Heatha's Ten Tenets of Fashion Fabulousness

Passion is the new black.

I have a passion for fashion and writing, so I’m combining my two loves. I’m both a graphic designer and a full-time fashionista. After helping friends put together looks, spending countless hours poring over fashion magazines, and shopping enough to be on a first-name basis with many sales clerks around town, I’ve come up with Heatha’s Ten Tenets of Fashion Fabulousness. Hopefully you’ll not only enjoy them, but learn some things both about me and yourself.

1. If it makes you smile to look at; if your skin tingles at the possibility of trying it on, do it! Rock it loud, rock it proud.  You have one life -- live it in the clothes that you love on your own terms. Lord knows I’m not always the queen of appropriateness. I’ve been known to be over-dressed on occasion. But I always like what I have on and I’m always me. I have more fun getting ready every morning than anyone I know. I think you should too.
2. The most important thing about a clothing item is NOT the label -- it’s how it makes you feel. Don’t get hung up on price tags or designers. There are great clothes out there at every price range. So if you see a Prada ensemble you like, but don’t exactly have a Prada budget, put together the same look for less.
3. Love being a woman. Love every freckle, every curve, every sultry smile and knowing glance. Celebrate it. Whatever your size or shape, there is something beautiful about you. Find it and capitalize on it.
4. Celebrate other women too, because tearing down others to make yourself feel better is immature, self-centered, and pathetic. In short, it makes YOU look bad. And catty is never a good look.
5. Don’t change yourself or your style for anyone else. Improvement is good, and change can be healthy, but only if it’s something YOU want. Nothing ruins a look more than someone who is clearly not comfortable wearing it.
6. Fake it ‘til you make it. Not feeling confident? Pretend you do. Walk into the room/club/restaurant like you own the place. We all know that one girl or guy that everyone flocks to and we don’t quite get it. They get it. Confident and happy is attractive, so pretend if you have to.
7. Don’t be afraid to take risks. It’s a shirt, not a kidney transplant. If you don’t like it, TAKE IT OFF. Unless it’s clown pants and big red shoes, no one is going to remember. That neon green tulle monstrosity you wore in 1985? Yesterday’s news.  Case in point, I’ve seen some real fashion disasters on the streets of San Francisco, but I can’t actually describe a single one to you right now. But this girl in a burgundy, a-line, chiffon mini skirt, black lace up boots and an amazing coat I saw last year?  Yep, I remember that. People remember your grand slams, not your strikeouts… so go for it. It’s fashion; don’t take it so seriously.
8. Just because it’s tight doesn’t mean it’s sexy. If it does not fit you, don’t wear it. That goes for anything: shirts, shoes, pants. If I can tell you have a navel ring or ate an extra donut for breakfast, it’s too tight. Neither you nor anyone around you is comfortable. If you’re wobbling down the street in five-inch heels that are too big, you look like you’re about to break an ankle, not like a sex kitten. No matter how fabulous the pump, if it doesn’t fit, it isn’t worth it. And P.S. You have a backside; don’t forget to check out both views before you leave the house. I’ve seen some amazing outfits that work from the front and look like a train wreck from the back. A dress that hits your curves in all the right ways in the front, but makes your derriere look like two puppies fighting in a duffle bag is not the dress for you.
9. If you like the look someone else is rocking, steal it! There’s no copyright infringement involved. No police action will be taken. It’s a shirt, not grand theft. Go for it. Inspiration is everywhere. I rip pictures out of magazines all the time and check out the way other women put themselves together. Then I make the look my own.
10. Take the sentence, “I could never wear that” out of your vocabulary. It’s holding you back. Fashion, as “they” say, is an attitude. Rock whatever you’re wearing like you invented it. You are not too short/tall/skinny/fat/old/young to wear a certain look. You may need to modify it to work for YOU, but you CAN wear it. You own your clothes; they don’t own you. And ugh, throw out the whole crappy, “I am a summer, so I can only wear such and such colors” mentality. It’s a bunch of hooey. I have pale, olive-toned skin and dark hair, and I love the color yellow. It shouldn’t work on me, but I pull it off all the time. I just combine it with other colors and make sure it’s not right up against my face.  Red lipstick doesn’t hurt either.

So there you have it! Coming soon to Heatha Be, Colorblocking for Beginners and Shopping Your Closet. Have questions?  Suggestions?  Advice?  Request for a blog topic?  Feel free to contact me at: princessheathab@gmail.com.

Be Fierce. Be Fashionable. Be Yourself.

XOXO

H