What I've Learned From Fashion Shows

Last night I attended Fashion First Seattle- a fashion show to benefit Inspire Youth Project. It was an evening to remember, for sure. Flying solo at the event, I was reminded of all the lessons I've learned from Fashion Shows and I have a feeling that you, Dear Reader, will find them useful. Here we go!

What I've Learned From Fashion Shows

1. Wear YOU.

If you are a fan of red carpets, you are familiar with the automatic question of the fashion set: "Who are you wearing?"

When getting dressed for an event, selecting JUST the right thing to wear is a challenge. When prepping to go to a fashion show, the gravity of the situation can feel overwhelming. Last night's event reminded me of an important filter when finalizing your look: make sure you are wearing you. In other words, don't pretend to be something you are not. Don't feel pressed to wear something because you think it is what everyone else will be wearing. Because, if you do, you'll feel less confident and that will come through in every interaction. I love Vogue's celebration of Olivia Palermo's looks at Fashion Week. Sure, she's mixing it up at each event. But, she's giving a nod to the designer, which communicates her love and knowledge of fashion. At Fashion First, designer labels were prevalent. You know how I love a high quality fashionable piece. But, I'm not much of a designer girl. Instead, I opted for a faux leather tunic from last fall (on sale now!), light blue wide leg cropped pants (a surprise gift from my husband for the occasion), Chloe Sevigny for Opening Ceremony white platform clogs, a giant stone ring that I made years ago and my go-to Zara light blue and white leather clutch. As it turns out, it was perfect.

2. Aging is not a disadvantage.

A few years ago, a friend of mine was showing her lingerie and loungewear collection at the New York Fashion Academy in Ballard. (This year's show is tomorrow night!)

At the last minute, she asked me to walk in the show as one of her models.  Thankfully, I was the one model wearing pants, so I was all for it. On the night of the show, I realized that one of the girls in our group was exactly half my age. And, as I scanned the other models, it occurred to me that I was most likely the oldest model participating. It was- in a word- awesome. 

It would have been easy to feel self conscious about being older than the rest of the group. But, it's important to keep it all in perspective. I didn't feel like I had anything to prove. It was fun. Strangely, I felt like I was representing all women in our 30's. After all, we love loungewear as much as anyone else. Fashion is  timeless. It's not about age or income. It's about self confidence and authenticity. If you have those, you are fashionable everywhere you go.

3. Nice people like clothes. 

Liking clothes does not make you shallow. It does not define you as a mean girl. In fact, last night I was pleasantly surprised when a group of older women who attend every year came over to compliment my outfit. You don't need to single handedly save the world in order to be a good person. And, if you embrace your love of style, we all benefit. If you look good, we get to look at you. I'm all for that. 

4. The time to be bold is now.

I met a lovely young woman at the Fashion First Seattle show. She recently moved to town from Arizona, having transferred for her job at Amazon. She didn't know anyone. But, she loves clothes, so she bought a ticket and came out on her own. 

I felt like a proud parent. That's what you do- you take chances. What do you have to lose? Who are you trying to impress? If a young woman in her early twenties can move to a new city and attend a fashion show solo, we can all push ourselves a little further.

So there you have it. Fashion Shows. Who knew they were such valuable teaching tools? 

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