Don’t be a Fashion Victim

Fashion Victim:  The fashion police should arrest all such persons. they can be identified easily, all their clothing will have designer logos, they will be perfectly manicured, groomed and waxed and buffed. But instead of looking chic they will look “over the top” because they have no real taste or style. The mark of a true fashion victim is wearing every “faddish” trend that comes out. (Urban Dictionary)

Dress fashionably, but don’t be a fashion victim.

There’s a big difference between being a slave to the latest trends and being aware of them. You want the latter. Every season, the fashion industry presents hundreds of trends. Some are exciting, some are fun, some are silly, and some are downright Ridiculous. Your mission is to be a smart shopper and buy only the trends that work for you—your body, your personality, your lifestyle.

Fashion coach Susan Sommers, whose business, Dresszing, helps women shop in their closets, advises her clients to ask themselves, “What one or two pieces will make my wardrobe pop right now?” The pieces don’t have to be super expensive, but they should be of the moment and the color and style should mix well with at least two items you already own. If the of-the-moment item is pricey, before you splurge ask yourself, “Is this something I can wear after this season is over?” Treat your wardrobe as an art collection, and curate it with looks that are worth the investment because they go the distance. If you have doubts, skip it. Know that you can always add a hit of style with more disposable items, like costume jewelry and other fun, instant-gratification accessories.

And that was yet Another Fun Excerpt from How Not to Look Old: Fast and Effortless Ways to Look 10 Years Younger, 10 Pounds Lighter, 10 Times Better by Charla Krupp. Loving my new bible!

Confessions of a Shopaholic.  Loved the book, did Not love the movie, which was also the victim of Bad Timing!  A movie about an obsessive compulsive shopaholic at the start of a recession, had disaster written all over it…as did this outfit.

Don’t follow a trend if you don’t love it, and don’t love you in it.    Wear what makes you look good, and feel good about yourself.    Just because something is trendy, does not mean you need to follow that trend..(Jeggings)!

Top Ten Worst Fashion Fads

We’ve all fallen victim to poor fashion choices. Sometimes we go out looking unkept or not up to snuff, sometimes we make the mistake of wearing jeans to a formal occasion (not I, but I hear it can happen) or a LBD to a parent-teacher conference (;) ).  You’ll be pleased to know that You are not alone.  Bad fashion choices are everywhere, and here is a  list of some of the worst fashion fads in history:

1. Those mega shoulder pads, which date back to the 80’s- we all thought that bigger was better, and some of us aspired to look like well-padded up quarterbacks!  I had Norma Kamali dresses and tops in the 80′s…and thought they were Fabulous!  They were not, and I looked like a linebacker.  But lived and died via the fashion of Dynasty!
2. Ponchos.  I personally much prefer my shawl!
3. Spandex pants, which Olivia Newton-John made famous in ‘Grease’.  Suddenly everyone was wearing them.   Think Peg Bundy.  These were styled like jeans, but fit super tight.  And were super unattractive.  They didn’t look good on anyone, except Sandy in Grease!
4. The awful fashion trend of big hair or Bouffount Hair – And I’m not referring to “poofy” hair.  I’m referring to Over the Top, Overly Teased, Bouffant Hair, where you could hide a small family of mice in (sorry, mice still scare the daylights out of me).    That kind of style defied the law of gravity, and made the head look out of proportion.  Now poofy hair, I’m all for it!
5. Those dreadful pants with writing on the back – stuff like “Hot” or “Wow” printed on the backside.  Let the lewd comments begin.  Reminds me of a joke…”A girl is walking by with ‘Guess’ on her t-shirt.  The man passed by and said “Thyroid problem?”  Having writing or a question on any item of clothing is just Asking for trouble!
6. Bellbottoms. Whatever possessed  people to wear them?  The shape was odd, often they came in really ghastly colors, and most of the time, it looked so terribly tacky!  Plus didn’t the bellbottoms get caught in your heels, sofa bottoms, and the brakes in your car?  They say that fashion comes full circle, so my fear is bell bottoms are coming back, since we are now on skinny jeans!
7. Tattoos – 2 words.  Please don’t.  And while it may look great now, it will Not when you are over 50.  Or over 40 for that matter. Actually, I don’t think it EVER looks great!    And do NOT even get me started of the “tramp stamp”!  I mean, Really?!
8. Crocs – they’re still around, but why? They look really unattractive, rather like a “blob of rubber” stuck on your feet.   Though I do realize that those in the medical profession wear them because they are comfortable.  But please don’t wear them with a skirt, or out to dinner.  Or perusing the streets of Fisherman’s Wharf or Michigan Avenue!
9. Low-rise jeans -  Seriously, don’t let your hips and backside hang out.  Seems everyone is sporting their “plumbers crack”.  Not a good look…even if you have the body to pull it off.    And if you have jeans that you absolutely Love, and are too low, you can wear a long cami, underneath your shirt, to cover any skin that may show.  And please add Acid-washed jeans this list.
10. Leisure Suits – Ugh!  That’s all I can say.  My goodness…and the colors they came in. Again, it’s a walking Saturday Night Live skit.  Oh yeah, I wasn’t supposed to elaborate.
11. And Lastly, another terrible fashion fad – harem pants. What was wrong with them? Too many pleats, too low-waisted, and they just didn’t look good! Totally the wrong thing to wear to college or let alone to an office.  And I’m Not naming names! MC Hammer!  Barbara Eden is the only person who should ever wear these pants!

And Lastly, sadly, I believe poor Greg Olsen will be a fashion victim wearing a Carolina Panthers jersey…what were the Bears thinking?!  I am Not happy with that move!

Have a wonderful weekend!

xoxo,

T.

This picture is in no way supposed to be a Fashion Victim…I love it, actually.

Related Posts:

http://dressedtoat.wordpress.com/2011/06/03/dont-buy-it-if-you-dont-love-it/

Don’t Buy it if you don’t Love it

 

Don’t buy it if you don’t love it. And love it only if it flatters you.

It doesn’t matter what big name is on the label. It doesn’t matter how low the price. Does the piece make you look good? Does it make you feel good? That’s what’s important. The lesson here: Buy less, buy better, be picky. If you can walk away without getting a pang, do yourself a favor and walk away. You don’t need another piece of clothing in your closet taking up valuable real estate.  And take it from someone who knows and has started shopping in my own closet!  And I sell clothes!

 

One of my favorite movies is The Blind Side…and a favorite quote, “One thing I know, if you don’t love it in the store, you won’t love it at home”. How true that is. I cannot tell you how many items of clothing and shoes I have in my closet, still with the tags on them.  And I fancy myself a savvy shopper. (Yeah, and based on the lambasting I received from my savvy packing blog, let the lynching begin!)    I’ve begun “shopping in my own closet” because, quite frankly, I have a lot of clothes.  And I have a lot of items I haven’t worn.  And many aren’t shopping regrets, but I have regretted buying so many clothes!

Some of my biggest shopping regrets (and some that have nothing to do with Fashion)

1.  Clip on Pony Tail.  No need to elaborate.  Though in my own defense (I guess I’m elaborating), I did get it to wear to a Prom-themed fundraiser.

2.  The many, many , many pairs of shoes that I bought, and they haven’t felt fabulous, so I never wear them.   And more specifically the pair of shoes that I insisted my mother buy me in 3rd grade, that basically mangled my toes… Truly.  I regret that purchase.

(these were not a pair of shoes I regretted buying.  I would not buy these shoes.  Just thought they were snappy, and wanted to share them)

3.  Denim-look workout suit.  Again, no need to elaborate.   The only good news here is I never wore it. 

4.  Balloon skirt – which made me look like a balloon.  Not the look I was going for. 

5.  Light Pink Leather jacket I bought on eBay.  I turned around and sold it on eBay for about 25% of what I paid for it.   Word to the wise, it’s very difficult to buy an item of clothing or shoes on eBay, unless you are buying a brand you truly know.  Handbags and sunglasses are easier purchases!  And I often test that theory!

6.  Cowboy boots, which I bought to wear to a Blazing Saddle fundraiser.  I realized I wasn’t going to spend $200 on a pair of boots I wouldn’t wear again.  Plus I’d rather give that money to the charity.  Actually, CP , told me that, and I pirated that from her!   And I still returned them.

(Above cowboy boots are fine,  just not for me…and no cowboy boots will work for me.  Darn shame really)

6.  Pink Sunglasses.  And I actually wore them to a golf outing.   They matched the pink polo.  (you may roll your eyes here).

7.  Skinny jeans.  Did not make me look skinny.

8.  Porsche Cayenne…while the car is great in the snow, in the past 2 years, I’ve had to put over $4300 into it.  Maintenance, Tires, Brakes.  My last 3 cars were BMW’s, and they were maintenance free.   Wish Rudy at Motorwerks had shared that if you own a Porsche, you should be prepared to spend lots of cash on maintenance.   I was not.  And am not moving forward.    BMW’s are 5-years maintenance-free.  That…is a good thing.   And, I am not complaining that I drive a Porsche, it’s just a purchase I regretted.  Plus, this car was  less than my last car, so I was downsizing and saving $$$.  Plus, several people have indicated that the car is “not me”.  I mean, what car am I anyway?  A red Volkswagon Beetle convertible with white leather interior?  Actually, that would be fun.     Note to file.  When buying a big purchase, do not take 12-year old son and allow him to make the decision.

9.  Light Suede couches for Great Room.  Yeah, they lasted all of 3 years, before they looked 38 years old and had to be replaced.

10.  Vintage jewelry I bought at a flea market, and I was so excited with my purchase…until I realized each piece was missing “valuable gems”… basically couldn’t wear them, and if I had to , could only sell them for parts.  They are still in the box in which I bought them…and never did sell them or use them for parts.

There is a lesson to be learned here…Don’t buy it if you don’t love it.  Don’t make impulse buys.  Try on shoes before you purchase them, unless you are certain about the size, and can return them.   And for gosh darned sake, don’t buy a denim-look workout suit.

My work here for this week is done. 

Disclaimer – these are purchases I regretted for Myself…I am not saying these are bad items (‘cept that denim workout outfit).  They just didn’t work for Me.  As you can see I am trying to limit as much backlash as possible…I just know that Cinda won’t be able to help herself…and for that,  I love her.

xoxo,

T.

Dress for the Life you Want, not the Life you Have!