Guest Post: Laura on The Truth About Style

Hello, readers! I don't know if you lot stimulate got missed me equally much equally I stimulate got missed you, but I'm dorsum from Ertel marriage ceremony #2 of the summer, in addition to seat upwardly to blog! I didn't desire to acquire mutual coldness turkey for some other whole calendar week similar last time, but my best seat plans were thwarted past times away from domicile mesh issues. Such is life.

Be that equally it may (correct role of that expression? I don't know.), I volition grab you lot upwardly amongst a Weekend Diaries postal service inwards the adjacent yoke of days, in addition to process you lot to a invitee postal service from my friend Laura today. If you lot don't read Laura's humorous in addition to intelligent musings over at This Felicitous Life, well, you lot are missing out! Here is ane of my fave posts. Now, without farther ado - Laura!

Watching The Learning Channel’s “What Not To Wear” is a niggling luxury I await forrad to whenever I remain inwards a hotel, equally I don’t stimulate got cable at home.  The demo offers me hope that mode tin live logical in addition to learnable, non a merely hush-hush code known entirely to a few. The demo promises that, amongst a niggling guidance, confidence, in addition to a twine dress, fifty-fifty the shabbiest caterpillar tin transform into a butterfly. Sadly, the serial enters its in conclusion flavor this year, but the legacy lives on amongst co-host Stacy London’s novel book, The Truth About Style.

The mass is a worthwhile read for anyone interested inwards developing their personal mode in addition to particularly for those who, similar me, ponder why one’s personal mode matters . . . in addition to whether it should.  Ms. London profiles nine women of dissimilar ages, sizes, in addition to walks of life, each of whom is caught inwards a self-acknowledged mode rut.  Ms. London addresses non entirely what these ladies should wear.  She besides delves into the why behind the disconnect betwixt their truthful selves in addition to the images they project.  This approach is interesting but, to live honest, the makeovers themselves offering niggling that can’t live works life inwards the dozens of similar personal mode guides out there.  (In fact, I prefer Dress Your Best, a mass that Ms. London in addition to her WNTW co-host, Clinton Kelly co-authored inwards 2005, for nuts in addition to bolts dressing good for your trunk type.)

The opening chapters of The Truth About Style, however, give it an border over other mode makeover books.  Ms. London majored inwards philosophy equally an undergraduate, in addition to it shows.  What is style?  How is it dissimilar than fashion?  Why does it matter?  Should it matter?  Ms. London addresses all of these issues.

In the opening chapter she posits, “[T]he uncomfortable truth is that appearances practice matter.  Refusing to admit that how you lot wearing clothing sends a message to other people is a major blind spot.”  Achieving this, Ms. London advises, requires “an unbiased, dispassionate credence of who you lot are, where your trunk is right at ane time . . . in addition to what your life circumstances are.”  She continues, “You must convey the good, the bad, in addition to the ugly, without prejudice . . . merely pure dispassionate observation.”  Style “is well-nigh enhancing who you lot are, in addition to non attempting to await similar someone you’ll never be.”  “Our clothes,” she says, “give other people insight into who nosotros are.  To convey command of the message, you lot stimulate got to know yourself, in addition to wearing clothing accordingly.”

This concept of mode in addition to self-acceptance actually resonates amongst me.  Reaching my thirties has given me a marking of self-knowledge--of beingness comfortable inwards my ain skin-- that I never had before.  I similar some aspects of myself (both physical in addition to spiritual); others I silent desire to change.  But I finally acquire who I am.  Understanding oneself is ane thing, however; dressing similar oneself does non come upwardly automatically. Old habits overstep away hard.  Overcoming them takes some work.  But it’s operate worth doing.  As Ms. London acknowledges, mode is “not equally of import equally a friend you lot tin trust, or your family, or doing what you lot love.”  Nonetheless, “style is a large business office of what nosotros run into inwards the mirror in addition to how nosotros experience well-nigh ourselves. . . . . Everyone deserves to wearing clothing good in addition to brutal damn skillful well-nigh it.”

Sing it, sister!  Count me in!

Share this post