Diane von Furstenberg said, “I
didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I always knew the woman I wanted to be” –a
powerful phrase that any woman who is in the midst of finding herself and her
path in life can relate to. As we grow older, hopefully we grow wiser. Unfortunately
we can get confused with the path we are trekking for we are constantly
bombarded with a lot of opinions and advises from families and friends, and
even from acquaintances and strangers. We also can get bombarded with messages
from life experiences, and exposures to different cultures, art, and media.
These constant communications sometimes confuses us on who we are, who we want
to become, and who we can become.
We are constantly pushed and
pulled to different kinds of ideas. Especially in the way we dress. The market
today is filled with different kinds of minutiae that can make someone be confused
on which clothes to wear, or what style to choose from. You are lucky if you
can get the services of a stylist or a personal shopper to tell you what to
wear, what is good on you, and what is in and what is not.
Fortunately for you, I can help
you in defining your style, and defining you, through your style with these
seven easy steps. With these seven easy steps, you don’t have to pay a stylist
or a personal shopper. You can do it yourself. It is much fun anyway. You get
to experience being kid in a candy store over and over again. You get to
explore and experiment. You get the fun and the benefit of trial and error, for
you are able to teach yourself and learn what is good and what is bad, and you
able to decide what is best for you.
How you ask? Well you have to be
like in school again. Boring? Wrong! Fashion is never boring especially to
someone who is very interested in it. Like learning your ABC’s and 123’s, you
already have learned them first through your parents, grandparents, guardians,
and friends. Trained, along with your basic instinct, it is in you already,
believe me. You just have to harness it and let it flow through.
Remember the time where you play
dress up as a kid? Or want to have the same outfit your friends have, or even
your mom has. You strut around your house in her big heels pretending to be the
lady you wish to be? It is just like that. Although now that you are older and
hopefully wiser, you know who you are and who you want to be. If not: KNOW. That
is the best first advice I think I could give you. Unlike the time you were a
kid, there is no excuse to wearing oversized heels and prancing –or in my case,
twirling around in a nightgown—around town. And always stay true to yourself.
As you advanced in learning, like
learning to read. You learn, through reading fashion and style books. There are
an abundance of fashion and style books and tips nowadays –you cannot even
fathom on how many they are right now. Pick and choose the books you want. If
you want to read them all, you may. But, edit. That would be my second advice,
EDIT. Take in what you want, and what applies, and get rid of the rest.
Like also learning and knowing
your vocabulary, you need to know the vocabulary of fashion and style. Like
studying the dictionary to expand your vocabulary, one must know the vocabulary
of fashion. It doesn’t hurt to read Fairchild’s Dictionary of Fashion. This
advice you may or may not do. This is only if you want to master your skill in
fashion and style.
Aside from Fashion and Style
books, you can even draw inspiration from other books like Graphic Novels and
Children’s books. Come on! Who wouldn’t get inspired from Fancy Nancy? You can
draw inspiration from Movies, and TV Shows as well. Do some people watching at
the malls, or parks, or in your school campus. You can draw inspiration from
the window display the visual merchandisers put up in your favorite stores.
These are the fashion RESOURCES
one can draw inspiration from. Which is another tip. With the right resources,
you can get unlimited amount of inspiration on how to look good. Feedback from
your friends and family members, to even your boyfriend is another source of understanding.
They have an opinion on what looks good on you and what does not. They have your
best interest at heart. Besides you would also want know what you look like in
eyes of another person, which is a good source to edit your style.
I am not telling you to let go of
contacting stylist and personal shoppers entirely. You can get free advices
from them. They are very happy to give you anyway. For example, there is one
time, Macy’s had a fashion show in the mall I frequently go to. A Celebrity
stylist was there to guide shoppers on what looks best on which type of body.
He gave us a lot of good advices. He even invited us to come and talk to him in
private if we want more fashion advices. See? It doesn’t hurt to take advantage
of these kind of stuff!
With all of these to help you
with, I think you wouldn’t have a hard time knowing or defining your OWN
FASHION STYLE. Diane von Furstenberg also said that “Personal style is
accepting who you are.” Remember the phrase you are what you eat? Well, it is
true, you are what you wear. Draw your style to emit your personality and character.
With these, you are be able to draw in further your SIGNITURE LOOK. Are you a
jeans or pants person? Maybe a skirt or shorts person? Perhaps you love wearing
dresses?
Another advice I can give you is
don’t be afraid to REINVENT YOURSELF. I am not telling you reinvent your style every
day, such as wearing casual today, and then being a glam princess the next. I
am saying you can reinvent your wardrobe by simply styling it differently. You
can also reinvent yourself by changing your fashion style. Celebrities like Madonna
or Christina Aguilera are known to do this. You can evolve and transcend your
wardrobe from one style to the next, depending on your ever evolving, ever
growing personality and character, and/or your ever evolving and ever changing
wants and needs in life, so on and so forth. I am sure you could grasp the
concept of reinventing oneself gradually, and not instantly. You would not want
people get confused and label you the “C” word. Always stay true to who you
are, what your mood, or what you feel. Truly one cannot pull off a “tough, I-am-hardcore,
all leather and spikes” look if you are a bubbly person at heart.
As I have said, BE & STAY
TRUE TO YOURSELF. Despite wherever and whoever you get your inspiration from
you are in control and master of your own destiny. You are the one who is wearing it, and
ultimately you are the one who should be happy. Hopefully like Diane von
Furstenberg we are able to find and grasp our true happiness not just in our fashion
and style but also in our life.
