How not to be a victim of fashion

Everyone has had a fashion victim moment because fashion is extremely subjective. This is because fashion has fluid rules and you will make mistakes. Unless you have supervised shopping experiences, your outfit rarely ever comes with instructions. Most of your choices are filtered through uncertainty. Should you mix prints or metals, which version of colour blocking is in, if at all, and you could have sworn tights with open toed shoes are not - or was it hot? Someone, anyone, help, please!

To not be a victim requires more than making your own rules. It includes taking the heat for your choices, a skill not many cultivate or possess. Which is why it is best to stick to a short list. 

1. First, know thyself:

This is annoying advice. How does knowing which flavour of yoghurt you like affect what you wear on a random Tuesday? In the spirit of practicality, limit the scope of this knowledge to preferences of colour, length, transportation, finances, complexion and body type.

Knowing yourself is being attuned to changes as they happen such as age, status, career, location and dress code. No one stays in a permanent state. Your wardrobe needs to reflect changes as they happen so be deliberate like only you can. Knowledge for Mark Zuckerberg comes in the form of black and grey tee-shirts and hoodies and blue jeans.

President Obama wears a suit that looks the same over and over. Their uniform is built around this bit of simple logic: they make countless decisions in the course of one day that affects countless people and bottom lines. To prevent decision fatigue they eliminate the headache of having to select a new outfit each morning. That, is knowing oneself. 

2. Don’t get stuck in a comfort zone:

At first, this rule seems in direct violation of the above. What is Zuckerberg’s wardrobe if not a swaddling grey nest of cotton? Forgetting for a moment he is a billionaire - actually, let’s not. He got the first rule cornered. For non billionaires, a comfort zone is a too-safe shop, supplier, design, colour or silhouette. Your comfort zone shows up when you find a different sales girl, your usual store is closed, your shoe lady is on maternity leave or you just got promoted.

It will feel uncomfortable to hear new suggestions. You will resist them declaring, “I don’t wear that,” or “That’s not my style.” My comfort zone is black. If I had stuck to wearing only that on screen I bet I’d now be labelled Illuminati. Handle comfort zones in one very specific way: shut up and try it on. If you don’t like it, move on. If it works, the mirror will show and tell. 

3. There are rules, but not really:

Every so often trends will come along and disrupt everything. It happened with low rise jeans, skinny jeans and now tights. While there are plenty of places to wear these there are also enough places and reasons not to succumb. A formal event is not one of those. Ripped jeans look great but for industries largely limited to entertainment, media, advertising or tech start ups. Curiously, attention is usually paid to rule-breaking in conventional settings. It rarely looks at the reverse. With the rise of Millennials, start ups and freelancers, there are cultures where formality isolates you, and makes you feel like an outsider and in some cases, old. 

4. Trends matter:

Not to look trendy but because it will inevitably find its way home. Trends drag you into the present. Athleisure wear’s growth has superseded every other fashion trend. Where the money is, is where the trends are. Say you ignore this. One weekend you go shopping and realise, suddenly, denim sections are shrinking, jersey dresses and sporty-looking pants are taking over.

If you are not clued in and adaptable enough the transition will be painful. When trends become juggernauts they take over floor space and inevitably influence your style. Not even late adopters are safe. Athleisure reflects a shift in lifestyle and culture, portraying youthfulness, energy, vitality, health and wellness, putting a whole new spin on beauty. 

5. Image is still everything.

The most powerful part is this: you can control it, except when you don’t. Personal branding translates into regular life with each public appearance we make. You could bump into a client, potential investor, fan or future partner any minute now. True, this smacks of being on your best behaviour all the time. It also means you choose who people think you are. Within reason of course. And you can’t be a victim when you have power.