Style Tips pt 1

Ok, ladies and gents...this is part one of a series I am going to entitle "developing your personal aesthetic." It's my theory that everything about you and your world is a reflection of your personal style. A great deal of people see "style" as another word for "fashion" but it isn't. It's a conglomerate of every aesthetic decision you make in your life that creates the whole of your individuality. It's about being singularly, unapologetically, guiltlessly you. So, as I continue on my journey of making decisions that further define me, I will be sharing them with the interwebs, along with insights from friends. So what follows will be ideas and thoughts about style that will hopefully get you thinking about what makes you, you.

1. Find a signature scent and wear it nonstop. Everyday. Until your clothes smell like it and it doesn't wash out. Until people smell that smell and automatically look around for you. BUT! Make it a single note: chocolate. Cut grass. Roses. Linen.  Daisy. Mine is honeysuckle. Try essential oils, like my friend Jackie who dabs a bit of gardenia oil on the ends of her hair. "A woman who doesn't wear perfume has no future." -Coco Chanel

2. Pick your favorite disney movie. Put it in the search bar under "jewelry" on etsy.com and buy something. Check this out! And this!

3. Wear matching lacy underthings. Everyday. Throw out your boring stuff so you have no choice. 

4. Tear pages out of fashion magazines. Frame them with ornate, over the top frames from Target or thrift stores. Fill a wall.

5. Collect something eccentric. Old books, vintage vogue magazines, china teacups. Make it unexpected (not dolls) and just one thing (you're not a bag lady).

6. STOP going to Wal Mart. RIGHT NOW. Surrounding yourself with cheap merchandise makes you feel cheap, even if it's just subconsciously. Inexpensive things can be found in much more self- image friendly places.

7. Find a few celebrities whose style you consistently admire. For me, it's Cate Blanchett, Gwenyth Paltrow, MK Olsen. Find out who their stylist is. Tag that persons website and plan to hire them when you're wealthy.

8. If you are not confident about your own style, shop alone. Buy things according to your own, unadulterated taste. Accept no input until you have developed a strong sense of self.

9. Think about your dream home, but forget the McMansions. Think about abodes that are strong stylishly, and fiercely individual. Japanese pagodas. Log cabins. Monticello. Huge english estates with 200 rooms and acres of rose gardens. Lofts in skyscrapers. Hip downtown brownstones. A waterlogged Venetian apartment. Consider what about these places you like. Is it modernity? Femininity? How do these concepts play themselves out in your daily choices? If they don't, change that.

That's all for today!