Fashion Fit For A Princess

Hello Everyone. This is Shirene Gentry with the Identity Unveiled Podcast.

The wonderful thing about discussing identity is that it can take many directions. Considering that God has created us as a one of kind masterpiece, why not address the dress? That is, let’s discuss our appearance and what looks best on us.

Have there been times in your life that you felt like a princess when you put on a certain outfit? What was the occasion? How did it make you feel? When was the last time you truly felt beautiful and confident in your clothes?

As a daughter of the King of Kings, do you dress like a princess? What comes to mind when I say that? Do you think of an expensive price tag? Do you think of trends? Do you think of quality? Do you think of high end brands?

Before I proceed with this podcast, I want you to know that you can truly take pride in your appearance without being prideful. That means, specifically, that you can find the clothes that flatter your figure and feel fabulous!

In this world of Instagram, we have myriad blogs and multifarious influencers telling us what’s in style and what we should be purchasing to stay current and fashionable. Every women’s magazine is replete the hottest styles.

Are you confused by too many trends or styles? Where do you start? Let’s see if we can simplify this process in this podcast!

First, let’s start with your backstory. You have a back story with your style, whether your particular way of dressing actually is a fit or a miss fit. Where does your sense of style – or lack thereof – come from?

My backstory with fashion goes as far back as my memory. My earliest recollection is the red, white, and blue outfit that my mother purchased when I became a naturalized citizen. The year was 1967. My mother, grandmother, and I boarded a train to Washington, D.C. where I would don the new outfit with matching shoes and purse to become an American citizen. To appreciate my personal backstory, we have to go back even further.

Fashion had always been part of my mother’s life from an early age. Her father had abandoned my grandmother and her when my mother was 5 years old. Mom’s father was a traveling clothes salesman, so not only did he always dress well, he relieved much of his divorce guilt by buying her clothes by his own admission in handwritten letters dating as far back as the early 1930s when he would send my mom a new outfit in lieu of a visit.

When my grandmother remarried and was living in Virginia, she worked at downtown Milner’s, later known as Miller & Rhodes. She would continue to buy my mother beautiful clothes throughout her childhood and into young adulthood.

When my mother became a wartime bride on July 2, 1945 to her first husband, the announcement in the local paper wrote the following:
“[The bride] wore a brown linen suit fashioned in simple lines with white accessories. Her flowers were red roses and white stephanotis.”

Mom’s love of clothes continued for the rest of her life, and that influence certainly became a part of mine.

In high school, we would either visit downtown Lynchburg’s Baldwin’s or make yearly visits to a neighboring state since our city had no mall. I always looked forward to these trips that would be a summertime memory before school would start.

The summer before my wedding, my grandmother and I shopped for my wedding gown, and it gave her great pleasure to buy my gown and veil. It never occurred to me that she did not have that memory with my mother – that is, buying a long, beautiful wedding gown.

Over the years, I can honestly say I don’t try to look like anyone else when I purchase clothing. I have beliefs that affect my purchases, as do you. More on this in a moment…

Here are my top beliefs about shopping:

I make a beeline for the sales rack. My husband and I prefer to purchase when clothes are on sale. For me, it’s the mindset of “dividing and conquering”. I love a good deal. If I have no choice, then that’s okay. I had to pay full price for a basic black dress the summer my father passed away.

If the item is somewhat trendy, okay, but I will purchase if it fits well and if I like it. That is the priority.

I don’t care for certain fads [i.e. camouflage this past winter]. It’s just not my preference, regardless how trendy.

I have certain basics:

denim jacket
jeans

Workout clothes must be good quality. If it’s a high end brand name, I still prefer a sale!

Certain colors look better with my skin tone than others. Anyone remember the color analysis of the early 1980s? I was horrified that I was told my skin looked better with sterling or white gold. Everything in my jewelry box was yellow gold!

Second, not only can you think about your backstory with fashion, but think about your “rules” or beliefs for your current style and fashion.

I took an unofficial poll on Facebook asking female friends what their “rules” were for fashion. Here are the answers:

Fit, price, coverage, classic, comfort, style, quality, color, value, versatility, brand, age appropriateness, loose, non-binding, tailored fit, cool [linen or cotton], easy care [no ironing, washes well], clothes that reflect who I am, artsy, and clothes that don’t make me look my age.

I’ve also posed this question to young Millennial women who have told me that price is important, but they are willing to pay more if the item will be frequently worn. It’s also been shared that in shopping for basics or trendy items, perhaps the “go-tos” are more reasonably priced stores, while shopping for interesting and long-lasting pieces they are willing to pay more. It’s interesting that this age bracket may purchase at each end of the spectrum – Target or boutiques.

What about you? Do you settle in a couple of reliable brands or stores? Or do you shop the spectrum?

Each of you has a backstory to your current sense of fashion. So where do you begin to figure it out if what you’re doing works or doesn’t work?

Third, to get assistance with this, I spoke with my friend, Suzanne Libfraind, who is a fashion stylist. Please check out her website: www.suzannelibfraind.com.

Here’s what Suzanne says on her website: “I get to know them and their story, and through that, I help them figure out a style that fits their life.”

Does your style fit your life? And what variables should you consider or reconsider when purchasing the clothes?

Her primary goal in assisting clients is for them is not only for them to feel good in their clothes, but to smile at themselves when looking in the mirror.

Here are ideas and concepts that she recommends:

Lifestyle dressing
Are you a banker? A sports enthusiast? Your style should reflect your
lifestyle.

2. Restructuring
Make 3 piles
What works; what doesn’t; what can be refurbished and updated[ex. my mother’s fur coat]

3. Have current pieces to keep your wardrobe fresh. She advises, however,
that just because something is trendy, that doesn’t mean you should
buy it if it’s not a style that is appropriate for your body type.

4. For age appropriateness, consider your body type and comfort level.

5. Do your clothes fit? Suzanne recommends that your items can fit well
without looking tight. She prefers this manner of dressing as opposed to
the majority of your clothes being non-form fitting. She emphasizes that
clothes should not wear you, but you should wear the clothes.

6. As for jewelry, she recommends two new necklaces a season, preferably
adjustable. In this manner, a new accessory can give a new look to an old
outfit as well as completing a new one.

If you are shopping for a high end handbag, it’s preference as to whether
you make the purchase for long term.

If she is trying to advise someone to shift into a new or different look based
on their body shape, she inquires as to why they think it looks good and shows them alternate pieces that she would like them to consider. Common mistakes are sleeves or tops that are too long.

7. Suzanne’s clients, more times than not, provide a budget. In addition, she
highly recommends that you ask if any discount is available.

8. For everyday pieces, like a T-shirt, you can certainly bargain shop. For
closet staples – e.g. black pants – you should invest in good quality and
pay more since it will be an item that is a closet staple.

9. If you hesitate when trying on a dress or clothing item, she recommends
that you not purchase.

10. Rid your closet of “tired” pieces – nubby, stretched out, torn, stained,
or faded.
Please check out Suzanne’s website if you need her expertise or if you want to treat yourself [www.suzannelibfraind.com].

In summary, take this life coaching short assessment regarding your fashion style:

On a scale of 1 – 5, rate your sense of style or even your desire to dress fashionably:

1 – I could care less!
5 – I care a lot!

If you don’t care about fashion, do you know the reasons why?
Have you considered a different look or style?
How do you feel when you dress for your daily activities?
Would you be willing to take the advice of a trusted friend to suggest changes? Why or why not?
Would you like the assistance of a personal shopper?

Since I love fashion and all that goes with it, please let me hear from you. What topics would you like me to discuss in a future podcast? My email is hopeunveiled@gmail.com.

Let’s continue to explore dressing like a princess. After all, you are a daughter of the King. Compare yourself to no one! He has deemed you beautiful because you are His, and you are one of a kind. Focus on what flatters your body type and reflects your individuality because God has made you a masterpiece!