Cringy Clothes

I think that playing dress-up begins at age five and never truly ends.
~Kate Spade

Growing up, back-to-school was a big deal for me. I got new clothes and new school supplies!

(Who doesn't love a newly sharpened pencil?)

Sometimes I got store-bought clothes, but mostly I remember my mom sewing for me. We would go to Fanny's Fabrics and pour through the pattern books. Once we found the perfect pattern we'd scour the store to find just the right cloth so she could make me something special. 

I wasn't allowed to wear it until the day school actually started.

Every gal at any age knows that it feels awesome to have an outfit you feel fabulous in for a special event coming up, right? It's even better when you love what you wear every day.

It's become an annual tradition for my granddaughter Zoe and I to go back to school shopping together. She gets pretty excited and we plan fun hang-out-together-time.

As a professional shopper and stylist I take my role and responsibility to teach Zoe principles of personal style seriously because it's not something she will ever learn in school. I teach her about value, price, color, how to dress her shape and to celebrate her personal taste.

(We get sort of silly too and pick out the most obnoxious outfits in the store, hold them up to ourselves in front of a mirror and share a good giggle.)

I started teaching her to validate and trust her instincts from an early age around what she like and what makes her feel great. As early as age 3 she knew what she wanted to wear on those days that I helped her get dressed.

Today she's an athleisure girl all the way. She loves the latest looks from Nike, Adidas and Diadora.

Let's look back.

A few years ago she wanted to shop at a popular tween store because her friends told her clothes from that store are what the cool kids wear. Hmmm.

That might be their style but it isn't hers. The mass mentality and desperate desire that young girls face to fit-in makes it hard for them to have the courage to stand out in their own way.

But Zoe (Age 12) is going into Grade 7 with a strong sense of self, and she's learned that she likes what she likes and doesn't want to waste cash on clothes that she won't wear more than once.

Back to this year.

She had a budget. Deciding how to best get the most our of her shopping dollars was her challenge.

She told me she can't believe she ever wore *cringy clothes* because her friends told her she should. (Zoe's definition of that is any item of clothing that has sequins, unicorns or rainbows.)

What's in your closet?

Do you wear what's true to you and makes you feel great every day? Or, do you wear what you think you should wear based on the messages you get from the world around you?

I'm teaching Zoe.

I've taught thousands of women.

I can teach you how to make your style match your substance, without putting a label on your individuality.

My free 5-Day Challenge Ageless Style: Get Your *Pretty* Back starts Monday September 28. Registration will open soon.

My grandson Coen (age 9) got new back to school clothes too. He didn't see an opportunity for any kind of fun by schlepping from store to store so he gave grandma his wish list. His criteria was simple. He wanted clothes that fit and are comfortable.

Don't we all?

I wonder. Based on your personal sense of style what's your definition of Cringy Clothes? 

Copyright 2020: Helene Oseen