man·re·pell·er1 [mahn-ree-peller]
–noun
“she who outfits herself in a sartorially offensive mode that may result in repelling members of the opposite sex. Such garments include but are not limited to harem pants, boyfriend jeans, overalls, shoulder pads, full length jumpsuits, jewelry that resembles violent weaponry and clogs.”
–verb (used without object),-pell·ing, -pell·ed.
to commit the act of repelling men
What is a Man Repeller in the fashion world? This phrase, coined by style blogger and author Leandra Medine, describes someone who has an eye for fashion and wears startling or unusual clothing, even if it makes them seem less attractive to the opposite sex. Some examples of known man repeller items are overalls, ripped and baggy boyfriend jeans, shoulder pads, oddly colored lipsticks, drop crotch pants, and the list goes on. Anyone who keeps up with the fashion world knows that there are always new and crazy trends, and with them comes those people that just don’t understand. Leandra talks about growing up with a deep love for fashion in her book “Man Repeller: Seeking Love, Finding Overalls” as well as her successful fashion blog, manrepeller.com. She writes about her experiences from wearing boring school uniforms, her ongoing search to find the right guy, and what can happen when you have too many drinks while bringing along your grandmother’s vintage Hermès ostrich skin clutch.
Leandra embraces her sense of style and doesn’t care weather or not anyone else does. It’s all about that feeling of wearing something that is unique, knowing no one else will have the same outfit because it was put together just by you. This concept is not about wearing that short, tight, uncomfortable dress to impress a guy. Instead, wearing your ripped mom jeans paired with a leather jacket, crazy jewelry you found at Goodwill, and heels. Fashion designer Betsey Johnson has been quoted with a similar idea of the phrase saying, “Girls do not dress for boys. They dress for themselves and, of course, each other. If girls dressed for boys they’d just walk around naked at all times.” At the end of the day: Forget all the rules, if you like it wear it.