I have been asked on numerous occasions what the difference is between fashion and style and my opinion about it from a Personal Stylist point of view. To start, it is obvious that I am a Personal stylist (aka image consultant) and not a fashion stylist whose job I have written about previously in my blog. I wasn't born a fashionista until I turn 40 when I became interested in the way I felt about myself in different clothing items, my desire to be noticed and stand out (this is in the DNA) and of staying confident in whatever I did. Hence my decision to change career and trained to be a PS. I like to advise and help women over 40 to embrace their age and stay classy and sophisticated, establishing their signature style and be happy and confident in a life reinvented.
Ageing and being chic / stylish are not mutually exclusive. Mature women certainly deserve a more sophisticated style which is impossible or unwanted for the youth demographic. My shopping habit and criteria have changed drastically since I learned the nuts and bolts of my profession. I avoid linen and silk at all costs when it comes to the choice of fabric. Elements of design is another factor I take into consideration as I won't go for printed tees but solid colours. Even the size of the patterns and prints have to be in proportion to my body size and shape.
I have nothing against fashion / trend per se but to me, finding your own style is definitely more important than following the ever changing trends and forecast. I enjoy browsing through magazines and catalogues to keep up with the latest in the field and use them simply as reference for my clients when they prefer something more visual as guidelines in my consultations. I like to be updated and kept sartorially current too without being a slave to fashion. If you are familiar with Style-Proud, you would know that I love creating outfit combinations by styling them differently, injecting a new colour and a change of details. I am lucky to have found a seamstress nearby whom I rely on and shopping is no longer a chore but an activity I do enjoy more these days. What a good fashion investment is varies from one person to another as cost and value are indeed subjective and setting some guidelines prior to shopping is a must.
Far from being a trend setter / follower, I only pick items which flatter my shape, something which is versatile to fit well into the rest of my existing wardrobe and that I actually love such as flare jeans and ruffled sleeves. You won't see me in a cold shoulder top ever but I don't mind the latest embroidered fad on a white shirt. It is more of an attitude and perspective than being in trend and fitting in. As a go-to person for styling advice, fashion is all about the knowledge, a form of self-identity. What I wear on a given day very much depends on my mood, what I find interesting and what my day involves. I am definitely not a fashion addict in its broadest sense.
And if you are curious about my shopping criteria, here you go:
- the need of a particular item arises when you find yourself missing something repeatedly when you put together outfits
- buy only items which work with what you already own and do a mental audit of how you will wear it in multiple ways to enhance your existing pieces
- no duplication (colour or style-wise) unless you are a 'uniform' person who refuses variety
- ask yourself where you are going in the item you pick up as it is a waste of money if it doesn't work for your lifestyle
- don't even consider something which doesn't flatter your figure for the sake of 'prettiness'
Make sense?
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