Mrs. Texas Shares Fashion Rules for a Lifetime

With Rachel before she was crowned!!

My dear and fabulous friend, Rachel Hedstrom, Mrs. Texas International recently posted this on the Mrs. Texas International blog. I had to repost this for y'all because she shares some of the best and basic fashion rules. To check out the more posts from Mrs. Texas International, click here. Enjoy!!

On my way home from an appearance last weekend, Queen Mum and I popped by one of my favorite stores, eager to find a great deal on a new dress (for the record: success!). We were in line at the register when we were stopped by a mom and her two daughters who were trying to decide on a dress for the oldest daughter to wear to her upcoming homecoming dance. They had two great options and just hadn’t come to a decision. I was overjoyed to be asked to help them decide! After a thorough and in-depth discussion (this is serious business, folks!), we decided the best way to choose would be to have her try on both options. This 14-year-old with big brown eyes had long, gorgeous hair and a fabulous smile. She really couldn’t go wrong with either of her choices but once she modeled each of them for us, it was easy to see which one was the winner. This fashionable teen looked gorgeous in a strapless gold party dress with a fun little detail at the hip. I hope she has the time of her life at her first high school dance!

This quest to find the perfect dress got me thinking about some of the fashion rules that have been both hard-won and rewarding over the past few years for me. I shared a few with her and thought I would post them here, too. If I could just rewind and tell these to my own 14-year-old self!

The thing about fashion rules are is that they are meant to be broken! However, for people like me who need structured direction when it comes to fashion, having some parameters and go-to strategies helps. Here are a few of my faves:

- Know your colors. When I wear deep, rich purple, people always say, “That color looks really great on you.” I took note and typically gravitate to jewel tones, including purple, in my everyday looks. My sister, on the other hand, looks great in citrusy yellow and green. Know your best shades and look for them as you scan the racks.

- Consider style. My pear shape doesn’t typically look good in loose and flowy garments, so I tend to prefer very structured, tailored things, often more body-conscious in style. Other ladies I know look terrific in unstructured garments with a lot of movement. I have wasted a lot of time in dressing rooms trying to make that look work for me, but it’s just not meant to be!

- Think about why you’re buying. I would love to just buy everything I run across that I like in the dressing room, but this queen’s got a budget! Instead, I think about the specific places I might wear that piece of clothing. If I can’t come up with at least three, then I don’t buy it. I also make sure that it’s what I refer to as “supah-fly.” If it doesn’t knock my socks off, I prefer to leave it there for someone else. I decided that I only want to wear things that really make me feel great. Life is too short!

- Make sure it stands up. This is a funny one to talk about, but we all know how this goes: sometimes, if you stand just right, you can make any dress look great. From a certain angle, we can squeeze and hold our breath and squint and turn just right and voila! Just like Gisele. But here’s the truth, girls – you have to wear things in the real world and not just in a photo shoot. Therefore, you have to look great from the front, the back, the sides, and everywhere, sans sucking in. If it doesn’t look good from a few angles, run! You are a three-dimensional human and not a picture on a piece of paper.

- Smile for the camera. Go through my Blackberry and you will find dozens of pictures of me in the dressing room. You know why? Cameras don’t lie. If you find something you think you like, take a picture of it. There is nothing like seeing yourself on the screen wearing whatever it is that you are trying on. I promise - decisions will become much easier!

- Phone a friend. Even the contestants on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? get a lifeline! Those pictures you took can also serve another purpose: to help friends help you. If you were not able to bring a friend shopping with you (infinitely more fun and always helpful), make sure you have a friend whose style eye you trust on speed dial. For me, Queen Mum, my dear sister and one Miss Laine Berry are always my lifeline to a brutally honest opinion. When I get a “LOVE LOVE LOVE” from Laine, I know that my instincts are right-on! (Hear from Laine directly as you listen to her appearance on Valerie Hayes’ “Pageant Talk Radio” by clicking here: Pageant Talk Radio - Killer Fall Fashion

I hope there are one or two things here that might help you on your next shopping trip. What are your favorite dressing room “dos and don’ts”?

Until next post, dear friends,

Rachel

Mrs. Texas International 2012