Both of these blazers cost less than $40, but one looks droopy and ugly, while the other looks chic and professional. Which one would you buy? Let’s break it down together. I will now dissect this garment to show you how one looks chintzy, while the other passes for pricey.
CLOTHES THAT HAVE SHAPE ALWAYS LOOK MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THOSE THAT JUST HANG THERE, OR DROOP, OR ARE VACUUM-SEALED TO THE BODY.
Artists have muses, and why shouldn’t you? When you’re new at something (like dressing fabulously), it means you are an apprentice. You need somebody to look up to, to learn from, someone who does what you want to do better than you know how to do it.
Fun Fact: When I was growing up, my style icons were Mr. Rogers and Gene Rayburn of The Match Game. It’s true. Why? I love a cardigan, like Fred, and I love mixing prints, like Gene!
A style icon, or group of style icons, can help you spend money more wisely until you have a rock-solid sense of your own style. For example, if your style icon is Gwyneth Paltrow, you can ask yourself every time you shop, “Is this something Gwynnie would wear?”
White cross-trainers? Probably not.
Drapey silk blouse? Yup!
Multichain necklace? Sure!
Handbag made from two beer cans and some fishing line? Not over her dead body.
Sure, it sounds a little silly, but I promise it can help you zero in on pieces that will propel your own style forward while encouraging you to pass by the rest. And, quite frankly, it’s pretty damn fun to do when shopping.
Assignment time! Go find your icons and do some research on them. Don’t just choose, say, Bonnie Tyler because you’re a huge fan of “Total Eclipse of the Heart.” (Who isn’t, really?) Go online and search for images of your ideal fabulous person. Or maybe it’s someone you actually know! Your great-aunt Mildred, your boss, your best friend! What is it about their style that appeals to you? Is it a color palette, a knack for accessorizing, an often-worn silhouette? I love the idea of someone who decides her style is 25 percent Courteney Cox, 50 percent Jackie Kennedy Onassis, with a little bit of her fashionable Grandma Tess thrown in.
Take your time and get creative.
There is one big problem with having a style icon, about which I shall now warn you, dear reader: Performing artists wear clothes meant to get a lot of attention—because they’re literally onstage and/or trying to drum up publicity for their projects. You, however, are not selling albums or blockbuster movies. I meet a lot of young women who say things like, “I want to look like Pink!”
What? She’s a multiplatinum singer and you work part-time in a tanning salon. Pink’s style works for her. It’s made her rich and famous. What is Pink’s style doing for you besides reminding you that MTV isn’t exactly beating down your door?
Also, your icon needs to have a body type similar to yours. You can’t really be a size 18 petite and look to the Olsen twins for inspiration. Sorry. That might be a drag to hear, but it’s true. They can wear anything because they’re built like petite coatracks. Same goes for the reverse. If you’re flat as a board, is Sofía Vergara really the wisest iconic choice for you?
However, sometimes you can combine icons to make them work for you! Here’s how I created some modern looks using fabulous style icons as springboards.
CHOOSE