Knowing Your Sense of Style

Knowing Your Sense of Style....

While shopping post holiday sales online, I found some bargains I couldn’t resist only to question whether I really loved them once I tried them on at home. (Asking yourself if you really LOVE the look on YOU is the first step to successful shopping.) The coat in question was cute, very cute, and such a great price (have you had this conversation with yourself before?) For me, the next question is, “Would I wear it in SoHo?” The answer, no.

During the first year of being free and really true to myself, I came up with this question to narrow my fashion choices. For you it might be, would I wear it to work, to my children’s school, or out with my most fashionable girlfriends? Do a little soul searching. Write down the many fashion faces you like to represent and make a list of questions that you can always ask yourself when in doubt. It doesn’t have to be just one. You might have one for each, work, play or family gatherings.

That reminds me. Literally two lifetimes ago, I was in the Management Training program for Marshall Field & Co., the one time premier Chicagoland department store. As employees and managers in the fashion business, we had to adhere to certain relatively liberal dress codes and subjective images of professionalism. The mantra became, when in doubt don’t do it. In other words if your inner fashion voice questions a look whether occasion appropriate or age appropriate, don’t do it! (Note to self: if you send a camera phone photo of an item while shopping on your own to your friends asking whether you can pull off a look, DON’T DO IT!)

It’s no bargain if you never wear it or worse, wear it and don’t feel super-fabulous.