Fashion is how we present ourselves to the world, a way to communicate our personalities without speaking and signal to others who we might be. It is therefore incredibly important to understand this way of communicating and use it to the best of your ability.
An easy way to step into fashion without being overwhelmed by it is to learn your color season—i.e., what colors look best on you. Fall, winter, spring, and summer are the four different color seasons, each with three subdivisions that tell you what colors make you pop versus look dull. There are dozens of free and easy ways to check this out online.
In case you’re wondering about my credentials to provide this advice, I have spent years obsessed with fashion and developing my own personal style. I also grew up around people who deeply valued appearances and picked up a thing or two along the way. I also hope to one day have a sense of style iconic enough to belong on a Pinterest board. This column is my way of helping everyone who reads The Hoot to put their best foot forward and feel confident.
That leads me to the most important piece of advice I can give: You have to have confidence in yourself in whatever you choose to wear. Even if it might not be something you think fits the look you want to emulate, wear it like you’re attending the Met Gala. This is very simple in theory but takes a lot of effort to put into practice.
My next piece of advice is to wear something other than sweatpants and a sweatshirt at least once a week. Wear a bold pair of jeans, linen pants, dress pants, a flowy skirt on bottom and a button-up, polo, halter top on top. Just switch things up every few days so you can look and feel your best regularly.
My last tip for today’s column is to be careful with accessories. Always wear a piece of jewelry that compliments your outfit and try to have a simple staple piece you wear with everything. That could be a silver chain, a charm bracelet, a cross, or a Star of David. Also, never overdo it. As much as jewelry can help an outfit, too much and overly blingy things will take away. Find the metal that works best with your skin tone and predominantly wear that—unless you strongly prefer another color. Personally, I look better in silver, but I love gold.
