My fashion journey begins…
Me in a Diane Von Furstenberg wrap dress circa 2017
Yup. This was it….the beginning of the beginning!
Growing up, I had absolutely no fashion sense. Zero. Zip. Nada. I didn’t even care, really….no one in my family cared very much about clothing, makeup, beauty products….to this day I’m happy if my Mom wears a T shirt that isn’t stained or has a hole in it (is that TMI?).
Even as a college student, I would jeer internally at my friends who poured through the pages of Vogue, Elle, and InStyle. At the time I felt their preoccupation with what was trending or what celebs were wearing was ludicrous. Who cares? I felt myself above such trivial concerns; in fact, I was just like the Anne Hathaway character in “Devil Wears Prada” in the scene where she gets a beat down from Miranda Priestley!
So, when did everything change? Well it didn’t happen all at once, that’s for sure. My first “real” job I remember shopping at (gasp!) the Dress Barn to find something professional to wear on the cheap….eventually I graduated to Express, The Limited, and Banana Republic. That lasted well into my twenties and even thirties.
I became a Mom, and stayed at home while my son was young….at that time I abandoned all pretense of being fashionable entirely. I’d show up to preschool rocking tops and jeans from Target. For two years I never even wore makeup! The only thing “trendy” about me was that I lost a lot of weight, chasing after my toddler.
I went back to work, part-time at first and then full time. I hopped back into my wardrobe of pantsuits. I still felt that I needed to be practical rather than trendy, and after all, didn’t my lack of nail polish show that I was willing to work hard?
In 2017 I went to work for Azza Bell, then Director of Sales & Marketing at the Westin D.C. City Center. I’d worked for Azza previously, and knew she was quite the fashionista! I’d always admired her sense of style, and her bravery in breaking outside of the traditional corporate box. I knew I’d have to step up my game if I was going to impress her!
I dipped my toes in the water at first via Rent the Runway, which allowed me 4 pieces per month at a convenient monthly fee and an even more convenient delivery service. (Of course, the urge to purchase what was originally a rental meant that I soon amassed a “stable of dresses,” as my husband puts it.) The flexibility of this business model, which is truly brilliant, allowed a budding fashionista such as myself the ability to simply play - with my style, my figure, what worked and what didn’t. Along the way I discovered that I ENJOY looking great! It makes all the difference in the world in my confidence level when I look in the mirror and like what I see! This goes for clothing and makeup, too….again, it took me some time to discover which products and techniques work best for me. I’m still exploring - always! - which is also the beauty of fashion, that it is ever evolving with our zeitgeist, our lives, and our personal tastes. I hope you decide to go on this journey together with me!
