The ART of fashion...
I am REALLY REALLY REALLY looking forward to a summer off. My own kids will be in camp and yes, I have some traveling planned but for the most part all I plan to do is PAINT, PAINT, take a nap, PAINT, cook some seriously good meals and PAINT! I can’t wait to explore local art museums, galleries and do some serious mall & boutique walking to get inspired to create my next fabulous fashion inspired collection. Wait what? - "Mall & Boutique walking"? YES! I plan to walk the malls, with my sketchbook and camera in hand to sketch and take in all the fashion.
You see, when I was a teenager, I remember checking out all of the fashion trends at the local mall. I would spend hours in "Wet Seal" and "Contempo" (who remembers these stores?) and look for anything that Elle from Clueless would wear. Lucky enough for me, my mom was a bit of a shopaholic and loved the trends as much as I did and so it was easy to entice her to buy these fashion items for me - again lucky for me. But back then, I also had a pretty nice bod, if I say so myself. Pretty much everything that I tried on in the fitting rooms fit perfectly. Not much looked bad on me, but then I remember things started to change in my college years. I became more critical and self-conscious of my body, which then led me to become more critical of how I looked in these clothes. Somewhere along the way, I shifted my mindset and was buying clothes that fit me and my body, rather than just buying cause' I loved the clothes.
The whole shopping experience changed for me, and instead of trying these clothes on while shopping, I started to simply 'admire' the clothing on the mannequins and hangers. Just simply looking at these clothes and accessories would excite me and I learned to appreciate the "ART" of the way they were being displayed. I’m not saying I don't shop to buy - but I mostly shop to look. I struggle with body image and clothes just don't fit the way I would like them to on my body. It's a constant struggle and one that I am really trying to change - but in the meantime, I just can’t help to admire the ART of the shopping experience. The way the clothes look on the hangers. The way the looks are shown in the windows. I just love how fashion is displayed, almost more than the actual purchase of the merchandise.
Ladies, I am sure I am not the only one out there who struggles with body image and finding the right fit in clothing and I just have to share that Kim Kardashian's 'Skims' line has been a life changer! Trust me! The fabrics are yummy soft, there is a wide assortment of colors to match your skin tone and damn do I feel good wearing them under my clothes. TRY THEM! TRUST ME.... Love her or hate her - She does it right.....
