Have you ever wondered what it takes to be cool? Some may say it has nothing to do with appearance. Blah. That it’s all about attitude and confidence. Blah blah. Well, they probably right, but we are not taking about that spiritual stuff here. It’s too profound. What we are going to discuss is being vain, in other words, the shallow stuff. Some may claim that to own any of these items will make you think you are cool but really don’t. Well, don’t listen to that, because they do at least help.

The Iphone

If truth be told, the Iphone is not the most practical phone out there. Probably there are more cons than pros, but when the Iphone hit the high street, people went mad for it. Who says looks don’t matter?

Next on the list is one of the Iphone’s relatives, the Mac Air. I don’t possess one therefore I have no say in how it works, and anyway, maybe it’s too pretty to use, and I would be happy just to carry it everywhere as an accessory. Some of you may shake your head at this point in disgust because of the vanity of it all, well, that’s the spirit!

The Dell Alionware. It claims to be the world’s most powerful gaming laptop, yes, you didn’t hear it wrong, it was gaming! If a computer is powerful at games, do you need anything more? I am sure some of you would agree with me on that.

That’s enough for the cool gadgets; seriously, I think I should be getting paid for doing this!

I don’t mean to bring your spirit down, but the death of Michael Jackson has been a tragic loss to all of us. Remembering the legend means owning a CD or DVD of him. And that’s not even about being cool any more, it’s more like a courtesy, I would say.

Recycle bags. They don’t sound very glamorous, but actually can be. There are plenty of them which are stylish. Apart from looking cool, it actually makes people think that you do give a damn about the environment.

Now it’s time for fashion trends. Ah fashion, where to start? To pick a few fashion must-haves out of hundreds is really a cruel job.

For 2009, you’ve got to have something studded, it’s huge right now, and the addition of metal studs to everything from leather to denim adds a rocker-chick edge with a little hint of 80’s flair, definitely on trend! Put studs on cowboy boots, and you will be hitting two trends at once.

You can never get too many studs, or can you? Check out Rihanna’s studded Sunglasses, according to designer, the specs are “not see-through, but you can see through them!” How sweet!

The over knee boots

They’ve got to be one – well, two - of the sexiest bits of footware ever created. Do I have to say more?

Leg decorations

If it’s not stylish or sexy enough to stuff your legs into thigh-high leather boots or go bare-legged altogether, then opt for this go-between: fall must-have tights and hosiery. We are not talking about tame legs decorations. Oh no, think wild!

Strong shouldered jacket

This year, prominent shoulders are everywhere, on full dresses, mini dresses and of course jackets. However cool it may look, it does take some guts to wear this look, though..Although that balances the shoulders….

Before you call me gender-biased, I better bring this one out quick: the luxury of UGG boots is no longer an indulgence only woman can enjoy. Check out the Ugg for men. Can you really spot the diffence? One thought came to my mind, do you remember owning a pair of these way back when?(showing the very old Chinese winter boots which are similar to UGG) I would say there are certain the similarities’, wouldn’t you? Then again, it’s claimed that Australian men have been wearing UGG boots for well over 100 years, well, beat that!

I could so go on and on, but hey, companions in cool, I am honored if you have come this far with me. So dear fellers, how many of the above do you possess? If none, well, don’t panic, I’ve saved the last one for you, and it is the self-help book, The complaint free world, that will help you to get over it!

If you happen to possess all of them, contact me!

The article above is only for fun, if you feel offended in any way I do apologize. But only because manners are also cool.

Script: Huan CAO

Video: Huan CAO & Ren Cong