Everything I know about style.
“Fashion” and “style” are two very different things… and they aren’t interchangeable. Your style is what works best for you, what lights you up and reflects your personality, and what fits your lifestyle and needs. It isn’t ruled by seasons or trends or critics or conglomerates, and it can (should, even!) evolve and change over time.
(Also, “best dressed” is for salads.)
Collect some style inspirations—Paul Newman, your grandma, your fifth-grade teacher, your best friend, Lady Gaga, the badass who works in Accounting but dresses for the gallery—and find the threads that connect those inspirations in your heart. That’s bound to be the genesis of your own style.
“Don’t go shopping on an empty stomach” is true for groceries and clothes. Hangry is behind many a terrible decision.
Expensive things can be terribly made, and inexpensive things can be beautifully made. A big price tag is no guarantee of quality, and you can throw money away on even a tiny price tag. Focus on the best quality you can get within your budget, and take good care of it.
Certain colors aren’t just for certain seasons. Wear whatever colors you want, whenever you want… but don’t stand next to me in the summer wearing yellow, because wasps!
(Seersucker attracts WASPs, too.)
Labels are for the containers in your pantry (shout out to The Home Edit!) Look for what you love, not what shouts the loudest from a magazine or billboard.
If you have one you love, get another (or three or four.) Companies love to change things on a whim, so having a beloved backup in waiting is a good idea (if you can afford it.)
Mix metals! Mix finishes and textures! Mix fabrics! Matchy-matchy isn’t necessary… unless that’s what you love. (See how that works?)
Speaking of mixing, “capsule dressing” has taught us to buy pieces that work in different combinations with one another… not a series of outfits that exist in their own rigid bubbles. Clothes as a puzzle with defined pieces? No, thank you. Clothes as a delightful salad bar? YES, PLEASE.
Accessories can make the same basic outfit look remarkably different, depending on the occasion and your mood. If you’re getting tired of a repeat outfit, try it with an accessory (or four) in a different color, style, fabric, texture, or shape.
Comfortable underwear — in a fabric that feels good, in your size, and in decent shape — is essential to making the most of whatever you wear. Don’t let your produce roll around your trunk! Bag it up safely for a smooth ride.
You don’t have to care about style, but there’s no inherent virtue in how much you do or don’t care about it. Own your priorities, and don’t force them on anyone else.
Be willing to try on different sizes. No one but you is looking at the number on the tag. Very few bodies on earth fit the exact measurements of a “size”… and sizes differ wildly from maker to maker. It’s a starting point (like a dozen oysters.)
A little tailoring goes a long way to making the size you buy the size you are. Ask friends with good fits if they have someone they trust, and make a connection.
Speaking of those friends with fits you love: ask them where they shop (online and off). See if they’ll go with you or peruse with you, and let you see the store or site through their eyes.
You might not be able to wear everything, but you can wear a version of almost anything.
