Men's Fashion In Germany

Since ‘That Guy’ is a born and bred German man, he didn't need any fashion advice for our trip to his mother country. However, once I began my search for women’s fashion in Germany, I was drawn towards these photos I found below. Am I fair in saying that the dudes may have a better grasp on refined, street style than their female counterparts? These guys have dressed themselves with the intention of being comfortable but looking cool. They have the ability to dress monochromatically, while using pieces with different textures to give their look depth and character. The hats, the cuffed pants, the layered scarves, they are all aspects of fashion that show a man is thinking outside the box. And nothing is sexier than a confident man who does so effortlessly. I've always been impressed by Philipp's sense of style and now after seeing his German peers on the streets of Berlin, I can attest that his style is true to his nature.

Women's Fashion In Germany

I traveled to Germany for a vacation over the holidays and once the essential details of the trip had been taken care of, I was able to focus my attention on what I needed to pack. I was not familiar with women's fashion in Germany but after scouring Pinterest and German fashion blogs, I became intrigued by the street style of these girls below. And I was excited to pack my suitcase with some new pieces! Long story short, it didn't matter so much what I had chosen to bring along because our airline lost our luggage...super inconvenient! But I swallowed by stylish pride in an effort to have the best time possible. Once we ventured out, I was able to really focus on what other women were wearing because I had fashion envy. Since it is winter and I spent a majority of my trip perusing the Christmas markets and the city of Berlin, dressing warm was key. And these girls know how to layer while looking 'schick.' The approach seems minimalistic, which I believe translates into sophisticated. A typical look is pulled together by simple under layers covered by a duster coat, a thick scarf, ankle boots or trainers, and topped off with a hat. In my opinion, this is a winter uniform at its finest. In true German fashion, these girls dress meticulously when they venture into the cold and I was even more inspired to create my own refined outfits once my luggage was returned. Of course a girl needs to look stylish while sipping Gluhwein!

The One Book Everyone Needs To Read

We recently went for a long drive from New Jersey to Maine. The day before, we started thinking about how to best pass the time. Despite a pretty extensive iTunes library, listening to music we have already heard thousands of times was not going to cut it. We wanted something that would engage our minds, so Jana suggested an audio book. Not having the longest attention span, Philipp was a bit skeptical at first. He went online and searched, and searched, and searched some more, and just couldn't find a book that would do it for us. Well, one that would do it for him, really;) Eventually, he passed through the bedroom and saw this book on his night stand:

It had been sitting there, collecting dust, for a while. He had read it twice before but that was years ago. We immediately thought it would be perfect for a long road trip. In fact, Jana hadn't read it and was excited about it right away. Long story short, we really enjoyed listening to it and here is what we thought:

Dale Carnegie wrote “How To Win Friends and Influence People” in 1937 and the book became one of the first self-help best-sellers. Carnegie was a writer and lecturer who specialized in courses on public speaking and interpersonal skills. Like its title, the book has influenced many, including Warren Buffett, who read it at age 20 and said, “It changed my life.” It is also said to have helped Charles Manson in learning how to manipulate women to kill for him…Either way, our purpose for reading this was on point with Buffett’s!
All of Carnegie’s suggestions should be self-explanatory when dealing with any relationship, but sometimes we forget to follow these simple, yet important guidelines. Making a person feel appreciated and seeing a situation from their point of view will in turn create more enthusiasm from them to work with you. They will learn to like you and will agree to your thoughts without feeling manipulated. Most importantly, we learned from Carnegie that before criticizing another person, talk about your own mistakes. Showing vulnerability and empathy can quickly result in positive communication. Here are a few more key take-aways from the book:

-Remember people’s names, because hearing their own name sounds important to them

-Don’t argue and learn to give in

-Research people’s interests before meeting them

-Smile

-Say thank you

Simple, right? We thought so and still fought over who was going to drive first! But really, it opened our minds and created dialogue between the two of us…for a seven hour car ride!

In our opinion, listening to this book versus reading it is better, as you can turn it on while commuting anywhere. The narrator speaks and you listen. The only thing we could have done without was the elevator music during the transition between chapters.

If you really want to kick it up a notch on your interpersonal skills, visit one of the many courses at Dale Carnegie Training. For more information, visit DaleCarnegie.com or go to https://www.facebook.com/DaleCarnegieTraining

Let us know what you think!

The Why, Where, When, What, Who

Welcome, readers! My name is Jana and a few months ago, my boyfriend Philipp and I came up with the idea to create two lifestyle blogs that are cohesive with each other. He will write a blog from the male's perspective and call it 'That Guy,' and I will write one from the female's perspective and call it 'This Girl.' The two of us have similar interests (hence a main reason why we are dating!) But besides that, we really enjoy working together on a common goal and writing a blog gives us a creative outlet to achieve that as a twosome. More than anything, it's an excuse to be together: let's do something fun today, maybe it will be a cool topic to write about on our blogs, and we get to enjoy each other's company in the meantime. A win/win/win! What piques our interests ranges from art and photography, to food and health, to fashion and travel, to books and current events, to movies and music, the list is extensive and ever-expanding. We are constantly inspired by what is taking place around us, whether it be in the city we live in, the people we meet, or the daily news we read. And each of us inspires the other by bringing new topics to the table, which creates a constant flow of discussion and opens our minds to different thought processes.

However, our views on particular subjects are not always the same. For example, the title of this blog is the opposite of 'That Guys' title because we don't think the exact same way, and I wanted to be a little cheeky. So our blogs are giving each of us a platform to voice our ideas from a girl's point of view and a guy's point of view. Sometimes we might be boring and have the same opinions about something, but other times we may not agree..which is healthy and fun! For example, if you want to read about the lipstick color of the season, stay on my blog. But if you would rather know the best chapstick for men in winter, head over to thatguydotlife.blogspot.com. Either way, a good way to find out is by locking lips!

And for you, as our readers, we hope you will weigh in and let us know what you're thinking. Tell your significant other to read our blogs and hopefully it will create some pillow talk. This Girl and That Guy are really excited for our new endeavor. Peace and love to our new friends!