Finding your own style

"All dress is a fancy dress, isn't it, except our natural skins."

- George Bernard Shaw

According to InStyle, "All fashion is about seduction." If so, personal style is a love affair. Finding the style that works for you requires intimacy--knowing who you are and what you are most beautiful and comfortable in. I'm not saying that we should get stuck in a fashion comfort zone. On the contrary, I believe that just like in a fulfilling relationship, our sense of style should evolve as we do so.

As you can see, I'm no fashion expert. Neither am I someone schooled in the art and science of style. In fact, the closest thing that I had to education on this subject is reading Cosmo--and even then, I had to call on my style-savvy little sister for help all the time. She would take one look at what I had put together and give me a poker face, which, by the way, is her subtle way of asking, "Are we really related?"

Before she left to embark on her personal adventure, we had taken so many trips to the mall together. In fact, we did it on a weekly basis as part of my "training." Whenever we had our budget prepared for shopping, we'd each buy pretty and versatile items. If we didn't have the money for it, we would window shop but do it with a twist.

We'd pretend that we were really buying an entire outfit, and she'd make me pick my items without her help. Only after I've made my choices and managed to put together a complete "look" would she share her insights. She would tell me which of the items work and which don't. More importantly, she'd explain why. It's as if I was a makeover guest on Tim Gunn's Guide to Style--talk about teaching someone how to fish to feed her for a lifetime!

Now, I feel quite confident about my choices and sense of style--just like what happens to the guests on Tim Gunn's (of Project Runway fame) show. It's not because I can now snag what appears to be a good bargain (with an "okay" fit to boot), but because I've found the style which is a genuine reflection of me: feminine but low maintenance.

One of the reasons why I keep this blog is that I want to share information that has brought me some feel-good, look-good moments. It's my personal epiphany. Even without taking a crash course in Fashion Design, you, too, can discover the style that you can be both beautiful and comfortable in--like a second skin.

To be your own stylist, all it takes is for you to be CHIC:

• Comfortable with yourself - Assess your strong and weak points and accept that not all the latest, most fashionable items will suit your shape, lifestyle, and budget. Be fabulous but keep your style true to who you are.
• Humble - Be open to suggestions and take criticisms in stride. There are always new ways to improve yourself.
• Independent - Know the trends but don't let yourself be enslaved by fads that only make you spend more and that may not even be flattering for you.
• Creative - Play with colors, and don't be afraid to experiment with accessories, cuts, and fabrics. There's no need to shop like crazy and spend all your dough.You can bring a whole new life into items that you already own just by being resourceful and innovative.

Lastly, check your motives. Wanting to look good doesn't make you superficial; it's your motivation that can make you one. Fashion and style should tell a true story, your personal story. As the great Coco Chanel said, "Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening."