Why Failing in the Fitting Room Can be a Good Thing

Hello, gorgeous Readers!

Come in! Sit down! Get comfy! You nice and relaxed? Good! That’s good.
Because I want to talk about fitting rooms.

Hey, calm down! I know I got your heart rate up, but I’m going to teach you a little secret about the fitting room that’s going to make shopping for clothing easier and more pleasant.

Are you ready? Okay, here it is: it’s good to fail in the fitting room. No, it is!

Think about it: you’re strolling through a store, and garments are catching your eye left and right. Your arm is so tired from everything you’re carrying that you decide to head to the fitting room to try it all on (because you have to try stuff on or I get mad).

You try on the first thing. Looks great! Alright, onto the yes hook! Next item. Wow, that one looks great, too! Yes hook again! And on it goes in your magical, fairytale fitting room where the light is flattering and you have plenty of space. By the end, you loved every single article of clothing, but the total is more than 3 months rent. HOW are you supposed to decide?

Do you take American Express?!

Luckily, we live in the real world, where clothing sizes are a mystery even when they’re labelled, light in the dressing room is always fluorescent, and you never have enough space to put your purse. In the real world, pants are hard to fit into. Bras are cut too wide. Blouses are see-through (but not on purpose). When we experience fit issues like these, we often tell ourselves that our asses are too wide, or our boobs are the wrong shape, or that if only we had a different figure, the see-through blouse would be okay.

But you know something? These are all lies. There is nothing wrong with you. The failure is not with you, it’s with the clothing. If it doesn’t fit YOU, then it isn’t for you! And the best part is… you don’t have to buy it! That’s right! If clothing doesn’t work on your body, than you just dodged an expensive, time-wasting bullet!

Medium, my ass.

The next time you go into a fitting room, with your arms laden with exciting options, please remember that IT’S GOOD TO FAIL IN THE FITTING ROOM! It’s good for our budgets and helps us narrow down what colors and styles work WITH us, not against us. And if you really need professional help, send me an email: talia@wildroma.com

Until next time!
Love,
Talia

 

Style Personalities and Your Body Type, Part 4

SURPRISE!!

Got You!

Whew. That was fun! Today, we’re going to talk about Androgynous style!

The Androgyn- The Androgynous womyn (or person, rather) pulls style elements from both the masculine and feminine. This might mean a womyn who identifies as a womyn wearing men’s suits, suspenders, or A-shirts (usually white tanks commonly worn by men as undershirts).

This might mean a person who identifies as genderfluid, wearing whatever feels authentic to them today.

This might mean a man who identifies as a man wearing unisex or feminine clothing, hairstyles, or make-up.

 

This might mean a totally adorable boi dressing like a totally adorable boi.

This might mean David Bowie. Yum.

Androgyny can be achieved in a lot of ways, from casual to formal, from male to female, from extremely trendy to…well, me in a grandpa sweater. The defining characteristic of the Androgyn is that you don’t subscribe to gender norms. That’s it.

If you’ve never experimented with Androgyny, a great way to dip your toe in the water is through Menswear. Every few seasons, designers remember how INCREDIBLY HOT wemyn look in men’s clothing (and occasionally vice versa).

 

During those blessed seasons, you usually see wool three-piece suits, crisp trousers, neckties, or gorgeous hats.

 

Pick one or two and blend them into your wardrobe. Menswear-inspired shoes are very stylish, as well.

Aren’t they gorgeous?

You can find some great boots, heels, and oxfords modeled on classic wingtips. Pair with a dress and tights, or under a suit and rakish hat. You can’t go wrong.

About the Androgyn that has curves, DapperQ writes, “The current aesthetic seems awfully narrow and limiting compared to the textbook definition of androgyny. Androgyny does not belong to one gender or one body type: it is for all genders and every body!” Read more here, and learn some great style tips for Androgynous people with curves, but also advice for the rest of us: “If you love your curves, embrace them!” Hell, yeah.

That’s it for this series! I’ll be back with a great post about the worst nightmare of every one of my clients: THE FITTING ROOM *cue spooky laugh*

I’ll play myself out with awesome pics of Ruby Rose.

Love, Talia

 

Fashion, According to John Waters (and Other Icons, Legends, and Nogoodniks) Part 2

Welcome to Part 2, Readers!

I know it’s been longer than one week, and I missed you, too! Let’s jump right in with more awesome quotations about fashion.

“Do we secretly idolize our imagined opposites, yearning to become the role models for others we know we could never be for ourselves?” -John Waters
My current fashion inspiration is Claire Underwood. I don’t look like her, dress like her, or command a room like her, but I hope to influence others as she influences me.

The fabulous Robin Wright.

“Fashion embraces the weirdos.”-Chloe Sevigny
The first words out of my mouth this morning were, “I love being weird. It’s my favorite thing to be.” From Coco rocking her lover’s trousers to Michael Jackson wearing one glove, fashion has always been made and changed forever by the weirdos.

Be fearless.

“If you wear clothes that don’t suit you, you’re a fashion victim. You have to wear clothes that make you look better.” -Vivienne Westwood
I hope this is a no-brainer! If your clothes don’t make you feel great, take them off! And if you get too cold, I suppose you should put something else on…

Confidence is the sexiest accessory. Just ask Vivienne.

“When a person is in fashion, all that they do is right.” -Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield
I’m sure he meant ‘in fashion’ as ‘the King likes you,’ but it translates to clothing as well. As a society, we are so forgiving of those who look ‘right’ at the moment, for better or worse.

The very definition of super fly.

“Fashion is a language. Some know it, some learn it, some never will- like an instinct.” –
Edith Head
I know it, and I can teach it! Let me know if you struggle with learning this language.

“Fashion is a weapon that you can use when you need it.” -Donatella Versace
Amelia Jenks Bloomer did not invent the style known as ‘Bloomers,’ but she adopted it quickly and promoted it enthusiastically during her tenure as the editor of suffragist magazine The Lily in the 1850’s. During the 1850’s and again in the 1920’s and 1940’s, we see wemyn wearing trousers and advocating for rights: the right to vote, the right to earn a living wage, the right to hold an equal place in society. Fashion is very powerful.

Bloomerism. It’s a thing.

 

“The great thing about fashion is that it always looks forward.” -Oscar de la Renta
Oscar, my favorite contemporary designer, passed last month. I had his quotation all ready to go, and didn’t realize how fitting it would be to finish these posts with the idea that fashion moves ever forward, not to make yesterday less beautiful, but in the eternal hope that tomorrow may always be filled with beauty.

In Loving Memory.

Love,
Talia

 

 

Fashion, According to John Waters (and Other Icons, Legends, and Nogoodniks), Part 1

Hey, Readers!

As Fall slides into Winter, I am in full-on research mode. I even dragged my partner through several stores at the mall with the lure of a movie (I know, I’m a monster). Autumnal colors abounded, puffy jackets were a-display, and basics came mostly in fluorescent colors (unnecessary and mysterious).

It was like this everywhere.

For some reason, though, I was totally drawn to white blouses. White, off-white, eggshell, powder, palest gray, cream. I want to wear them with navy trousers! I want my hair in a controlled messy bun! I want to be disguised as normal! But I…I… I can’t stop thinking about a quotation from my favorite director, and weirdo extraordinaire, John Waters:

Smile pretty for the camera, now.

“[I]f you’re young and buy designer clothes, you’re an idiot. It’s for over forty; you need help then. But at twenty, if you’re spending money on designer clothes, it’s ridiculous. You should be wearing the things they copy.”

I have been designing, modifying, and customizing my own clothes since adolescence. I love looks big designers come up with, but I value being unusual and different. I like to take people by surprise. If I wear trousers and blouses, I might fit in really well with 30-somethings at my fancy office, but I don’t want to lose the intrinsic weirdness what makes me me.

Free time.

Looking for that John Waters quotation got me reading and thinking about how much thought, effort, and love we as a society put into both high and low fashion. High fashion meaning haute couture, red carpet, that-dress-costs-as-much-as-my-student-loans. Low fashion being, well, everything else (including what you make yourself that is way cooler than anything you can pick up at the mall).

Here are some of the best observations and musings on my favorite subject (part one):

“When I’m putting looks together, I dare myself to make something work. I always look for the most interesting silhouette or something that’s a little off, but I have to figure it out. I have to make it me. I think that’s the thrill in fashion.”-Rihanna

Love it or hate it, her style is her own.

RiRi, that thrill wakes me up in the morning and makes getting dressed a game. I lay in bed and imagine putting pieces of outfits together, like a puzzle. Sometimes I only have one garment to start with, and I wander around half-dressed until I find the missing pieces.

“I think what’s wrong with fashion, particularly men’s fashion, is the lack of creativity behind it.” -Macklemore

That’s what you wanted? A cape? Alright…

You are a little on the preachy side, hon, but you ain’t wrong about men’s fashion. I love a great suit, but seriously, designers. Pants + shirt + shoes ≠ creative outfit.

“Fashion… saved me from being sad.” -Lady Gaga

All hail the Haus of Gaga.

Finding passion in simple things can save your very soul. If I had one wish, I would be a designer in the Haus of Gaga. If waking up to dress ME is exciting, I can’t actually fathom the intensity with which I would awake every morning to dress my hero. Someone that works for her made a hat out of a telephone. And she wore it. *sigh*

“Fashion is chaotic, and it can be an aggravation, too, but it is at its best when it allows you to express yourself.” -John Malkovich

Sir, that is a dope scarf.

I’m not sure there’s any other reason to clothe oneself. Besides the cold. It’s getting down into the low 50’s here in Portland. But I’ll take a charcoal wool coat over a puffy jacket any day.

If you’re in your twenties and your fashion sense runs more toward 5th Avenue than DIY, that’s okay! But don’t forget that your weirdness can and does inspire designers. What John is saying is that since you’re in the most trendy demographic, pretty much everything you wear is trendy.

Everything.

Including over sized grandpa sweaters or teddy bears. Y’all look good, so don’t be afraid to be silly and strange. If you like the idea, but aren’t sure how to pull it off, try putting together the most understated outfit you can (plain bottoms, simple top), and throw a bitchin’ accessory on top. Eyeball earrings. Necklace made of barbie shoes. Bracelet made out of paperclips. See beauty in junk! Garbage makes the best accessories. Don’t be afraid to try things. Making mistakes is how we learn, and our twenties are when we learn who we are and what we like. Mostly by making mistakes!

I like to think these folks learned quite a bit in their youth.

While you’re out there in the world, Readers, designer clothes will constantly be getting shoved in your face, but let your originality shine through. Don’t be a label slave; they have no style. And if you ever need help, swing by WildRoma.com or shoot me an email at talia@wildroma.com.

I’ll see you next week for Part 2!

Love,
Talia

 

The Language of Fashion

Hello, Readers! It’s been a busy week. I hope you’re all reading this in good health and high spirits.

The following post was inspired by a conversation with my partner. I was basically just shouting all the things that I know about clothing at him, when I realized it would make a great blog, because a lot of people don’t think of their clothes as anything other than a lazy cover for their illegal nudity. They certainly don’t think of fashion as a language that some people have mastered.

Fashion Level: Master. (Chiara Ferragni)

Author’s note: Anytime I give guidelines, I want you to know that they’re never meant as hard and fast rules. You can bend or break any of them, because you have free will. Hell, even I ignore good fashion advice from time to time. We’re only human. You can wear anything you like, but it’s important to me that you know 1. your clothes are talking to others and 2. what they are saying about you.

What you wear says things about you. It doesn’t matter if you like that, or if it’s fair. It’s just something we all do. We use clothing as a way to learn things about others. Much of the time, people aren’t even aware they’re gleaning personal information. Have you ever run out the door without brushing your hair and had a co-worker ask if you’re having a rough morning? Or consciously decide not to wear make-up and been asked if you were ill? Have you ever looked at a man or womyn and thought, “Yup. They’re gay”?

I’m sure I’m imagining things.

We base something as important as sexuality on the way people dress without even speaking to them. Your co-workers and friends are not detectives. It’s as simple as this: all people think every decision other people make about their appearance is intentional. If a person is wearing weird, off-trend clothing, it’s not that they don’t follow trends or have no idea how to put together an outfit. They must have CHOSEN to look weird, therefore they are weird. And the only time you would CHOOSE not to wear make-up is when you’re sick, amirite? [not me- I wear way more to disguise it]

Is it working?

Now you know you’re sending out information all the time with your clothing choices, you need to ensure you are only sending the messages you want, and that means understanding the language of fashion.

Here are some messages I see proudly displayed to the world frequently:
– When you wear clothes that don’t fit your body (too loose, too tight, bunching in areas, or just weird), it says you don’t really understand your body, you don’t have patience to search for clothes that fit properly, or you don’t think you are worth investing in. See also: wrong bra size.

Know thyself.

Bonus picture: Breasts are not belts, Ethel.

– When you wear styles that don’t fit your personality (conservative when you’re not, too trendy when you’re more conservative, too old for you, too young for you, etc), you look uncomfortable.

Or possibly TOO comfortable.

– Wearing frumpy, lumpy, shapeless, or old lady clothes when you’re a young womyn says you have given up, or that you don’t want anyone to look at you. See also: food stains.

Please, never wear Crocs where people can see you. Please.

– When you wear pajamas or slippers outside, you are saying you couldn’t be bothered to put on outside clothing like everyone else. It smacks of laziness, and not caring what others think.

Do not come to class like this. Stay home.

– When you wear socks with sandals, you are saying you have NO IDEA how goofy you look.

Don’t be that guy.

Do you do any of those? Did you know people were assuming those things about you? Is that the message you were hoping to send?

I was on the Speech and Debate team in college. When we went to tournaments, we dressed up like crazy. Imagine what people would wear to a heavily publicized court case, or funeral for a head of state. We looked GOOD. Formal, dark suits, black pencil skirts, pearls on kids in their twenties, for crying out loud. Because if you didn’t dress up at that level, you were immediately noticeable, and you looked lousy compared to other competitors. Now, I’m not one to trumpet conformity, but in certain situations, not being dressed similarly to everyone else can be a distraction. You have to determine when it is appropriate to the situation to be dressed a certain way. A good rule is: if you are not on the same level as everyone around you, and it is immediately apparent to everyone that you aren’t, you should notice what others are doing and adapt it to your own style. Imagine a sea of suits, and one dude in a plaid shirt tucked into khakis. He did not get the memo.

Winners wear suits.

I hear a lot of fashion ‘rules,’ and I don’t want you to think that I’m crazy judgemental, or that being trendy is the most important thing you can be. To me, fashion advice is different than rules. You can always ignore advice, and hell, break some rules while you’re at it. You aren’t alone, and the great thing about fashion is that the rule breakers of one generation become the trend setters of the next.

Seriously. Who knows?

The most important thing you need to have, always, is self respect. If you find yourself constantly in situations that make you uncomfortable, or people are constantly treating you disrespectfully, it’s possible you need to evaluate your fashion choices, but it’s just as likely you need to evaluate the people around you and whether or not you are giving the message that it is okay to treat you poorly. Because it is NEVER okay for anyone to treat you poorly. Not even yourself.

Love,
Talia