Fashion Friday with some Advice~*

I was Stumbling and I came across a site that got me thinking...& now I am in the mood to dispense unasked for advice~*

No offense or anything to those who believe that there are dress codes for every decade of life, but I tend to wear what I like without really worrying about it...in case you haven't noticed.

Dress/ Vintage from Moonchild Vintage

  

The site I came across was one of those geared to 40something women.  I love {sarcasm}websites  that dictate what you are supposed to wear at what age-- giving all these completely arbitrary rules & regulations... This site in particular cracked me up {I will not name it because I think these sites, while amusing, are a large part of what is wrong with society & I don't want to encourage them lol}.  So anyway, on this site women 40 and over send in pictures of themselves asking whether or not the outfit is age appropriate.  Sigh.  

Yeah, really.  And women do this... 

Nowhere did I see a picture of a woman wearing something that was age inappropriate...I did see several pics of women squeezing into too small a size, or wearing what can only be described as tramp gear, but it isn't inappropriate because of the woman's age-- one ought to realize that micro mini skirts, stretch pants, Lolita dresses & belly shirts look trashy on women of any age.  

Seriously.  

If one is a super model, one may be able to pull the above looks off in some sort of cutting edge editorial spread, but when that same outfit is worn in real life, well lets be honest, it is a bit embarrassing.  Obviously people should wear whatever they like-- but the idea that the only reason the average woman shouldn't wear stretch pants with a belly shirt any place other than the gym is her age is just plain silly.

I am no expert, believe me, but I consider it a mark of achievement in today's world that I don't worry about what  I want to wear beyond "does it fit,"  "is it cute," and "will it make me happy to wear it."

One of the most important tricks I've learned about personal fashion is that you need to know what you like. Are you a comfort over style sort of person?  Do you like floral prints & romance or do you prefer clean & crisp?  Maybe you are like me & are a mood at the moment dresser...

So how do you discover what it is you like?  Do a little online window shopping-- use sites like Pinterest to save whatever you find appealing.  Scour blogs, check out online mags, surf stores, meander.  Periodically go back over what you save-- delete stuff that you saved on impulse because your friend, mom, sister, co worker et al. said it was cute.  Get rid of items you think your significant other would think was  "hot."  {Dressing for the people you love is never, never, never a good idea...if all is well in your relationships they love you for who you are, not what they want to make you look like...but more on that in a later post}.  Leave only what you like-- things that make you smile when you see them, things that you can imagine wearing while doing something you love.  

Like making your daughter pose while you yell, "Now you are a lemming!" "Now an iguana!"  "Now a ballet dancer with a leg cramp!"

Don't worry about whether or not the things you pin would look good on you-- the intent isn't to buy it.  What you are looking for is the common elements.   After you've saved a bunch, look over the whole board and look for common elements between the pieces.  Do you have lots of ditsy floral?  Is there a certain sort of sleeve that keeps appearing?  Lots of dresses or do you pick pants?  What colors keep appearing?  Break the board down to common elements, and those elements represent your personal style~*

For example, I tend to have seriously eclectic taste, but there are common themes: I tend to prefer vintage {in both style and manufacture}, I lean toward the bohemian/nerdy, I prefer dresses & skirts instead of pants.  I like little details-- the well placed bow, the hidden pocket, the pearl buttons.   I'm not too in to pattern mixing {some people look cute in it, but it tends to grate on my nerve}, but I do like florals and plaids when mixed with solids.  And I like telling a story with what I wear-- connecting everything together.

Oh, and while I like to be comfortable, I don't mind a little discomfort if I really like the way something looks~*

red white & blue dress / 1930s glasses / Navy moccasins / Library bracelet

Modern Mod Dress / Vintage orange heels / vintage hoop earrings / vintage orange patent leather purse

Vintage Candies clog sandals / Hand tooled & painted vintage leather purse / Glitter star headband / Vintage floral dress

There is a link to my Pinterest site on the side bar if you want to check out what other pieces  I've pinned.  And while you are looking, set up your own account.  Try it.  Trust me.  It works.  And the real beauty of it is that you don't spend a cent while you are figuring out where your taste truly lies.  Knowing what you are drawn to, what you like, is the first step to defining your own sense of style.  

And thus endeth the first lesson~*