FashBlog.com

Once upon a time, I used to wonder how the world's most fashionable women came to be so. It seemed to me that some women were born with an innate sense of style, while others (me included) were destined to a lifetime of bad clothing choices, mismatched outfits and fashion faux pas. Then it hit me. A sense of style, like anything else, is something that can be learned. Sure, some women instinctively know, without having to be told, that plaids and polka dots do not mix. But the evidence is there that many of the world's most fashionable women did not start out that way.

If you take a look at some of today's most glamorous fashion divas, all the way back to their beginnings, before they were famous and before they were wearing Vera Wang on the red carpet, you will often find a history of fashion mistakes just as embarrassing as your own. In fact, the former fashion mistakes made by today's fashion divas may have been even more embarrassing than yours or mine. Celebrities are usually a little more confident than your average Joe, and so may have attempted some daring looks in their pasts that you and I would never have dared to try.

So, how did yesterday's fashion misfits become the fashion divas of today? The answer is that they made it their business to do so. Becoming a fashion diva is a goal that anyone can achieve with a little time and effort. All you have to do is become a student of fashion.

For starters, begin by subscribing to a few good fashion magazines. Each month when you receive your new issues in the mail, study them as if they are your textbooks. What colors and styles are in this season? What skirt lengths are in? How are today's fashion divas wearing their blue jeans? What styles of shoes are making a splash? How about accessories, including hats, belts and jewelry?

Next, choose a celebrity whose style you particularly admire and would like to emulate. Study her wardrobe carefully. Watch her in the movies and on television. Look at her pictures in magazines. What kinds of clothes, shoes and accessories does she use to achieve her special fashion look? Begin to look for the little tricks she uses to turn an ordinary outfit into something that exhibits her own fashion flair.

Finally, tune in to the Style Network. The Style Network offers a full menu of programs designed to help you with all aspects of style and fashion. Whether you want to learn to apply makeup properly, how to style your hair, what fashions are most slimming, or how to buy a glamorous wardrobe on a budget, the Style Network has the information you need. Remember, treat this like you would any school assignment. Find two or three shows that will help you achieve the looks you want and watch them religiously.

By studying fashion magazines, celebrities you admire and fashion programming, you will eventually learn what works, as well as what doesn't. At first, you may find yourself copying exactly the looks that you find in fashion magazines and on television. That's okay. Beginning cooks usually follow recipes down to the very last ingredient, but once they have the basics down to a science and begin to trust themselves as cooks, they begin to experiment and add their own creative flair to dishes. It's the same with fashion. Once you learn the basics, you'll begin to experiment and to incorporate your own creativity, ideas and sense of style into your wardrobe. At that point, you'll truly be a fashion diva.

Copyright (c) 2005 by Leanne Phillips