Iconic Style

There's a huge emphasis right now on "individual style."  Throngs of attacks have been launched against shows like What Not To Wear for essentially telling people that their personal style was horrid, throwing everything away, and stripping them down to a few shopping rules, and then sending them home in a cookie cutter style.  

Personal style is a wonderful thing, the trouble is that most people are not interested in having truly unique style, they just want to look good without thinking too much about it.  And many people who have individual style...well, it's bad.  Guidelines or fashion rules aren't really a bad thing, and I'm sorry to say that most people don't want to go it alone, they want trends to follow and rules to cling to so they can just get on with their lives while feeling confident they look good.  And now we can't do that.  Everyone is left to their own devices, which means some confident, creative individuals are feeling total freedom and loving every second of it, and, yes, looking good doing it.  While nearly everyone else is kind of feeling lost at this point and just wearing the very safest and most thoughtless of outfits: jeans & t-shirts, active wear as regular clothing, etc.  And really...not just looking awful, but feeling awful about themselves too.  Not everyone can handle freedom and not everyone wants that kind of limitless freedom.  In other words, cookie cutters work.

 

If this much freedom feels like utter chaos to you, if you are feeling overwhelmed and lost instead of free, or worst of all you just hate the way you dress and don't know how to change it, the best way to start is to find your own style icon and mimic the hell out of them until you get your footing.  One of two things will happen:  1.  Over time, you will isolate the key things you love about their style and begin adding in your own touches until you have a style that can be called uniquely yours.  Or, 2.  You'll continue just mimicking that style and go on living your life.  Occasionally people will say, "you like just like X," and you'll say, "thank you, I love her!" or more aggressively, "how dare you speak to me!"  Read the situation on that before responding.  By simply using a person whose style you admire, over time you realize what it is you like about their style, what works for you and what doesn't, and begin incorporating elements from others you admire or simply from great pieces you find until you find your look and what looks best on you.

Today's post is dedicated to a great style icon, Bernie Dexter, whose likeness features on this dress from her company.  Important to point out that her own icon was Bettie Page and yet she now has her own brand and style.  We all just need a little guidance now and then and there's nothing wrong with that.

Outfit Info:  Bernie Dexter Dress, Leg Avenue Petticoat, B.A.I.T. Shoes, Jessica McClintock Clutch.