HOW TO DRESS LIKE A CELEBRITY WITHOUT GOING BROKE

From our Guest Blogger Emily Jacobson:  

HOW TO DRESS LIKE A CELEBRITY WITHOUT GOING BROKE

If you care about your look, you face an inevitable dilemma with every new season, every issue of Vogue, every fashion week, and every time you check out celebrity outfits on the net. The dilemma, in short, is how to keep up with the hottest looks without spending every day and every penny in the stores. It can be overwhelming. And it’s even worse when, on a budget, all the trendy spring stuff you bought last year to get you through the next few warm seasons is now dated and looks dumb. I have some suggestions that might help. The key is to stop chasing the pack and to start celebrating yourself. If you want to dress like a celebrity, you will have to become one yourself. Don’t copy Giselle and miss the mark, because you are neither tall nor slim. Avoid leaving the house looking like you are going to a costume party dressed as Angelina Jolie. Know yourself. Fashion is art, and your fashion is your art. Use fashion to be more of who you are, not to become someone you’re not. This requires that, when you shop, you love and accept yourself as you are. Don’t waste time and money on clothes you can wear after losing 10 pounds. It never works. Instead buy what looks good on you now. Be willing to take a few risks you have the attitude to carry off, but don’t go too far out of your zone. The more you experiment, the more you will learn about your own best looks. Keep up with what’s hot. Saturate your consciousness with the latest designs, pay attention to styles that might work for you, and shop for these pieces only. You can also find things in your closet that, when tweaked, paired, or accessorized differently, will step up to the current season, especially if combined with something very “now.” Shop for updated pieces that will work well with what you already have. Pick and choose only what you love. Don’t even bother trying to wear trendy stuff you don’t like, even if Giselle is wearing it. Remember that Giselle gets paid to wear it (and sell it), not you. When you shop, try stuff on. What looks great on a hanger can look all wrong on you. And don’t get sucked in by thinking you can “make it work” by getting a different haircut or by changing your makeup. A great piece will look great without having to change anything. Remember that very trendy will also look very dated if the trend doesn’t catch on, making it impossible to extend the piece beyond the current season. No matter how you wear it, it will scream “I’m over with!” Instead invest most of your money is classics with a trendy twist. A classic tee with a small bow at the neck will last forever and you can always cut off the bow when the look passes. Also look for pieces that work now, but also have the potential to go vintage. Finally, consider Madonna, who has always “expressed herself.” You may (or may not) like her style, but it’s worked for her for 30 years and helped to make her one of the world’s richest women. And if you continue to “reinvent” yourself, you can avoid starting 2010 still wearing the grunge look you did so well in the 1990s.