My Biggest
Fashion Do’s & Don'ts
By Christina
Adkins
I'll admit it...
Growing
up, I wasn't exactly friends with fashion. I was somewhat of a sheltered child,
and only learned the basics like shaving and tweezing from my mom. Since I wore
uniforms to school, it wasn't until the year of 8th grade when I transferred
from private to public school, that I came to realize that clothes weren't just
to cover your body. By the time I had this revelation, I felt like I had a lot
of catching up to do, and went overboard for awhile. Now I enjoy fashion and
trends, and as some of you might know, even model now because of that fashion.
Here's a few fashion do's and don’ts I've learned along the way.
DON'T: Spend
Tons of Money on Trends
When I was first
getting into fashion, I was so worried about the label itself. I thought that
in order to be the best styled, I had to have the best, most expensive, well
known labels. Boy was I wrong about the assumption. Since trends come
and go so quickly, you might wear the purchase a handful of times before it's
out of season. I know women on the
lowest budget that have the best style! Even celebrities mix and match designer
labels with more affordable pieces from Top Shop, Anthropologie,
and more. Who
the heck is walking around going "I like that shirt!”? Turn around and let
me see what brand the tag says!"? It's about looking fabulous, and weather
you do that with 5 dollars or 500 dollars doesn't really matter. You'd be
surprised what treasures you can find at thrift stores or consignment shops!
Do: Splurge on
Timeless Items
If you do feel like splurging, invest in items
that are timeless, like a killer pair of jeans, a great bra, the perfect black
belt, or a LBD (Little Black Dress). You will feel much more satisfied if you
invest in things that you can use for more than just a short period of time. I
also suggest splurging on items that have a more neutural color scheme or pattern.
If you buy a piece that you can't mix and match, you're choices of how you wear
it are more limited. Anything that is versatile will get a lot more use.
DON'T: Dress
Head-to-Toe in the Latest Trends
I went gun-ho on
trying to keep up with the latest styles and trends once I discovered them.
But, at the time I saw it as, in order to really be trendy, you had to dress
head to toe in the latest fashions, even down to the exact color schemes for
hair, nails, and make-up I saw in magazines.
That didn't work
out to well for me, and anyone who has done the same thing will agree.
Sometimes, trends don't exactly work for your skin tone, bone structure, or
size. For instance, pant-suits are really hot on the runways for fall, but I'm
5"2' and very petite so it's hard for me to pull that off without looking,
(and feeling) like one of the seven dwarfs instead of the fabulous Snow White.
DO: Embrace Who
You Are and Enjoy Who That Is
Once you find
what works for who you are, both inside AND out- trying new trends, beauty
routines, and even new things in life becomes less intimidating and so much
fun. If a trend doesn't work for you like sometimes it doesn't for me, skip it
or make it work! Pantsuits might be in, but with my dwarf-ism, I wear just the
blazer and throw it over a feminine shirt and add some shinnies, booties with
heels, and a clutch for a killer date-night outfit. (See look from Balmain, to Left)
The key is not to be
dressed head to toe in this minute's latest fashion dos, but to find what makes
you feel confident, what looks good on YOU, and make it yours! Whatever you
wear, own it. If you don't feel confident in something, you won't look
confident either. But when you feel good about what you're wearing, it makes
everyone else see a confident woman as well. Outfits aren't just about the
outfits; it’s about you as a person as well. Look at Katy Perry or Lady Gaga's
crazy get-ups, or Marc Jacobs’s man-skirts or whatever they are.
Because they
own what they're wearing, they exude a confidence that clothes alone cannot.
Take a tip from the stars, being beautiful is not about being perfect head to
toe, inside and out. It's about loving, being proud, and embracing who you are.
Because once you do that, the people around you will too. <3
