Signature Style

Do you have a signature style? I was thinking about this yesterday as I pondered what to wear for my visit to the local naturopath. When I was a little tween, I gravitated towards really bright colors, full skirts, socks, and Keds (sort of a fifties kinda vibe — I think I was into Grease at the time) — none of it was very flattering on me, but I still liked the swingy fabric and the flippy ‘dos. My mom absolutely hated my look, but to her eternal credit, she always bought whatever horrifying outfit I wanted. (Her revenge is that I now can’t stand looking at the photos.) She probably would’ve bought the red Orphan Annie dress I coveted had we the money, but fortunately for posterity it was beyond our wee budget. (And for some reason it just didn’t look all that great on a little Asian girl. Go figure.)

Anyway, my style has definitely evolved over the years, and I’m now pretty happy with where I am. I expect to change sometime in the next 2-3 years as I inch closer to 40, but for the most part I’m much more confident about my wardrobe choices now than I was even fifteen years ago. For a time I was all into the power suits, which was just fine when my entire focus was on scampering up the corporate ladder, but now that I’ve found my calling as a writer, I’ve pretty much gotten rid of most of those suits (they look fabulous on me, but I could never wait to peel them off as soon as I got home) save for one or two classic ones for the occasional formal interview or funeral.

Now, I stick with basics and round them out with lots of accessories, including purses and (in the spring and fall) scarves. I’ve become obsessed with striped shirts of late, especially the French-style ones with thin blue horizontal stripes on white background and 3/4-length sleeves. Still too spring-y to wear, but I compensate by donning my one cashmere cardigan and then my black Apostrophe overcoat. Jeans are a little harder to find, as for some reason they fit well in the store but then end up being all baggy when I get home. Is it that easy to lose weight during that ten-minute drive home?

One of the great things about getting older, of course, is learning exactly what looks good on oneself enough so that trends no longer interest me. A few years ago, I absolutely craved one of those Jelly Kellys but could never find a good one that fit my budget. (I remember that some of them cost over $150, which seemed outrageous for a couple of yards of rubber.) Six months later, when I finally did spot a decent one at a Chinese knock-off shop for less than $20, I was so over the trend and ended up not buying it. (A friend got one for $75 when it was all the rage, and within months she had donated it to Goodwill. I would’ve hated to throw money away like that.)

Anyway, in terms of jeans and pants, knowing my style and what works for me has helped tremendously in terms of shopping. With a short waist and relatively long legs, I know exactly what I look good in: medium-low rise, slight flare, between regular and petite. When the high-waist trend came and went (I think I saw lingering traces in a recent Harper’s Bazaar), I happily skipped over it entirely, keeping to the tried-and-true. The Gap and Old Navy each have excellent jean collections that come in all manner of sizes, styles, rises, and colors, and at pretty awesome prices, too! I just pick a color and style, zoom in on my size, and voila! I can be out of there in half an hour.

I generally live in my dark-wash jeans, black belt, striped top, and black riding boots, although after we move I’ll be adding to my meager shoe collection, perhaps with a couple of Converses (black and red!) and some good flats. Again, because I’m small, tops are almost always fitted — otherwise, I get lost in anything too voluminous or loose. Sometimes I’ll wear a casual jacket or blazer, but I’ll always always always finish up with a suitable purse from my collection. (Lately it’s been the Escada everyday. That baby goes with darn near everything but a cocktail dress!)

As for makeup, it’s relatively simple. Lately I’ve been using Neutrogena’s Healthy Skin Cream Powder makeup in Golden Bisque; Neutrogena’s MoistureShine Lip Sheers in Pink Splash; Lancome’s Courbe Virtuose mascara in black; Lancome’s Color Design Blush in Pret a Plum; Lancome’s Le Crayon Kohl eyeliner in Black Coffee; and CoverGirl’s Eye Enhancers Coffee Shop palette. Yeah, I’m all about the eyes.

Most of my everyday wear (even when I’m doing interviews) consists of exactly what I just wrote: neat, casual, comfortable. If I’m working from home, I lean towards yoga pants and comfy hoodies — I stretch often throughout the day and need the mobility that these super-comfortable clothes allow. If I have to pop out to the shops for a moment, I’ll pull on some thick socks and sneakers. Not very chic, I know, but it’s, well, me. And quite frankly, my look has never been about the stereotypical Parisian but more along the lines of the casual French student or rural denizen. I love hiking, running, cycling, and pretty much anything to do with the outdoors, and my fashion sense reflects that. Not that I wouldn’t wear anything more Vogue-like — I have two pairs of fishnet stockings that I occasionally wear under a short skirt, boots and sweater and which always get some interesting attention in this part of the country! — but those are generally reserved for date nights with B. and long-distance travel.

Style inspirations for me come from Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Lucky, InStyle, Audrey Hepburn/Rosalind Russell films, Target ads, travel, and — my favorite — people-watching. You can pick up so much from just parking yourself in the middle of a very busy mall (holidays are the best times!) with a cup of coffee and watch the fashion parade go by. Some cities are better than most — Dallas is always very interesting, Dublin not so much, Manila and Tokyo are the best — but you can always find great looks everywhere, no matter where you happen to live. My town isn’t exactly going to start up Fashion Week anytime soon, but it has surprised me more than once. The huge influx of out-of-staters moving in has definitely upped the fashion quotient the last couple of years.

I’m soooo looking forward to our trip to Singapore this fall. Southeast Asia has evolved so much just in the last decade and has really come out with designs that have challenged the best of the West. And of course, they’ve been pretty flush with money out there, so they can really go all out with some of their sartorial choices. The dazzling diversity of cultures in Singapore — a longtime central harbor in Southeast Asia, with strong ties to Europe via Britain and the Netherlands — have created a gorgeous palette of color and style.

Anyway, I know I’ve been promising to post more photos, but the upcoming move has turned our house upside down! I’ll hopefully be getting more organized with photo-taking as we settle in to our new unit. And of course, you can bet I’ll have tons of photos from Singapore when we finally make it there in September!

Speaking of B….he himself has great style — I think it comes from all those months early in our marriage when I made him watch Queer Eye for a Straight Guy with me. Anyway, when he’s not in his scrubs he’s almost always in these charcoal-gray hiking pants or jeans, a long-sleeved solid top (either gray, green, yellow, or rust-orange) and running shoes. In the summer, it’s a shirt, hiking shorts and Tevas. Very simple, neat and comfortable. And of course, his ultimate signature look: his smooth bald head. You can’t miss him.

What’s your signature style?

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