Rhett says you CAN wear that!

I hear two things on a weekly basis without fail: the first is, “wow, you look so good in that!” The second is, “I could never pull that off!” While I do love the compliments as I put a lot into what I wear, I am saddened by the women who really think they can’t pull off any of the looks I have.

I am a very edgy dresser. I am not afraid to try trends or crazy new ideas. That is a big part of how I can pull certain things off. I admit, the first time I tried socks with a dress and booties, I was nervous. The sock trend had just come back into style and I went out and bought a cheap dressy pair to see what I could do with it. I LOVED it. I got a lot of funny looks of course. That’s going to happen with fashion. First and foremost, remember that people will always give you funny looks. More often than not ladies, it’s because you look amazing and they’re wishing they could dress how you are.

One excuse (yes, excuse) a lot of ladies use when talking to me is that I am so tiny and everything looks good on me. I assure you, that is not true. As women we tend to look in the mirror and objects appear much larger than they are. So, we dress to hide things. Now, there is nothing wrong with that by any means. If you are comfortable, you will feel much better and sexier. I’m going to give everyone some standard ideas on how to branch out a bit.

I bet the majority of your tops are black. I love black too, but that is because my inner soul is a hardcore rocker girl. We wear black because it’s slimming. Black compliments every skin tone, goes with most makeup styles and nearly all hair colors. It can even be worn with nearly every color – even brown and navy! (If you are interested in this, let me know and I can show you how to do it the right way).

Rhett, you are thinking, I want to try a color. Great! My automatic response to this is navy. It’s a color that is safe and it’s just a few shades away from black, so it’s like putting your toes in the water instead of jumping in. I also recommend burgundy/wine, royal purple and hunter green. What I’m doing here is picking out jewel tones. They are classic, go with jeans or work attire and are a nice safe way for you to branch a bit without being extreme.

If you are like me, you’re going to want to jump in head first and try something you’ve never done before. That can be scary, and you need to be confident in yourself and your outfit if you want to try extreme colors. Those are the brights – pink, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, and everything in between. If you decide to try this, make sure you are wearing dark, tailored jeans. Light jeans with light shirts will wash you out most times and also make you look dated.

What about all the other crazy things that I try? I have a vast collection of accessories, and that’s a part of how I pull things together. Shoes, jewelry, scarves… it all helps. Most jewelry comes from rummage sales, thrift stores and clearance sales. I don’t base my buying habits with jewelry on trends. I just buy what I like, because jewelry comes back very often. My scarves are mostly vintage and were my mom’s in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. If you’d like to try a scarf, start out simple. (Rhett Tip: Don’t spend a lot on a trend or idea you just trying out). I love Wal-Mart. They’ve come a long way and have some pretty sweet accessories. Always make a beeline for clearance first, and then work your way to the front of the store, in any store. The most expensive items are usually in the front, which is what draws people in. Clearance is always in the back unless it’s a sidewalk sale or holiday sale. As far as shoes go… well, shoes are a huge addiction for me. I get them EVERYWHERE.

Scenario: You are at Forever 21 and see an outrageous color-blocked shirt. It’s half off the shoulder and you just love the pattern. You look longingly at it, thinking that although it’s gorgeous, you could never pull it off. I’m going to pause your shopping trip and interrupt. WHY can’t you pull that shirt off? Do you know for sure that all off the shoulder shirts don’t flatter your build? Is it the colors in the color blocking?  The pattern? Or is it because you are afraid of what other women will think of you wearing a statement piece? Take the shirt into the dressing room. Take two sizes. Just because I’m a tiny little person doesn’t mean that ALL XS and S shirts fit me. I usually take XS, S and M. Remember, every brand is different and will fit your frame differently. A shirt size does not matter! It’s how it fits you.

Ok, now you are in the dressing room. The shirt is on and you are in love with it. You want it so bad. Your shopping partner isn’t fond of it (we’ll be discussing this later), but who cares what they think? Ladies, you need to dress for YOU first, before others. Buy the shirt. It’s going to stand out in your closet, but you won’t regret it. Now, go out dancing. Show off your new shirt. You are going to get looks from people, but I assure you, it’s due to your confidence in your new, awesome shirt.

Once you branch out the first time, it will become much easier as time progresses. Now, on to shopping partners. I have seen this so many times that it shocks me. I’ve seen it with people I’ve shopped with and by observing young women shopping together. Women will rarely give you an honest opinion when you ask, “do you like this?” I’m not sure why this is, but I think it has something to do with insecurities and confidence issues. Most people you shop with will see you pick up something and then tell you they don’t like it because they are upset that you found it first or they think it will make you look better than they do. Either reason is ridiculously stupid. Teach yourself how to pick things out and just purchase them without getting a negative response from someone with you. Or, better yet, take a man shopping. I only ask my husband for advice when contemplating a purchase. My husband, Diesel, never looks at price tags. He just decides if he likes whatever I am holding up. Even with shoes, Diesel helps me pick them out.

Some of us are blessed to have a woman friend that will be honest. If she loves something for you, she will tell you. If you have someone like this in your life, designate her as your shopping buddy. In return, be honest with her as well. If you hold up something and she says it’s not for you, have her help you find something else and vice versa.

After everything I’ve just taught you in this blog, I have one more thing: confidence is your number one asset. Hold your head high and be proud of your outfit. Like I said before – not everyone is going to like what you are wearing. Smile inside and know you look fabulous. Rhett says you look fabulous!

If you would like help with shopping for statement pieces, please let me know. I’d be more than happy to assist you in finding things that you will love for many, many seasons to come!

Stay Sweet,

Rhett