble.

Checkout my tutorial for making your own high-low hem t-shirt here.

Red Bubble offers pop culture t-shirts, hoodies, tech cases, art prints, and more cool items printed with designs created by independent artists.  These artists are so talented and full of so much creativity!  My husband's "Co-Pilot Uniform" Star Wars T-Shirt and my Buffy "Magic Box Advertisment" T-Shirt came with these tags clipped onto them that not only provide the care instructions, but also the name of the design and the link to these particular artists' designs.  My husband and I were extremely pleased with both the artwork and the quality of the shirts.  We will definitely be supporting these artists on Red Bubble again!

To see all that Red Bubble has to offer, visit RedBubble.com.

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Good luck in the drawing!

This giveaway ends on April 28th, 2014 and is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. A random drawing will be held shortly after the contest closing. The winner will be announced here and will be contacted via email. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be drawn.

Get the Look for Less: Affordable Holiday Gift Ideas for Your Preppy Guy! #ThisIsStyle #shop #cbias

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This fall fashion shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and their client. #ThisisStyle #cbias.  All opinions expressed are my own.

I have always thought that men are far more difficult to shop for than women.  This is especially true for someone like my preppy husband, who is extremely particular.  If you ever think about buying him a polo shirt, make sure it has more than 3 buttons on the placket, no banded sleeves, and no tipping on the collar.  When I was presented with the chance to do some Holiday shopping for my husband, I was happy to do it.  You know how much I love shopping, but I also love a challenge!  Let's face it.  Finding the perfect gift for everyone on your list is a sport.  My challenge was to shop for fall fashion items to gift to my picky preppy husband.

The key to finding the perfect gift for someone is knowing their tastes.  Even if you have never chatted about fashion with that person, you can still get to know their style by simply paying attention to, not only what they wear, but to what they are paying attention to on TV, in magazines, in stores, and so forth.

Some of the biggest 2013 fashion trends are plaid and moto jackets.  Unfortunately, my husband is not a fan of either, but he just loves colorblock sweaters, pullovers, and outerwear.  Luckily for me, colorblock is still big for men this season!

Because my husband dresses for work during the week, he likes to be casual on the weekends.  This is the perfect weekend look for 'The Prep' in your life.

Get the look for less at Sears . . .

• NordicTrack Men's Two Tone Microfleece Pullover Jacket
• NordicTrack Men's Long-Sleeve Fitness Shirt
• Covington Men's Knit Touchscreen Gloves
• Dockers Men's Tussock Casual Lace-up Ankle Boot

Complete the look with his favorite pair of classic jeans.  Not only does the outfit look stylish, but both the NordicTrack pieces feature the NT Dri moisture wicking, so they are perfect for my husband, who tends to get warm easily.  The knit long-sleeve shirt also has built-in SPF 30 protection, which makes it perfect for transitioning into springtime.

My husband is not only preppy, he is also very tech-oriented.  Any free minutes he has is used to consume media, so for the colder months, the knit touchscreen gloves are a must!  These particular gloves retail for only $10, so you can afford to buy a pair for every man in your life.

For special occasions, my husband likes to avoid wearing a shirt and tie.  The casual Holiday look below would be perfect for him.  It's preppy, stylish, and comfortable!

Get the look for less at Sears . . .

• Arrow Men's Cheststripe V-Neck Shirt
• Covington Men's Wide Stripe Knit Beanie
• Covington Men's Knit Touchscreen Gloves
• Dockers Men's Castaway Casual Boat Shoe

Complete the look with your preppy guy's favorite pair of flat-front or pleated khakis.  What I love about this cheststripe knit is that it has a faux crew neck layering tee built-in.  As I had mentioned before, my husband tends to warm easily, so he prefers not to wear layers while indoors.  This top gives the smart look of a layering tee under the v-neck without the extra layer!  I might just have to go back and buy this top in a few more colors for him.

To learn more about my Holiday picks for 'The Prep' in your life, checkout my Preppy Guy Gift Guide!  For more great gift ideas, browse the #ThisIsStyle Pinterest board.

Follow SoFabConnect's board ThisisStyle on Pinterest.

Shop 'n' Share: Replenishing My Husband's Geek T-Shirt Collection

This product was purchased with our own funds.  No compensation was received for sharing this shopping experience with our readers, however, this post may contain affiliate links.

My husband's favorite item of clothing to wear is a comfortable t-shirt.  In fact, I think he would be wear a t-shirt every waking minute if his office did not require him to wear a shirt and tie.  A printed t-shirt and a pair of khaki shorts is his uniform 3 months out of the year after work and on the weekends.  Somewhere during our 13 years of marriage, I decided "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em."  I always have my eyes open for t-shirts my husband might like.  My only rule is that I will not buy him white t-shirts anymore because he manages to stain them the very first time he wears them 95% of the time.

A few months ago, my husband discovered LOL Shirts.  He works in IT and is a geek at heart, and he has found tons of geek t-shirts he likes on this site.  This text-based Relax. I can fix it. t-shirt and one that says I'm here because you broke something. are his favorites to wear to work on casual Fridays.  There is always some kind of promotion going on at LOL Shirts and shipping is just $2 per shirt, so I don't mind helping my husband to replace some of his t-shirts that have become stained or worn.

Some of the shirts on this site are available in up to a size 5X.  My husband likes his shirts loose, so I usually buy a 3X for him.  There is an additional cost of just $.99 for size XXL and XXXL shirts.  On average, one shirt would cost me roughly $10, give or take one or two dollars based on the current promotion.  If you're looking for an affordable Father's Day gift this year, whether it be from you or your children, a shirt from LOL Shirts would be a great way to go.

By the way, each of my children's teachers will be receiving a teaching-themed t-shirt for their end of the year teacher's gift that they can wear all summer long.  Be sure to check those out if you are still in need of a gift for your child's teacher.  For a limited time, you can receive $5 off each shirt plus free shipping when you checkout using Promo Code: 5OFFEVERYTHING!

As always, if you shop, be sure to come back and tell me what you purchased!

The Men's Granite Softshell Jacket by Free Country is Perfect for the Transition From Winter to Spring

Jackets are a necessary evil for me. I really don't like to wear a coat. I get too warm and I hate to carry it around when I go back indoors. When I dress for the outdoors, I try to layer as best as I can, mostly to have some flexibility, but also because I don't want to deal with a bulky coat.

I own several jackets, some are basic shells, as well as a jacket “system” for the coldest of days, but I was lacking a decent coat that was more than a shell, but far shy of a parka. The Free Country Granite Softshell Jacket was the perfect choice to fill that hole in my wardrobe.

The Granite Softshell is a sporty fleece lined jacket with a soft fabric exterior. The coat is heavy enough to layer for the very cold days, but also light enough to wear without layers for the warmer days. Simply put, it was the perfect all around coat for a guy who does not like coats. Wearing the Granite Softshell feels more like wearing a thick fleece than it does a jacket, and that is very important to me.

The jacket does a very good job of keeping the wind out. Although I did not have a chance to wear it in wet weather yet, the manufacturer states it is water resistant. I can see it will keep me dry enough to get inside, but it certainly is not built like a rain coat.

The Granite Softshell is filled with all the pockets, zippers, vents, and Velcro for your storage and custom fitting needs. The quality is decent and I have no problem comparing it to my more expensive name brand outerwear.

The Granite Softshell Jacket became my favorite coat right away.  It is definitely the best choice for a guy who does not like to wear a coat. It looks great, feels great, and at $60 (Regularly $100), it is not very expensive. The Granite Softshell gets this coat hater's seal of approval!

Visit FreeCountry.com to shop for cold-weather jackets while the prices are reduced, whether it's still chilly right now where you live or you want to be ready for the next fall and winter seasons.  Standard Ground Shipping is free on all orders from Free Country.


Thank you to Free Country for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Upgrading My Husband's Underwear Drawer with #MaLoUnderwear by Mario Lopez (#CBias)

If I have never mentioned it before, then I must tell you that my husband is a very particular man when it comes to things like his socks, underwear, and even bath towels.  Once he finds something he likes, he sticks with it.  He wore loose boxers for most of his adult life and only made the life-altering change to boxer briefs a couple of years ago.  During the Spring and summer months, he prefers to wear compression boxer briefs because they prevent chafing.  For the cooler weather, he has been looking for something that he likes in a boxer brief that does not cost $25 per pair like his compression boxers.  He has tried many brands, from packaged boxer briefs to individual pairs from specialty stores.  Nothing has been perfect for him so far.

When I asked my husband if he was willing to try the new MaLo Underwear by Mario Lopez, he was surprisingly open to it even though I could tell he was a little skeptical.  All the other brands he had tried in the past were either too short, too thin, did not stay put, etc . . .

My husband was pleasantly surprised with the MaLo boxer briefs he received.  These particular boxers were in conservative colors, which he liked, although he does wear prints if they are preppy.  He found them to be very comfortable and they seemed to wash well with no signs of shrinking.  He prefers exposed waistbands for his boxers because they are thinner and more comfortable to him, so already he knew he would not be wearing the heather grey pair as much as the others.  I looked on the Kmart website, where the MaLo Underwear line is sold, and I did see these boxers in other colors where all 3 pairs had exposed waistbands.  Those will be the ones my husband will be finding in his stocking Christmas morning if Santa chooses to go that route.

Although my husband wears a size XL for boxers, he usually wears an XXL for his loose fitting white cotton undershirts.  Despite this, he decided to give the MaLo crew neck t-shirts a try anyways.  Like the boxers, these t-shirts washed well and did not shrink.  He was thoroughly surprised at how comfortable they were and admitted that he could easily layer the grey tee under his dress shirts.  He would not be able to use the black for work because all his dress shirts are light in color.

Overall, the MaLo boxer briefs are the closest thing my husband has found to being the best boxers for him, aside from his compression boxers.  There were two things that kept these from being THE perfect boxers for him.  The first thing is that the fabric for the opening on the front overlaps a little too much.  The second thing is that he would prefer the pocket to not be cotton/spandex, but instead a material that breathes a little better.

If you would like to try MaLo underwear and tees, look for the packaging below at your local Kmart store or on the Kmart website.  The 3pk of boxers and 2pk of crew neck t-shirts retail for $14.99 each.  You can also enter to win a chance to meet Mario Lopez plus $75 worth of MaLo products in the "Make Over Your Man" contest hosted by MaLo Underwear on Facebook.  All you need to do is post a before photo and an after photo of your man wearing a MaLo product along with a description of your makeover.  This contest runs through October 30th, 2012.  Visit the contest page for the official contest rules.

I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and MaLo #CBias #SocialFabric #MaLoUnderwear.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Holiday 2011: Men's Silk Ties from Necktie Emporium

I have some beautiful ties. I have expensive ties and cheapo ties and just about everything in between. In recent years, my tie tastes have become a bit more conservative, however, and I often wonder how and why I ever wore of the older ones.

I recently was able to pick out a tie from the Necktie Emporium's selection of woven silk ties to add to my collection. The website is easy to use, obvious (guy centric?), and it did not take very long for me to pick one out.  I chose the Men's Silk Woven Blue Box Pattern with Faint Stripes Tie.

The tie arrived in short order in a plastic sleeve and folded in a box with enough room not to crease. I was able to wear the tie without pressing it immediately.

My Necktie Emporium tie is of high quality and was easy to tie. The weight and texture were perfect and it hung just right around my neck and stomach. Being a “plus” size sort of guy, the feature I appreciated most about my Necktie Emporium is the length and placement of the loop. I had plenty of tie left over to tuck into the loop on the back without it sneaking out. I will tell you that’s probably the most important feature of a tie for a big guy. I hate tie clips and this tie will allow me to wear it easily without one.

For less than $22, the tie was a bargain at that quality (the original price was $45!!) and I will certainly shop for more. The selection is decent and I am sure all tastes will find something that works. I would say I have a new favorite tie…

Visit www.NecktieEmporium.com to view their full selection of neckties, bow ties, zipper ties, and more.


Thank you to the Necktie Emporium for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.

Holiday 2011: NYS Collection Men's Polarized Sunglasses

NYS Collection offers the newest in today’s sunglass trends without paying a high price. This company, founded in 1996, now sells its collection in over 10,000 retail locations worldwide. Throughout the past 10 years, NYS Collection has made themselves the leader in the specialty retail industry selling many types of eyewear, such as men’s polarized sunglasses.

I got these sunglasses for my husband, Mike, because I wear transitions lenses in my glasses, so I have no need for this type of eyewear. Mike is extremely sensitive to sunlight and wears sunglasses outside all the time, even if it’s overcast. He was in need of a new pair, so he was happy to try out NYS’ polarized sunglasses. He really likes these glasses and says they are very comfortable on his ears as well as on his nose. He likes that the lenses are good quality, very clear, and they offer great sun protection against both UV and his sensitivity to light. He loves that they are polarized, as well. They are also surprisingly sturdy and well made, considering they are very reasonably priced. Overall, he says they are great sunglasses that are trendy and will last a long time, but don’t have the high price tag that many competitive brands have.

You can see all of NYS’ line, including sunglasses for women, men, and children, including accessories, on NYSCollection.com. The sunglasses shown here today are the 8180 in the "matgun" color, which retails for $35.


Thank you to NYS Collection Eyewear for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.