Fashion Vs. Style

So what fashion is on trend this season? That is the question many women ask themselves as they prepare to go to the mall or go to their favorite online boutique. As mature women, we have seen fashions come and go. However with all the fashionable clothes, we buy each year many of us still struggle with the proverbial, “I have nothing to wear" on a daily basis. The solution to this problem? Stop shopping fashion and start shopping for your personal style.

There is a difference between fashion and style. Fashion refers to the trends or "in" things that designers promote each season in stores and on the internet. It's your cropped pants, bell sleeves, cold shoulder dresses, and mom jeans. But certain fashions are not for everyone. Have you ever heard the saying, “just because it's in your size doesn't mean you should wear it"? Personal style, however, is about the fashions that look good on you.

Style takes into consideration a couple of factors. The first is color. What colors look best on you? Based on the color of your hair, eyes, and complexion, certain colors will look better on you than others. Color consultants use a variety of systems to determine what colors look best on a client but, generally speaking, color palettes are chosen based on your undertone. Is it yellow and warm or is it blue and cool? To determine your undertone, try on some jewelry. Which looks best on you, the silver or the gold? If it is silver, you likely have a cool undertone. If it is gold, the undertone is likely to warm. Once you have determined if you are warm or cool, get a color wheel to see which colors are warm or cool. These are the colors that will look best on you. If you need additional help, talk to a color consultant or check out the Eyes on Hue app.

The second factor is fit. Does the outfit you choose fit your body silhouette? Everyone has a different body silhouette. Are you round, angular, bigger on the top than the bottom or just the opposite? The clothes you choose should flatter your body shape. For example, if you are pear-shaped or bigger on the bottom, to balance out your frame, you may want to wear blouses or tops with ruffles, colorful prints, or wide collars. On the other hand, you might want to stay away from large floral print pants, tulip skirts and other items that may draw attention to your larger bottom.

To figure out what looks best on you take cues from others. Which outfits get you the most compliments? Look at photos. In which ones do you think you look your best? What are you wearing? And if you really want to up your style game, seek the assistance of a stylist.

If you dress your style and forget what's in fashion, you will always have something to wear.