Tuesday, January 25, 2011

[TOP 10 TUESDAY] Fashion Myths I've Learned to Ignore

  1. Horizontal Stripes Are Not Your Friends
    I believe I was a pirate in a past life - how else would you explain my affinity for stripes? Being plus-sized, I've always heard that I should stay away from horizontal striped because they make me look shorter/thicker. I listened for a while like a good little girl until I realized that I didn't care. Horizontal stripes are so flexible, I think they can work for anyone.
  2. Keep Up With the Latest Trends
    I think it goes without saying that trends are optional. However, it's hard to ignore the overall shift in style according to what's "in". It's great to see so many people interested in fashion and looking good but, at the same time, the looks get a bit repetitive. On the other hand, trends can also add a finishing touch to your outfit (like the tassel necklace I just bought).
  3. {Leggings} Are Out of Style
    In case you don't know the fashion cycle, at some point a trend will fade away unless it becomes a classic. Fashion editors have been trying to get rid of the legging - they feel it's hit its peak and should be on it's wait out. A while back, I wanted to agree with them. I wanted to be cool and try something new like opaque tights. But the heat made them unbearable and the cold demands leggings under skirts and sometimes pants. The lesson is nothing ever really goes out of style. Sure the majority might be "so over it" but if it works in your outfit, then it's "in".
  4. A Little Retail Therapy Won't Hurt
    Shopping is addictive - dangerously addictive. If you get into the mindset that buying a little make-up will soothe your nerves or a new shirt will make your date go better, soon it becomes the answer to everything and you don't even realize it. After that, you can't step into a store without "needing" something, no matter how trivial - and there goes the money for your oil change. Yes, I speak from experience. I've learned to window shop to soothe my nerves but that gets on the salespeople's nerves.
  5. Dress Your Age
    This is another issue where I've had to swallow my words. A while back I called out an older lady for her dressing like she stepped out of Teen Vogue. I regret it now that my cousins and my mom's secretaries keep saying I dress "too young". People were surprised that I was turning 25. I thought maybe it was my face until my cousin pointed out my bangs and clothes are very teen. I tried changing my style for like two days and dressing "grown up" - I failed and I wasn't comfortable.
  6. Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend
    If they were, Claire's wouldn't be in business. Diamonds are pretty and owning them carries a sense of pride and accomplishment, but don't place value over personal style. I went to school with a girl who opted for a pink tourmaline engagement ring rather than a diamond, and for the same price, it was huge. She wanted a stone that reflected her personality and diamonds weren't it.
  7. High Heels are a Girl's Best Friend
    I didn't put on my first pair of high heels until high school - my best friend was on a mission to make me a pro by graduation lest I trip across the stage. I made it across just fine but I could not stand the heels. The post-grad dinner was spent in sandals. It's rare but I can occasionally find a pair of heels that I can wear for hours. I've come to terms with flats, kitty heels, and platforms, no longer envying the stiletto-clad Amazon. Shoes don't make you look good - you make the shoes look good.
  8. Mexicans Don't Wear That
    As long as I can remember, I have been reproached by people of my own ethnicity (and family) for not seeming "Mexican". My features, skin color and accent fit the bill but my clothes don't. As long as I remember, I've never been into the urban styles that were predominant in my neighborhood. I didn't listen to the same music or watch the same TV growing up. My style icons were Cher from Clueless, the girls from the Craft, and The Crow. I understand that different cultures and races have their own styles and clothing preferences but I've never understood why dressing differently made me any less a Latina.
  9. You Need a Pop of Color
    I have tried over and over again to add more color to my wardrobe but I've always loved black clothes, even before I found out they were slimming and chic. I'll admit: color can be a great picker-upper or attention-grabber. If I feel like being colorful, I will, but it's not an everyday thing for me.
  10. Fashion Hurts
    When you really want something, there's normally a price to pay - that's how our socio-economy works. But when it comes to fashion and beauty, it seems that women pay hefty fines in the form of their health, well-being, financial stability, and sometimes sanity. We've moved beyond corsets but young girls are still taught that beauty is neither comfortable nor cheap. And blood is an acceptable payment. If the heels feels too high, don't wear them. If you're a size 8, don't try to squeeze into a size 6. If you're on a diet, do it smart - consult your doctor or, at the very least, a nutrition website.

Bottom line: If It Feels Good, Wear It

Pics via We Heart It, GamesGirl.ca & X-Chromosome.

5 comments:

Brittany said...

I LOVE 2 and 3!! I hate people that wear things because they're "trendy." I'm also a bit baffled by the "Mexicans don't wear that" one. That's kind of crazy.

StyleMeBAD said...

I LOVE this post! I agree with a majority of what is being said here.

But #8 stands out to me because I have had a similar problem growing up where people told me I didnt fit the mold or dress a certain way based on my nationality.

When I was younger I was constantly being told that I wasn't a Latina because of how I talked or dressed. I was very much into the movie Clueless (I thought I was Cher)and feather pens and saying "as if!" and "whatever" instead of talking slang or dressing in sneakers and "urban" brands. So I feel you. And I think that statement needs to be flushed down the toilet. We can dress however the hell our hearts please to! :)

Awesome post!!!!!!

Style Geek said...

Yeah, I probably should have elaborated because it did have a lot to do with my dislike for urban brands and music when I was younger.

@Nicole, I also grew up under the influence of Clueless and teen fashion magazines like Jane. So when I went to school with faux fur scrunchies, most people didn't know how to react.

I grew very self-conscious one summer and tried wearing baggy jeans, Lowrider shirts and bandannas like the other Latinas in my neighborhood but it didn't feel like me.

Nicole said...

We shouldn't have to conform and I am happy that you have stuck with what makes you feel good.

Surprisingly I didnt let what people had to say bother me. I will admit that as I got older I did start getting into the more popular "urban" brands. But I will say that I dont really think it had anything to do with me conforming at all. I think I was just changing and evolving. It reflected that time period of my life. I did genuinely fall in love with hip hop and it wasnt because I wanted to fit in, it was just what I liked and my style reflected it. My style has always changed with the phases of my life and what I currently like and am into. But regardless of me being a valley girl, hip hop head, punk rocker, nerd, latina, or whatever I have always been comfortable in my own skin and didnt feel like I was hiding who I was in order to fit in. And that is so important and I give you props for doing so as well.

xo

Bohemian Chick said...

Another great post! I LOVE the photo of the feet with nails in the heels instead of the stiletto heels of a shoe. I, too, love feeling stylish, but it definitely comes with a price. I related a lot to the "retail therapy is good for you" post. I've always been a sucker for that, but never as much as when I lived in SoCal. The pressure to look good was enormous, and so many people have so much money, that I felt I should, too. But I didn't, so I always just felt deprived and broke. I've never been big on following the rules, so I'm happy when I read a list like yours!
Donna
www.405creations.com