by: Rebecca J. Brock
Upon hearing the word “Fashionista” what probably comes to mind is a person who loves fashion and always appears put together. What pops into my mind is an annoyingly perfect NYC socialite whose biggest decision of the day is where to have lunch and is best friends with Poppy Delevinge. But the reality of my life as the Style Guru is much different from my initial ‘image’ of a Fashionista. First off, I don’t have Kate Moss’ salary. I don’t own the latest Chanel handbag. My name is certainly not on the wait list for the upcoming season’s most coveted handbag (yes-there IS such a thing!). Being a single mom of three boys and having two demanding careers, I barely have time to eat lunch, let alone shop. In fact, most of my wardrobe comes from gilt.com that I end up ordering after having one too many glasses of wine (Sunday Night Steals! 80% off!!). To make matters worse, the majority of my wardrobe consists of shorts, tank tops, jeans and t-shirts. But I still consider myself a Fashionista because I LOVE fashion. Fashion is my passion and having been in the business twenty years, I’ve learned how to pull off looking awesome everyday (ok-maybe not every day!), or fake it if you will. I always tell my clients that their wardrobe absolutely MUST fit their lifestyle. Take my life for example. When on set for a photo shoot or a commercial, my clothes usually end up on the floor, pushed aside by some overzealous stylist to make room for the client’s wardrobe. When I’m on mom duty doing kid stuff, I make sure I’m wearing something that is not dry clean only. And when I’m writing on my computer at home, well, I like to do that in my pajamas. But it is possible to develop your own sense of style and look great even in a t-shirt and jeans. Being a Fashionista is possible, no matter what your budget and life is like. So you want to be a Fashionista? You want to look good and FEEL good about yourself everyday? But after flipping through In Style magazine, the reality sets in that you can’t afford Jessica Alba’s stylist and you just don’t have the time to put so much thought into each outfit. Don’t give up! You should care about what you look like; your outfit speaks for you before you even open your mouth. As I always say, “How you dress speaks volumes about who you are.” You can pull off a polished, put together look.
So I’ve come up with a few tips that can help you “fake” being a Fashionista.
- Mix Prints Like a Boss
Mixing prints is great way to fake the Fashionista look, but it has to bedone right. First, make sure that only one of the prints is super busy. The other one must be subtle. For example, pair the flowery shirt with a pin stripe pencil skirt. If that shirt is really busy, make sure the stripes are thin, not thick. Be bold and wear those plaid pants with a polka-dot shirt, but make sure the polka dots don’t overpower the plaid. To make mixing prints work, it’s also super important to stay in the same color scheme. Limit the prints to two or three colors. It helps tone down the look if one or more of those colors is white, black or gray. Give it a try!
- Toughen Up
If you’re anything like me, you love all things feminine. Pink? Why yes! Lace? Bring it on! But sometimes you can overdo feminine and you end up looking like Barbie stuck in a bubblegum nightmare. Or worse, looking like you’re headed to a quilting bee at church. But don’t get rid of those feminine pieces! After all, you must love them or you wouldn’t have bought them. Just add in some “rougher” pieces to toughen up the look. Wear a jean jacket over a flowery sundress. Wear rustic booties instead of those heels with the bow accents. Pair your lacey top with louchy boyfriend jeans. Throw on a military inspired jacket to go with a lace mini. Wear a mens-wear inspired hat with a maxi dress. Throw on a leather biker jacket over a lace dress….You get the idea!
- Rockstar Makes an Entrance
The key to pulling off this look is contrast. Don’t be afraid to wear a disheveled rocker t-shirt with sequin shorts or skirt. Likewise a denim shirt can look great with leather pants. So can a sparkly shirt with ripped jeans. To pull this look together, make sure one piece is deconstructed/super casual/everyday item and the other item is über fancy. It’s seems counterintuitive to pair these items together, but that’s what makes it so cool. ROCK ON!!!
- Mix Colors You wouldn’t Think Go Together
Beyonce is not the only one that can mix pink, orange and green together! The key to pulling this look off though is keeping the colors solid, and avoiding color schemes that are reminiscent of a holiday (Red/Green for Christmas and Orange/Black for Halloween!) Keep the accessories to a minimum and let the colors shine through. Also, this look works best with just two bright colors and keeping the other colors neutral. Yes- carry your orange bag while wearing your purple sundress…. looking like a chic Fashionista already!
Rebecca J. Brock is a writer and Image Consultant living in Miami Beach, Fl.
Visit www.beyourownstyleguru.com and follow Rebecca on Instagram and Twitter @rebeccajbrock and @truestyleguru.
photo credit: Lela Edgar