Releasing Your Inner Fashionista
If you perform a web search on the word fashionista, a website devoted to the word pops up first. There are several variations on this theme that follow. The budget fashionista. The urban fashionista. But what exactly IS a fashionista? A fashionista is a fan of sorts. A person devoted to style, trends, and all things designer.
If that doesn’t work for you, let me give you a visual. Have you ever seen the popular HBO TV show now movie with a sequel in production, Sex and the City? Okay, Carrie Bradshaw… total fashionista. Got it? Good.
Being a fashionista comes easier for some than others. A genuine interest and excitement over maxi-dresses, trench coats, and quilted handbags with blatant logos is an absolute pre-requisite to being considered a fashionista. Knowing how to interpret fashion is also a requirement.
Carrie made outrageous runway looks appear at home with the dark suits of the New York City streets. Her looks were perfectly accessorized from her Manolos and Jimmy Choos (famous shoe designers) to her Eugenia Kims (famous hat designer). How can YOU let your inner fashionista out? Here are some tips:
- School yourself. Stay abreast of the latest fashions through magazines like industry standards Vogue and Elle. Follow the fashion shows in New York, Paris, and Milan, the fashion headquarters. Take in what you think might work for you then modify it to make it your own.
- Love the body you have, not the one you want. Confidence is essential in fashion. Style isn’t always about perfection. It’s about unapologetically being you.
- Flaunt it baby. Are your legs long? Show them off in a mini skirt or shorts when appropriate. Have amazing eyes? Find colors that make them pop. Are your arms taut and toned? Halter and sleeveless tops will emphasize your hard work at the gym. Find what your best assets are and know how to highlight them.
- Be a voyeur. Fashion is all around us. When you’re shopping, study how the merchandisers have put looks together on mannequins. If the video to your favorite song is being shown on MTV, pay attention to how the artist is dressed. Think Gwen Stefani and Fergie. These are artists that use fashion as yet another form of expression and are admired for their personal style.
- No buyer’s remorse. While that Gucci might be whispering your name, your bank card might be screaming NO! Being a fashionista does not always mean wearing luxury labels. You can be a fashionista in whatever budget suits you. Stores like Forever 21, Zara, and H&M sell runway looks at a fraction of the cost.
- Haute couture it. You don’t have to wear your clothing exactly how you purchased it. You can have the hem of those new jeans taken up or the waist taken in. You can change the color of the buttons on a button-down shirt. Find a good tailor and your clothes will look like they were made just for you.
- Grow with it. Evolve. As you learn more about style, yourself, what you are comfortable with and what you are not, your look will change. Allow it to.
- Loosen up. Keep your inner fashionista happy by remembering to have fun!
