What’s you pussycat?

From high style to your style we look at how you can achieve a top model look of your own.

Off the catwalk and onto Main Street

What looks good on those girls on the catwalk might not work for your evening out on the town. We all love admiring fashion on other people, but how do we know what we will like on ourselves. Those ripped-to-shreds jeans that your best friend looked stunning in last night might not look as stunning on you. Admiring fashion on the catwalk is one of my favourite hobbies, but that is a different story from realizing what works for my life. So how do we figure out what clothes will make us feel like a top model and be done with those pocket breaking shopping mistakes? Here are some simple suggestions to finding your true style.

Watch and wear

Take cues from someone in your life that you admire and who you think embodies perfect style. It can be anyone. For me it is my parents’ eccentric friend who has never shared her true age and has only admitted to three marriages. Our friend, Sherry, embodies true style. Her fashions are a mix of vintage finds and extravagant designer labels that I can only dream of ever owning. At the age of 15, in New York for the first time, after being sent out to purchase an appropriate evening dress, she ended up on Saks Fifth Avenue buying a little black cocktail dress that cost an undisclosed amount. And it is every bit as amazing as it sounds and still hangs in her closet. She is an inspiration to me and I hope that I will learn to embody style half as well as she does.

Inspiration – Imitation

One of the most useful ways of realizing what you are drawn to is by focusing your inspirations. Tear out pictures of celebrities, fashion shows, friends, prints, colour combinations and anything else that grabs your eye. Once you have gathered enough pictures, find the common style elements. These elements are things you should look for when shopping; they are the things that you are instinctually drawn to. Maybe it’s a colour, a look, e.g., layered or very feminine; it could be shape, e.g., volume or streamlined. Use these style cues when you are shopping and you will avoid that dreaded buyer’s remorse.

Making a case for your closet

Very few of use can afford a full re-do of our wardrobes. This step looks at what you already own. Anything you have not worn in two years or anything that is damaged should be donated. If you haven’t worn or fixed them, you never will. Pull out items you have worn and felt great in. Make it a point to keep these items at the front of your closet - anything that makes you feel good you should wear more. After you have gone though your closet, you will have a better idea of its gaps. You might feel your work wardrobe needs some refreshing, or maybe you need more looks for a night out. Once you have identified these gaps you can go shopping with a purpose, keeping your style cues from your inspirational pictures in mind!