Fashion. A word that either instills a great fear in 50% of the women on the earth or brings the other 50% to euphoric levels. I happen to be in the first 50%. I have always been blue jean, sweatshirt and boots kinda of girl, but I was born to a first level fashionista (my mom) who gave birth to a second fashionista (my sister) - they fall in the latter 50% of the population. The first and second level fashionista's (FLF and SLF, respectively) tried hard as they could to make me more fashion forward as I was growing - they would get excited about going to the fabric store spending what felt like hours pouring over pattern books and looking at bolt after bolt of material......and there I would be in the back with my head down on the McCall's pattern book yawning and complaining. This scenario would repeat itself with precision almost weekly. Don't get me wrong - I was able to dress up periodically for the occasional family wedding or graduation ceremony, but everyday?!?!?! I was content with t-shirts and earth shoes. Even in college, I wore overalls and long underwear shirts - I was comfortable; however, my sister had other ideas. She finally cornered me and said, "Donna, you are a junior and you look like a farmer." And in the next breath, she says, "And you don't even wear makeup!!!" And all along - I thought I had it together - oh - how wrong I was and that was just Manhattan, Kansas. Phase One of incorporating fashion into my life.
Jump forward a couple of years and I land in Dallas, Texas - the land of the beautiful, always dressed women. I worked with women who kept logs in their closet of the items of clothes that they had worn from day to day as so not to wear the same thing within the same month. Oh heavens, I was just trying not to wear the same thing in the same week. And silly me - I really only thought that you needed 3 pairs of pumps: black, blue and brown. The women I worked with matched the nails to their shoes to their outfits - everyday - and I didn't even wear lipstick. These became known as the peripheral fashionistas (PF) who have invaded my life and brought on Phase Two of incorporating fashion into my life.
Take another leap forward about 11 years and Phase Three of incorporating fashion into my life - I give birth to a baby daughter. Everyone says that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree and it really holds true except in one area.......you guessed it....fashion. She has become the third level fashionista (TLF) who blesses my life. This girl can change her clothes as many as five times a day, she loves shoes, purses, hair accessories.....in short anything fashion - she loves it. It is all cyclical and I prefer lounge pants, hair pulled back in a ponytail, flip flops these days and I am quite content. Which does serve me well with the TLF.....so like a noteworthy royal I have good blood lines. I can call on the FLF when the TLF "needs" to shop. The FLF steps in with giddy anticipation. They speak of things that make my head spin like Linda Blair in the Exorcist.....trying on clothes and malls. I would rather spork my brain out. The FLF and the TLF went shopping over the weekend for a 5th grade graduation dress and where gone about 4 hours and they came home with a great dress with the perfect shoes. Neither could have been more happy than if they would have been angels playing harps and drinking honey. Thanks, mom - you do make my life easier (especially since my son is a fashionista as well)!!!!
I can be fashion challenged - I am not too proud to say it aloud. And yes - I admit that I have to ask the TLF which shoes look better with my outfit. Go ahead-do the math. A 48 year old asking an 11 year old for fashion advice....not a pretty picture, but she is always right for which I am thankful. After living in Dallas for 24 years - a little bit of fashion does rub off on you.
Truth be told - there is one area of fashion that I don't spare the expense. Eyeglasses. The most recent pair came in delightful blue box marked Tiffany's. It was a decadent purchase for which I don't apologize. One would deduce that I have entered Phase Four of incorporating fashion into my life. Does that mean that I have become a mindful luxury immersed fashionista - a MLIF?!?!?! Oh wait - that might be something completely different......Anne Wintour eat your heart out.
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