“The power of positive dressing”

I’m a big fan of this issue of Vogue for many reasons.  First of all, Adele is amazing and I love the fact that they featured a “normal-sized” person on the cover… and I can’t emphasize how much I agree with the power of positive dressing.

I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t just a bit fashion-obsessed.  I distinctly remember my cousins and I layering our bright neon Gap Kids socks and being ridiculously excited about matching Laura Ashley dresses (hey, it was the late ’80s/early ’90’s!).  My aunt gave me a subscription to Vogue in middle school… and my true fashion obsession grew.

Granted being fashion obsessed doesn’t translate to being able to actually buy what I see in Vogue (unfortunately!) but I think being fashion-aware and fashion-conscious really helps me feel better about myself and then present myself better.  Then people are more apt to pay attention and give me a chance.  It’s kind of like presenting yourself like you take care in your appearance gives people the chance to reassess their thoughts about what people who may look different from them.

So I stalk sale racks semi-obsessively, try not to buy too much (and amazingly enough am pretty successful at using restraint!), and embrace the fact that fashion does give me power.  It gives me power over how others see me, but more importantly over how I see myself.