FashBlog.com

...it's how you wear it. Developing your own personal sense of style can make you a true trendsetter and put you out ahead of the pack.
by
Deb Powers

This spring the hottest colors are pink and green. The styles have done another 180, and feminine is in again. Layered skirts, chiffon scarves and loose, floaty poets' blouses trade spots with fitted princess style shirts in flowered rayon fabrics that could have been milled in the 70s. Not to your taste?

The fashion magazines and store flyers dictate the hot styles each season, and most girls dive right in, picking up several pieces in the latest fashion so that they fit right in. Next time you go out, though, take a look around you and see who catches your eye. Chances are that it's the girl who stands out from the crowd - not so much because of what she's wearing but by the sheer confidence and attitude with which she wears it.

Stepping outside the fashion mold can take a bit of nerve at first. If you're used to wearing what your friends wear, or fitting into the corporate mold, if you've spent your life letting other people dictate what you wear, it can be a little dauting to start looking for your own style. It takes a little effort, but the effort is well worth it.

But wait, you're probably thinking. I know what my style is! I've got a whole closet full of clothes in my style. Take a look, though. How many of the outfits in that closet do you truly love? Which ones make you feel GOOD about the way you look? Are there any that feel like a second skin when you slip into them?

The right clothes are the clothes that you feel good wearing. If you like the way you look, the way the clothes drape on you, and how they feel, you'll naturally carry yourself with confidence and attitude. Does that silky little camisole make you feel devastatingly attractive? Wear it! Slip a boxy jacket over it, tuck it into a pair of tailored slacks and add a spill of silver chains, and you'll have a drop-dead outfit that will turn heads - and they won't be thinking 'Is that *underwear* she's wearing?'

The secret to carrying off an outrageous outfit is attitude and fit. No one looks attractive when they're fidgeting with their straps and hems, or trying to cover up something that's just a little too bare for their comfort. Choose well made clothing that fits right, in colors that you love. You can't look good in clothes that don't feel good.

Want to step out of your bandbox, but not quite sure how to do it? Here's a handful of tips that will help you start dressing the way you love to dress, and looking smashing in whatever you wear.

1. Figure out what makes you feel good.
Is it a color? A fabric? A particular cut of skirt or long flowing sleeves? Whatever it is, capitalize on it. For me, it's rich, deep jewel colors and touchable fabrics - yours might be crisp cotton, or full skirts, or sleek , tailored crop tops. Build your outfits around the clothes that you feel best wearing.

2. Shop in unusual places.
If the clothes that you like to wear are 'out of style' this season, you may have trouble finding something you like. Poke through the thrift shops, consignment shops and secondhand shops for things that you like. Learn where you can find classic styles no matter what season it is.

3. Shop by mail.
Mail order catalogs are a great source of clothes that you can't find anywhere else. They also tend to have a lot of staples that they carry from season to season, no matter what the styles are. Some of the best catalogs to shop are Spiegels, Sears and Lands' End.

4. Accessorize!
What you wear with is as important as what you wear. Take a basic tee shirt and black jeans. Add a bandana around your throat and another through a belt loop, and you're a country kicker. Swap the bandana for a strand of pearls, sleek your hair back and add high heels - from country bumpkin to city chic in seconds.

5. Dress up.
Not 'dress-up' for a wedding dress-up. Costume dress up. If you want to feel confident, dress the part. Want to be a slinky diva? Wear it, girl. Clothes are a costume - make them say what you want them to say instead of letting them define you.