Infectious fashion: Celebrity stylist Nick Verreos to host workshop during Healthy U

Celebrity stylist Nick Verreos hopes to leave region residents infected after he makes his first trip to the Hoosier state in March.

"I always say I want to infect them with a little bit of the fashion or glam virus," said Verreos. "Hopefully I'll do that in Indiana. A little glam, fashion infection is always good. It's never bad. People are intimidated by fashion, but I'm you're best gay friend. And I'll make it fun."

Verreos' fashion infection will be March 24 at Avalon Manor in Hobart as part of the Healthy U seminar presented by Creative Solutionz and The Times Media Co. Healthy U will offer 45-minute workshops in health and wellness, fitness, nutrition, environment and style. Verreos' workshop, "Me, My Shape and I," will headline the event, with all Healthy U participants attending the session.

Verreos, a contestant on Season 2 of "Project Runway," said he knows fashion can be intimidating, but his goal is to make it as accessible as possible to help the men and women in Northwest Indiana look good to feel good.

"I get intimated when I hear some curator of the shi-shi museum of fashion discuss it as if it were a nuclear bomb or something," he said. "A lot of people feel 'Fashion-smashion. I can't look like Angelina Jolie.' For me, I kind of demystify that and make it friendly. Fashion is your friend."

Wherever he goes, Verreos sees the fashion don'ts: putting too many trends together, wearing too many layers, covering up your entire body with big clothes to make you look smaller, or wearing things that are too tight. But Verreos has the answers to fix those problems and others, such as finding a fairy godparent in a tailor or seamstress.

And ladies, check your excuses at the door, because Verreos isn't going to listen to you say you can't find clothes that fit or fashion is too expensive.

"I almost get angry when I hear these women go, 'There's nothing for me!' ... Women are afraid to shop," he said. "I try to make it friendly and let them know it's there."

Verroes said he's talked to people across the country about dressing for their shape and always starts with the statistic that when meeting someone, you're judged within the first 13 seconds based on how you look.

"They might not even know you're a brain surgeon. They might not even know you are whoever you are but because of what you are wearing (you're judged)," he said. "This is so important and I don't think people realize it's the whole gamut of going on a job interview, going to a party, just going out shopping, you are being judged by what you are wearing ... It doesn't mean you have to dress like you're going to the red carpet in Indiana, but it's about just looking good. Looking good can do wonders and can make you feel good as well."