One of the really great things about fashion is that after it’s practical applications have been considered, fashion is in essence, a form of self-expression.
With so many beautifully made jackets, coats, dresses and shoes available for purchase and admiration, fashion is wearable art, and much in the same way as art can carry a message, the clothes you wear make a valuable statement about you as a person.
Whether you follow the trends or dress as your own style preferences dictate, the clothes you wear give the people around you an instant sense of your personality.
Currently, my own style often screams vintage, or ‘old-fashioned’ if you prefer, though I’m not always aware of this fact until it is pointed out to me by my friends, family or even by my teachers! I love 20’s to 50’s glamour, and as my winter clothes emerge from the deep recesses at the back of my wardrobe, I’ve found myself complying unashamedly to the recent trend evident primarily at shops such as ASOS and Oasis, of faux fur cuff and collar detailing.
First impressions are an all too powerful reality that can have a detrimental effect on the way in which you are perceived by the people around you. Not such a huge problem when those people are passing shoppers you’re not likely to see again, but when the people passing judgement on your ensemble are interviewing you for a job, or perhaps in my case, a place at university, how you present yourself could be one of the deciding factors. If you decide on a classic black suit and blouse, completely tailored to your shape, with sharp but flattering lines, then it’s likely you will give the impression to any onlookers, that you are capable of looking smart and professional whenever the need arises. But if you’d much rather break from the traditional suit, in favour of ushering in little notes of detail to add a more personal tone to your outfit, then a simple way to add a smart finish is the tailored jacket. A great option for those applying for jobs or university places based around the need for you to be creative, innovative and individual, is to wear an outfit that is bursting with elements of your own style, finished with an unquestionably smart jacket.
But of course, the above only applies where your intention in your chosen outfit is to impress or showcase your professional side. Where daily wear is concerned it really is important to see no restrictions of restraints! Why can’t you wear an early 19th century ball gown to dinner, or even to the shops! Perhaps the problem is the modern worlds growing urge to remain practical, but in my opinion, all the worlds a stage, as Mr Shakespeare perceptively pointed out, and to our knowledge, you only live once, so why not wear whatever it is that you’d like to, and be proud to be different!