You've seen it before. Well-meaning friends are interviewed about their dowdy friend whose personality could really "shine" if only she'd fix her hair and stop wearing those gym tracksuits 24/7, 365 days a year. You roll your eyes until the camera cuts onto the despondent figure walking home from a tiring day at work. It's at this point that the show's hosts "ambushes" the confused individual and you realize that she's wearing the exact same sweatshirt that you are. "Wait a minute," you think,” that sweatshirt is not dowdy. It's cool!" you holler to no one in particular.

 

You march over to your closet and start cringing when you see that you've got the same type of sweatpants stacked neatly. Rows and rows of them. In pastel colors. Some with frayed threads. You whimper in alarm and call your best friend. Now, your best friend might or might not be sympathetic to your plight, but given the nature of female relationships, it's a given that she WILL try to help.

 

After a night of planning, it's established that you will hit that new mall during the weekend and wreak havoc on your presently respectable credit record. You are now besieged by loads of questions from your inner Giselle Bundchen.

 

What style?

 

Just as they say that style is relative, it's also a given, in today's ever-evolving fashion and retail therapy world, that we are allowed to experiment. Yes, gone are the days when you could get cast out for matching the wrong hue of handbag to your shoes, and no, just because you're wearing trousers doesn't necessarily mean that your top has to be every bit as formal. Mix and match is the name of the game. And if you commit a fashion faux pas (at least to yourself), you can chalk it up to a learning curve.

 

So many colors!

 

Now, this is quite tricky. Should you really purchase clothes according to how they'll mesh with your complexion? Used to be, "I can't buy yellow. I'm too pale for that," or, "Oh, I'm much too tanned for fuchsia! It will clash horribly with my skin." Good news. We are much more appreciative now of contrasts and the personality that clothes bring out. Let's just say that uniformity is so last season!

 

I don't know what I'm doing...honestly.

 

You could take the well-meaning advice of your girlfriends even though you instinctively know that your fashion style wouldn't really go into that direction or you could be honest with yourself and acknowledge that you just don't know what you want yet. Do your research. Buy fashion magazines, lots of them. Watch runway shows on TV, not with the goal of buying the exact same designer clothes, but because you'd eventually be able to appreciate which cuts, lines, and colors are appealing to and for you. And if things still don't speed up after that, take heart because...

 

We'll always have...accessories!

 

Play it safe and buy clothes in simple cuts and colors. Next, buy accessories on a whim. Necklaces, dangling, hoop earrings, anklets, bracelets, beaded, with Swarovskis, you'll have a wide array to choose from. These purchases will make it all the more easy for you to just dress in the morning and pull out a piece here and there to jazz up an otherwise boring outfit. Feeling comfy and breezy? Don simple slacks, a lacy top and accessorize with some pearls. A night out on the town could have you whipping out that simple little black dress with your beaded handbag.

 

Whatever suits your mood, you'll eventually be able to collect pieces that have been carefully selected and you'll be able to rotate with future ensembles.

 

Written By: Jane Eslong - Staff Writer, www.TopUrlSearch.com