Don’t be a Fashion Victim!
or fodder for Glamour’s ‘Fashion Don’t’ page
Five fashion mistakes most women make... and how to fix them
You would never dream of making an obvious fashion faux pas (Seamed hose with sandals? Never!). But even dedicated
fashionistas sometimes run the risk of making style snafus. Here are fashion traps to avoid, with the fixes listed at the end of
each:
1. Relying too heavily on the fashion media.
You buy all the fashion magazines religiously, watch awards shows, read the paper and keep up with all the online sources.
How could that be a mistake? By relying too heavily on the media to rule your wardrobe, you run the risk of being a fashion
victim. Remember: most magazines and TV programs about fashion produce an "aspirational" effect. They present you with
fabulous clothes you'll want to buy on fabulous models you'll want to look like. The problem is that a) you probably can't afford
any of the clothes they show and b) you're never going to look like a supermodel or a celebrity.
Solution:
Use your signature style to camouflage flaws or draw attention to your best features.
Try not to cross the fine line between signature style and affectation.
A signature look can be something as sentimental as a charm bracelet or as breezy as brightly colored pantyhose: just make
sure it feels like you and fits your personality and lifestyle.
2. Buying clothes that don't fit.
You probably already know that you should NEVER buy something too small, thinking you'll lose weight -- even if it is a $10
Pucci dress you picked up off eBay. But did you know that little details like the length of your jacket sleeves or the place your
pants hem rest can make or break an outfit? The best way to get perfect fit is to have a tailor alter the garment. Remember,
you’re probably not a fit model, so why should clothing off the rack fit you perfectly?
Solution:
Long sleeved garments should hit just below the wrist bone with just a little ease (shouldn't be too tight or loose) A button-front
blouse should never gap open at the bustline. If the garment seems to fit, the problem may just be wide-spaced buttons. Attach
a snap.
A slim or pencil skirt should fit without bunching or wrinkling up. Do the sit-down test.
Hemline correction -- skirts should be completely straight all the way around. If that's not the case (because of hips or tummy)
have it rehemmed. Tailored pants should fall to the top of your instep. Long, formal gowns should fall to about an inch off the
ground.
3. Creating a mish-mash wardrobe by buying odds and ends.
Buying up odds and ends on sale may seem to make sense. After all, the easy availability of off-price merchandise has lulled
us into thinking that minor purchases won't blow our wardrobe concept or budget. Actually, it's the little things that kill your
wardrobe. Without a plan, you can end up with tons of clothes and nothing to wear. But it's never to late to change your habits.
Solution:
• Ignore that advice about buying "the best" of everything. Regardless of how well-made a garment is, moths, coffee spills
and kids take their toll. Never choose between a mortgage payment and a cashmere sweater.
• Try to plan your wardrobe around three neutral colors like black, white, khaki, navy or brown.
• Buy more solids than prints - you won't get tired of them as quickly.
4. Getting stuck in a style rut.
Sticking with classics has been conventional style wisdom for ages, and for women with full lives and limited resources this is
still a sure way to investment dressing. The problem is that as we grow older, we sometimes become a little too comfortable
wearing our old standbys (or just doing "replenishment" shopping each season).
Sometimes all it takes is tweaking the basics that you already own to look fabulous.
Solution:
• Pick up a women's magazine you normally wouldn't buy (hint: should have more fashion than recipes on the cover). Elle,
Vogue, Harper's Bazaar and W are good starters.
• Go to a different store (online or physical) and try on new labels, even if the style is similar to what you already own. You
may be surprised what you're missing if you rely on certain set merchants and brands.
• Slip in some punchy color. Every season there's a trendy color palette, and it's usually not too hard to figure out what it
is. Use color as accent pieces -- a bright scarf, a camisole under a suit.
• Accessories are the easiest ways to update a look. Choose a new handbag, sexy sandals or a new necklace. If you're
not sure what's modern, ask a sales associate to point you to what's hot -- they usually know what others are asking for.
• Don't try to radically change your look -- no one in real life ever emerges looking like the "After" picture in a fashion
makeover Make subtle changes over a period of time.
5. Choosing the wrong undergarments.
Of course, with every rule there are exceptions: Sarah Jessica Parker's Carrie Bradshaw on "Sex and the City" comes to mind
as someone who breaks most of the following rules. But for most of us, there are a few guidelines to what looks good.
Solution:
• Fit is everything in a bra. Go to a good boutique or store and have an expert "fit" you. It may feel uncomfortable for a
stranger to do this, but it's the best way to get a perfect fitting bra.
• For form-fitting, low-cut apparel, give Mother Nature a boost and use a push-up bra for the best cleavage.
• For larger-busted women, choose a full cup with underwire. Minimizers can help reduce the bustline, as well.
• For smaller busts, choose padded push-up bras.
• Have a wardrobe of lingerie -- casual looks call for simple, comfy (often cotton) styles; sexier looks for lace, maybe even
a thigh-high and garter belt. Have fun with it.
• Don't forget the details. Remember to switch to smooth-seamed cups for knit shirts and wear the appropriate color: wear
a nude colored bra with light tops; black with dark. Make sure your straps don't show. Switch to strapless if they do.
• For fitted bottoms, choose thongs or super-smooth panties. Make sure your panty lines don't show. Choose one-piece or
slip-type stretch slimmers for the sleekest lines under fitted dresses.
• For full coverage, there are even pant-liners that go practically to the ankle.
• The bare-legged look may seem chic, but there are varicose veins, uneven tans and razor stubble to contend with. And
there's nary a control-top in sight. Instead, opt for nude-colored, sheer pantyhose (sandalfoot, of course) to get the same look.
Summer Fashion Mistakes
or fodder for Glamour’s ‘Fashion Don’t’ page
Five fashion mistakes most women make... and how to fix them
You would never dream of making an obvious fashion faux pas (Seamed hose with sandals? Never!). But even dedicated
fashionistas sometimes run the risk of making style snafus. Here are fashion traps to avoid, with the fixes listed at the end of
each:
1. Relying too heavily on the fashion media.
You buy all the fashion magazines religiously, watch awards shows, read the paper and keep up with all the online sources.
How could that be a mistake? By relying too heavily on the media to rule your wardrobe, you run the risk of being a fashion
victim. Remember: most magazines and TV programs about fashion produce an "aspirational" effect. They present you with
fabulous clothes you'll want to buy on fabulous models you'll want to look like. The problem is that a) you probably can't afford
any of the clothes they show and b) you're never going to look like a supermodel or a celebrity.
Solution:
Use your signature style to camouflage flaws or draw attention to your best features.
Try not to cross the fine line between signature style and affectation.
A signature look can be something as sentimental as a charm bracelet or as breezy as brightly colored pantyhose: just make
sure it feels like you and fits your personality and lifestyle.
2. Buying clothes that don't fit.
You probably already know that you should NEVER buy something too small, thinking you'll lose weight -- even if it is a $10
Pucci dress you picked up off eBay. But did you know that little details like the length of your jacket sleeves or the place your
pants hem rest can make or break an outfit? The best way to get perfect fit is to have a tailor alter the garment. Remember,
you’re probably not a fit model, so why should clothing off the rack fit you perfectly?
Solution:
Long sleeved garments should hit just below the wrist bone with just a little ease (shouldn't be too tight or loose) A button-front
blouse should never gap open at the bustline. If the garment seems to fit, the problem may just be wide-spaced buttons. Attach
a snap.
A slim or pencil skirt should fit without bunching or wrinkling up. Do the sit-down test.
Hemline correction -- skirts should be completely straight all the way around. If that's not the case (because of hips or tummy)
have it rehemmed. Tailored pants should fall to the top of your instep. Long, formal gowns should fall to about an inch off the
ground.
3. Creating a mish-mash wardrobe by buying odds and ends.
Buying up odds and ends on sale may seem to make sense. After all, the easy availability of off-price merchandise has lulled
us into thinking that minor purchases won't blow our wardrobe concept or budget. Actually, it's the little things that kill your
wardrobe. Without a plan, you can end up with tons of clothes and nothing to wear. But it's never to late to change your habits.
Solution:
• Ignore that advice about buying "the best" of everything. Regardless of how well-made a garment is, moths, coffee spills
and kids take their toll. Never choose between a mortgage payment and a cashmere sweater.
• Try to plan your wardrobe around three neutral colors like black, white, khaki, navy or brown.
• Buy more solids than prints - you won't get tired of them as quickly.
4. Getting stuck in a style rut.
Sticking with classics has been conventional style wisdom for ages, and for women with full lives and limited resources this is
still a sure way to investment dressing. The problem is that as we grow older, we sometimes become a little too comfortable
wearing our old standbys (or just doing "replenishment" shopping each season).
Sometimes all it takes is tweaking the basics that you already own to look fabulous.
Solution:
• Pick up a women's magazine you normally wouldn't buy (hint: should have more fashion than recipes on the cover). Elle,
Vogue, Harper's Bazaar and W are good starters.
• Go to a different store (online or physical) and try on new labels, even if the style is similar to what you already own. You
may be surprised what you're missing if you rely on certain set merchants and brands.
• Slip in some punchy color. Every season there's a trendy color palette, and it's usually not too hard to figure out what it
is. Use color as accent pieces -- a bright scarf, a camisole under a suit.
• Accessories are the easiest ways to update a look. Choose a new handbag, sexy sandals or a new necklace. If you're
not sure what's modern, ask a sales associate to point you to what's hot -- they usually know what others are asking for.
• Don't try to radically change your look -- no one in real life ever emerges looking like the "After" picture in a fashion
makeover Make subtle changes over a period of time.
5. Choosing the wrong undergarments.
Of course, with every rule there are exceptions: Sarah Jessica Parker's Carrie Bradshaw on "Sex and the City" comes to mind
as someone who breaks most of the following rules. But for most of us, there are a few guidelines to what looks good.
Solution:
• Fit is everything in a bra. Go to a good boutique or store and have an expert "fit" you. It may feel uncomfortable for a
stranger to do this, but it's the best way to get a perfect fitting bra.
• For form-fitting, low-cut apparel, give Mother Nature a boost and use a push-up bra for the best cleavage.
• For larger-busted women, choose a full cup with underwire. Minimizers can help reduce the bustline, as well.
• For smaller busts, choose padded push-up bras.
• Have a wardrobe of lingerie -- casual looks call for simple, comfy (often cotton) styles; sexier looks for lace, maybe even
a thigh-high and garter belt. Have fun with it.
• Don't forget the details. Remember to switch to smooth-seamed cups for knit shirts and wear the appropriate color: wear
a nude colored bra with light tops; black with dark. Make sure your straps don't show. Switch to strapless if they do.
• For fitted bottoms, choose thongs or super-smooth panties. Make sure your panty lines don't show. Choose one-piece or
slip-type stretch slimmers for the sleekest lines under fitted dresses.
• For full coverage, there are even pant-liners that go practically to the ankle.
• The bare-legged look may seem chic, but there are varicose veins, uneven tans and razor stubble to contend with. And
there's nary a control-top in sight. Instead, opt for nude-colored, sheer pantyhose (sandalfoot, of course) to get the same look.
Summer Fashion Mistakes
- Belly just a little too noticeable. Avoid belly shirts if this is a problem area for you, or if you are mature. Even if you have
a rockin’ bod, once you hit 40 there are certain looks that might not be age appropriate.
- Too much cleavage...maybe “back in the day” this was your best attribute, but today no one wants to see it all hanging
out…not even men. Even if you are young and sassy – modesty is the most attractive feature you can have “hangin’
out”.
- Stretch pants. If they are personal favorites, wear them at home, not to the mall.
- Self tanner applied incorrectly. If you find yourself with a smear of color that you hadn't intended on, a wedge of lemon
will dissolve the mistake in seconds. Be sure to look in places you might not notice like your feet (between toes, ankles),
neck, elbows. Tip – mix your self tanner with regular body lotion. This helps it go on more evenly.
- Patterned panties under white pants, overly obvious panty lines are bad enough... I certainly don't want to see the color
or the pattern of your skivvies. Get Spanx – try the Hide & Sleek Capri Smoother
- Uncared for feet in pretty sandals. If your heels are white from calluses, and your toenails are yellow – DO NOT wear
open toed sandals. Before you slip on your favorite flip-flops, splurge on a professional manicure. If you get this done
at the beginning of the season, you can easily keep-it up through the end of the summer.
- Sandals that have seen better days. You might be able to get away with the good ‘ol standby boots with jeans in the
winter, but in the summer with Capri pants and shorts – everyone will see your shoes. Make sure they are presentable.
- Socks with sandals. Although a few years ago, the kids were wearing socks with their Doc Martin’s, this didn’t give you
permission to jump on this fashion bandwagon. If you have to wear socks…wear a closed toe and heeled shoe.
- Speaking of sock…socks with mules – please don’t when you are wearing capris or shorts. Along this same line, no
multi colored socks with mules – this means none of those cutesy socks with animal motifs on them. If something looks
like a 5 year old would wear it – let her!
- Bathing suits are not clothing. Your really cute bikini top should not we worn as a layering piece with your favorite jacket.
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