A Matter of Style

I recently had the pleasure of reading Carol Edgarian’s Acquired Taste in W Magazine.  After finishing it the first time, I immediately read it again. And then I cried a little. I have since reread it numerous times and passed it along to several close friends who simply must read this!  I wasn’t exactly in the mood to discover something profound when I stumbled onto her article, nor did I have the time for quiet contemplation on the matters of fashion and personal style. I’m pretty sure I read this during my morning breakfast-eggs-toast-magazine-article routine before I was off to work.  What was it about this article that I found so captivating?  As I thought about it throughout my day as I was elbow deep in vegetables, I suddenly remembered: this is why I love fashion! 

Me, 9:00 - 5:00 Mon - Fri

Edgarian beautifully describes the part of fashion that speaks to all of us. The part that is each of us struggling to express ourselves through what we put on as our display to the world.

A friend of mine (not a fashion person, obviously) equated this article to “Style = self esteem?” What?! No! Well, kind of, but it’s so much more complicated than that! Obviously.  As Edgarian describes, we have all stumbled on our own personal journey of self discovery in relationships, our education, communication, careers, and personal style.  We learn lessons about our style as we learn lessons about ourselves. Edgarian puts it just right: “You go to that same blouse or scent, that lipstick or heel, because in the past it served you and brought you to happy times, or rode you through the storm.”

The point of all of this is that fashion is important! Fashion is relevant! Being comfortable in one’s own skin is what really conveys the best first impression long before we have the chance to say a single word. And that comfort comes in a big way from developing one’s own personal style.  In the words of a wise man, “Fashion is an art form in its own right, one that has the power to change us, move us, excite us, and make us feel and look good,” Stefano Tonchi, Editor in Chief of W Magazine.  

And to bring everything full circle, that is what I am trying to do with Something New. I’m not trying to make brides beautiful; brides are beautiful. All I’m trying to do is help contribute to a lovely moment in any bride’s own life and style journey. And if I can do that, then I’m wildly successful.
  
Something about Edgarian’s article stuck me on a level that I don’t fully understand, and maybe that’s okay. Maybe that’s how it’s meant to be.