To Be Someone Awesome

We all have been there, in a crowded party checking other women’s outfits, comparing and worrying about how our own stands out or is so totally wallflower no one will notice if we leave the party… but then she enters and every head turns in her direction (or we think every head, anyway) and yes, she is making us (let’s be honest) jealous! Maybe we are not totally madly jealous but we are an unflattering shade of green, envy green! Hmmm… what should we do? Let’s analyze the situation: are we jealous of her style or her outfit? Usually we are jealous of other women’s styles. But don’t be fooled, there are two types in what we call stylish category: the phonies and the real deal.
The phonies are those who always wear the same thing, the same safe thing to be exact. The Little Black Dress is stylish? You see them in some version of LBD (sometimes in that exact same LBD) in every party, wedding, birthday, cocktail and celebration! Jeans and a sporty jacket for day time? Always! One black or gray turtleneck in winter? Yes, every time, every where! Wearing only beige, black or gray, after the third meeting you have memorized their outfits and will expect nothing else! Although they make a great first impression they are unable to show creativity (a true sign of being stylish). They wear always the same safe look years in and out!
On the other hand, people with great personal styles are creative, wear a variety of trends and always end up looking awesome. There are two main type of attitude, those who have one signature look (and no, it’s not wearing the same outfit everyday!) and those who are chameleons.
Having a signature look is all about knowing yourself, your face and body structure, liking a certain era, and knowing the classics. I give you some examples.
A friend of mine has a look I call “Lady-like Elegance”. She is very petit (5’ with high heels) with a delicate face and the most beautiful eyes and longest lashes ever! I’ve seen her in variety of outfits, skirt suites, LBDs, tops and jeans, a teal jersey top and its matching gaucho (!),white cropped pants and Indian style top with red and gold embroidery, blouses, dresses, coats, jackets… in picnics, travel, concerts, parties, and every other occasion in between and she always looks like a little Jackie-O! It is the way she carries herself, the way she holds her head, her make-up and her hair style. She is the perfect model of powerful ladies of 60s and 70s. She looks glamorous, polished and elegance.
Another friend has “Sporty Sophisticated” style and her signature look is wearing muted autumnal colors. Her coloring is autumnal, hazel eyes, caramel brown hair, and golden skin. Doesn’t matter what the outfit, a leather jacket in dark burgundy, a suede coat in brick red, a deep plum top, a silk pale rose blouse, a skirt in army patterns of olive and khaki and brown, a cream chenille cardigan, light coral t-shirt,…. her color combination is always flattering, feminine, stylish and in the same family of colors.
A third friend wears “Luxurious Low Key”, always sporty, jeans or cargo pants, her cloths are designer name brands and you can bet all her knits are cashmere! But she always looks comfortable and girl-next-door. The only funky note is her shoes, her gorgeous colorful shoes!
On the other side of spectrum are my chameleon friends. Those whom I look forward to see every time in every social gathering. Those you can not guess before hand what they’re gonna wear. Of these exciting fun people I give you two examples.
The first is my “Sexy Siren” friend. Doesn’t matter the occasion you can count on her to wear something sexy and outrageous. Mini skirts and décolletage satin mini dresses in the office, a tacky green and gold dress from a hole-in-the-wall shop for her dance class, tiny beaded tops from a booth in a fair,…she collects unique pieces and wears them with pride. “Bebe” is right up her ally with all those skin tight body con designs. Micro minis and down-to-there necklines and high high heels are her territory.
My other friend dresses the way an actress does for every role. With perfect attention to details, she plans and wears an outfit down to the last accessory. A French woman out on town, beret and red scarf, cute top, great coat… a kid in a birthday party, short overalls, white short sleeve shirt, socks, sneakers, short wig… a glamorous diva, stunning gown and beautiful up do… for every occasion she has a special and different look. Her day to day style varies too, sexy secretary, preppy student, powerful businesswoman,… she wears every look and trend but with such a precious detailing that they all look custom-y, like she is playing dress up every single day and having fun. Her attitude is her personal style, that playfulness she adds to her outfits, making them less serious.
I have learned something from each of these friends. I confess I’m not above envying them for their confidence either. The way they find all those gorgeous clothes and accessories, too! They inspire me and make me have fun.