Common Sense Fashion Tutorial, Class #1:
As I was recently perusing the racks at a high-thinking, low-end fashion mecca (Target), I spotted a fabulously faux-furry boho-inspired vest that called to me from across the industrially carpeted floors.
Shaggy vests are in for fall. A staple in stylist Rachel Zoe’s wardrobe for years, these kinds of trends take awhile to trickle down to the masses. Anyway, enough history. I picked up the vest and held it up to myself in the mirror. Cute?
Ok, my first instinct was, yeah, and cheap! Then I put on my Common Sense Fashion Chapeau, and realized this was a mistake.
An abdominable-snowman, crazy-sherpa, dead wet roadkill looking mistake.
Cheap, yes. Cute, um seriously, this got me thinking:
1. One must try to stay in style… but how to follow trends without succumbing to fashion-victim status while remaining true to oneself (and one’s figure and, I hate to say it, age)?
When I put on my figurative (invisible) chapeau, I am forced to slow down, back AWAY from the furry vest and think.
What does this look like? A dead animal. A fashionable dead animal, but I digress.
Another issue is the amount of clothing one wears vs. the clothing one HAS. People wear 20% of the items in their closets regularly. Wouldn’t it be great to have and organized closet, where you wear 90% of the items regularly? (the rest is formal-wear, your old dominatrix gear, etc..)
For the next few CSF entries, we’ll be working on better buying, organizing and using what we have while examining trends that are worth the money.
Look critically at the item in question, and ask yourself these 5 questions:
Would I wear this is if were not “in fashion”?
Would I still want this if its price were $100 more?
How does this REALLY look on my figure/face/hair? (Be honest)
What are three things in my closet that would go with this item?
Do I love it? (sometimes the last question cancels out the first two, but never the third)
Next up, some inspiration. Come back soon!
The vest above can be found at Urban Outfitters. I will add some examples of CUTE faux fur in the next post.
