Style vs. Fashion

I recently went to a talk about personal style, and, as I really enjoyed it, I thought that I would share my notes. I'm afraid that these notes may be a bit disjointed, as the talk was a few weeks ago. The speaker said that she took most of her stuff from a book called, It's So You! by Mary Sheehan Warren.

First, there is a difference between fashion and style. Style is our personal style, how we dress, whereas fashion is the world of fashion. Yves Saint Laurent once said, "Fashion changes, but style is eternal." The point of this talk was to discuss our style. We need to determine what our personal style is; style is important because we are visual experiences to each other. Epictetus said: "Know first who you are, and then adorn yourself accordingly." We want to aspire to being told, "YOU look wonderful" vs. "what a nice skirt."
Our personal lives include the work of the home (the home is our professional work). We must dress the whole self, as we are diamonds, not cheap glass.
Style must promote modesty. Modesty is a quality that helps us respect ourselves, others, and to be respected by others. Modesty can elevate the human tone of our homes, as well as society. We are, therefore, bringing beauty back to all of these temporal realities.
We need to be more reflective and selective in what we buy. Style, should always lead to the face. The face should be the focal point of one's body, particularly the eyes. Fashion changes often, it shifts from moment to moment and does not focus on the face. The focal point of style, however, is the face.

Elements of Style:
1) Body type - Pear (little top, wider hips and legs), Heart (Wider at the waist and top, thin legs), Box (more athletic), Hourglass (small waist). Our body type does not change. Wanting to lose weight does not change our shape. We need to design a wardrobe that designs an illusion of proportion. Clothes should always fit correctly.

2) Fashion Personality - a) fosters self-confidence b)avoid bad purchases c)provides consistent theme for our wardrobe. If we know our fashion personality, and dress towards it, we will always appear polished and complete. [Here we took a quiz to determine our fashion personalities. There are four types of fashion personalities: relaxed, classic, romantic, and expressive.]

Everyone Should Have:
*pair of black slacks, a black skirt, and black Bermuda shorts.
*they should also have one of each in khaki and white.
*a cardigan, whether long, or short.
*a white collared shirt that fits, but is not too baggy. (cotton, sleeveless is good)
*wraps and scarves are great accessories.
Also, if we spend money on our wardrobe, make sure to take care of it.

Great personal style makes other people feel important as you look great for them. We are communicating that they matter.