Unrumpling Dudekind: The Guys Behind Be Better Guys

My shirt is ironed. My shoes are shined. My fingernails are clipped. My nose hairs are trimmed.

Big job interview? Hot date?

Nope. I'm meeting with David Boris and Brian Joyner, two local 30-somethings on a mission to remind dudekind that well-trimmed nose hairs make all the difference on big job interviews and hot dates.

They're the dapper gents behind BeBetterGuys.com, a self-help Web site aimed at improving the habits of guys, bros, brahs and other varieties of unkempt young males.

Since launching in March, the site has published more than 100 articles on topics ranging from obvious etiquette ("No nose picking or crotch adjustment in public") to more nuanced sartorial tips ("On a single-breasted, two-button suit, button the top button only").

Many of their pointers are based on lessons they learned the hard way. "We have tons of self-deprecating stories of our trials and many errors," Boris says. "We take it seriously, but we have a lot of fun with it."

Almost all of their tips are simple and painless. As the site says, they're "like your older brothers without the beat-downs."

Why does the world need Bebetterguys.com?

Joyner: Because guys are expected to magically know how to do everything -- from buying a suit to taking care of their apartment to knowing about wine -- and there are huge gaps in knowledge. There are lots of intelligent guys out there who don't get that promotion, and some really nice guys who don't get to go on a date with that girl. It has everything to do with appearances.

Boris: Guys don't know that it's good to care. If you care about how you present yourself, everything else comes into place.

How would you describe the site?

Joyner: It's a guy's guide for getting a life. This is not about making you a perfect guy -- it's about making you a little bit better. . . . I don't expect anyone to become Cary Grant because they went to our Web site. But at the end of the day, they're better informed.