Recently I came across the "Little Black Book of Style" by Nina Garcia (Fashion director of Elle US)... I know I know... I did not expect to like it, but to my surprise I found it quite entertaining and inspiring. It makes a great summer, and not only summer, reading.
When it comes to detailed advice and tips on finding one's style and building a wardrobe to last it provides a solid set of building blocks which can guide one's fashion choices and help solve both everyday and special occasion "what to wear" puzzles... I do not neccessarily agree with her when it comes to some advice - like that about "must-have"
bags which include Chanel quilted bag and Hermes' Birkin bag... first one being truly awful and boring, while the price of other would feed an African village for 5 years...
What I found really inspiring and fresh was her down-to-earth and sensible approach to a personal style. Without much pomp she puts together a simple and easy to follow philosophy of personal fashion sense. And here I am totally in synch with her. She says:
"Style comes from knowing who you are and who you want to be in the world; it does not come from wanting to be somebody else"
"Style is personal. There is no herd to follow. There are no rules. There are no seasons. Style comes from within. (...) Every time you dress you assert some aspect of yoursef and your identity. In style you tell the world who you are, or at least a story of who you would like to be on that particular day"
I could not agree with her more - clothes, shoes, accessories are a wonderful medium to transform, define and redifine one's individualism and personality. They can make your day or ruin it completly... Finding a balance between "dressing who you are" and "dressing who you inspire to be" is an art that women master for years and years...
Just take a look around and I am sure you will notice tons of women (and men) who feel uncomfortable, and strangers in their own skin, or rather clothes... "Dress for success" and "Dress to impress" are only a few of the slogans that make people wear clothes they do not "feel". Of course there are rules to be followed and every situation requires a proper outfit, nevertheless being untrue to oneself can result in being dressed up and not just dressed.
1. Green "almost pencil" skirt (Solar, www.solar-comapny.pl)
