A perspective of the difference between style & fashion
A piece of clothing tells a story when you can revisit the place where you found it just by putting it on or pulling out of your closet. When I travel, I purposefully seek out locally owned boutiques so that whenever I put on that piece of jewelry from Dubai, my favorite sundress from Ibiza, or my leather and fur crop jacket from Florence, I am instantly transported back to that special time and place, and all the wonderful memories that come along with it. Finding your personal style reveals genuine authentic-ness without saying a word.
I look at style separately from fashion. A fashion trend may or may not suit me but the experience of how a glamourous gown with the perfect stiletto can affect my demeanor and translate into taking a fearless stride into a room is an influential feeling. Rockin out my favorite Old Gringo boots with my G-Star moto denim at a concert edifies my exhilaration and a style snapshot is taken. Fashion evolves with trends. Elements of fashion are woven into one’s personal style.
I am a curator of fashion. I buy an item of clothing because of a unique weave or an unexpected cut out in the fabric. I collect vintage clothing and jewelry as well as accrue iconic designers’ pieces like timeless art. When I purchase an accoutrement from one of the students at the School of the Art Institute of Fashion in Chicago, I know it is the only one with no other duplicate in the collection. I am in awe of these young talented designers. They are stellar at their craft! The students were inspired to design by perhaps their ancestors, a sunset, a road trip, a doll collection, or a dream. Their vision was translated to fashion. I get to wear the designs that came to fruition from that mood board of inspiration, and I do not take that for granted. I am blessed to cover my shoulders with their creations and to know what inspired them. This is one of the reasons style and fashion have a sacred place in my memory and my closet.
Dress for yourself but fashion captures the time and place in which people live. Remember how confident you feel when you own your style. Fashion speaks to us all in different ways but personal style matters. How you present yourself in a room matters. Your posture matters. Your facial expression matters. You matter. What you wear reflects how you feel and that really matters.
