The ball has dropped, the year 2016 is over and 2017 has begun. It is no longer time to look back but to look forward. However, we get in a rut – why do we stick to the same old, same old, anyway? It’s easy you say, what does it matter anymore? I don’t have the same body. I don’t look as good in clothes anymore. Why bother? Because – we’re afraid of change. CHANGE is inevitable. I’m tired of the nonsense about beauty is only skin deep. That’s deep enough. What do you want – an adorable pancreas? So you have to go up a size, so what? You’ve never seen that number on the scale before – so what? Get on with life. We have a lunatic living inside our minds – the lunacy of self-inflicted wounding. I don’t like my legs, my right eye droops funny, my arms are too flabby. We can find fault with much of our bodies and it is a nasty habit.
I don’t certain things ever change. People want to look taller and thinner. No one says “ooh, let me buy that dress because it makes me feel matronly”. The “M” word is a word that scares the begibbies out of a woman – “MATRONLY”. When I need to steer a customer away from a bad choice – I use the “M” word.
When it comes to self-perception, size doesn’t matter. We all feel fat or think we look fat at one time or another, no matter what size we really are. We look in the mirror and focus on every bump, lump and bulge imaginable. We all have a little something to hide ( a potbelly, love handles, saddlebags ). We need to come to grips with our imperfections. NO ONE HAS A PERFECT BODY. What you didn’t get in terms of bodily perfection, you can get by dressing cleverly to accentuate your positives and de-emphasize the negatives. Clothes you choose, how they fit, how you co-ordinate them and how you accessorize them will make the difference for your individual body. The woman should wear the clothes. The clothes should not wear the woman.
You will see polka dots, stripes and floral prints for spring and many times a combination of all three. Unlike other vintage prints, polka dots offer an intriguing way of mixing and matching with other bold colors. Example: red, yellow, coral, lime, etc. You will see everything from swiss dots to oversize dots.
Stripes are never out of style, they are one of the building blocks of many designers as well as floral prints. Many seem to shy away when it comes to pairing different prints, perhaps out of a strong hold to those long out of date rules of fashion such as “no one wears white after Labor Day”. One of the most basic rules is to pair a “neutral” print with a more “elaborate” print. In this case, a polka dot print acts as the neutral and the floral is the more elaborate. When pairing the two, look for common colors which allow them to compliment one another.
Navy, coral, lime, black/white, red – just a few of the colors for spring. Chiffon was in every designer line. I will detail more about colors and fabrics and styles for you in the next You Magazine article.
Carol Knauf
Owner Rae Baxter’s Fashions
