I often find myself in situations where people ask me why I spend so
much of my life surrounded by the past. Why do I dress in vintage
clothing? Why do I set my hair nearly every night? Why do I spend
countless hours researching novelty prints, various silhouettes, and hat
styles? Why do I only buy vintage clothing?
Now
I know it sounds simple, but I feel my most comfortable in vintage
styles, I love my hair when it spent the night in pin curls, and vintage
clothing is simply better quality than most of the clothing produced
today. There's just something special about taking the time to curate a
wardrobe and knowing that behind every piece is a long history and a
long list of women who have loved it as much as you do now.
It's
all about attention to detail. It's about the silhouette. It's about
the colors, and the textures, and the accessories. And it's also about
the journey - you can't walk into any old store and find a new addition
to your wardrobe. It takes time, and patience, and trial and error to
find your style.
And
it also takes a new attitude. In a world where casual is king, it
takes gumption to be the most dressed up person in the room. Expect
stares. Expect comments. And expect the all-to-common "wow, you're
dressed up" remark. But more than that, you have to be confident in
your own ability to wear the clothes, instead of letting the clothes
wear you. You have to be comfortable in your own skin.
I
always think of my grandparents - both exceptionally well-dressed - who
always gave me pieces of advice, whether or not they knew they were
doing it. When she was grocery shopping, entertaining grandchildren, or
cooking for Thanksgiving, even when she was in the hospital, my
grandmother always wore lipstick. The same shade, the same brand, for
my entire childhood. She kept a small box in the bathroom with
lipstick, powder, and a small bottle of perfume. She kept her nail
polish in the fridge because she swore it lengthened its life. Her hair
was always done, even when she could no longer do it herself. She
didn't do it to impress anyone, she didn't do it to please society - she
did it for herself.
My grandfather was always
meticulously dressed. He was a man who owned approximately 14,000 blue
button down shirts because they were his favorite. A man whose closet
was better stocked and more organized than a Prada warehouse. And a man
who could rock a bathrobe and slippers just as much as he could rock a
tweed suit. He taught me that one doesn't always need to be daring in
one's appearance. Sometimes the basics are simply the best.
Now,
I don't keep my nail polish in the fridge, and I have a really hard
time sticking to the basics, and therefor my grandparents are probably
both wagging a finger at me right now, but these lessons can be adapted
to fit your own lifestyle. Welcome to my three rules of style. These
are by no means strict, and are open to interpretation, but when I'm
having trouble coming up with a new outfit or find myself feeling gross
no matter what I'm wearing, here are the rules I fall back on:
1.
Don't overestimate simplicity. A fitted black skirt, a white blouse,
and black ballet flats. Black and white stripes. Black cigarette
pants. You don't always need to be loud to be stylish.
2.
Find your length. Also known as, Mini Skirts Aren't for Everyone. As
someone who owns five miniskirts, I clearly have both a problem abiding
by rules, and getting rid of clothing, but I also know that I look best
in mid-length skirts that hit three inches below the knee. This
knowledge comes from years of wearing super short skirts in ballet class
that barely grazed the derriere (over tights and a leotard, and point
shoes), and another number of years wearing maxi skirts in the
summertime so I wouldn't have to shave my legs. One was too short, one
was too long, and one was just right.
3. Dress by
the silhouette. When you begin to think what you want to wear, instead
of thinking about colors, patterns, and particular styles, think about
your ideal silhouette. What shape do you want to wear? If someone took
a high contrast photograph of you, so that everything was split into
light and dark, what would your silhouette look like? Once you know
what shape you want to achieve, then you can work from there.
And
the most important rule? Life is too short to wear boring clothes, and
too long to hate what you wear. So build up from the basics, and never
be afraid to be the most dressed up person in the room.
xoxo,
Eliza
