A decade ago, personal stylists were a discreet breed of Hollywood accessory—nothing like they are today. I think the closest you came to one was a "personal shopper" in a department store. Different than a wardrobe stylist who works for a magazine, laying out editorial photo shoots, a personal stylist is focused on you and your own personal closet. Maybe it was when Vogue stopped using real models and splashed starlets across their covers that things got out of hand, but the celebrity culture in which we live is downright sad, even for the celebrities themselves.
Fueled by my disdain for fashion-police crtiques with a roster of names of women who shouldn't have dressed themselves, I have to wonder why appearances take on that much importance. In my business life, I have sold to many famous women who like to pick out their own clothes, and I have sold to many famous stylists who are in charge of picking out other people's clothes, much like your mother did when you were a kid. Some give you Polaroids of you in outfits, with head-to-toe instructions on everything to wear so you don't even have to think. Can you imagine if you had to think? Oh, the horror. Just pay someone else to do it for you—you're too busy, too clueless, too poor, and too everything awful to do anything for yourself. Hire a personal stylist! Buy the stuff and pay someone a premium to pick it out for you.
You're not a kid anymore and it doesn't matter if your blouse doesn't make you look perfect. This is not the stuff by which you'll be judged on your deathbed. Just like money can't make you happy, fashion can't either. How you feel has to come from the inside. Fashion is fun but let's face it, fashion isn't vital. Personal grooming is vital. And the more a woman chases after superficial things like jewelry, shoes, and handbags, the more it tells you about her internal state of affairs. She is trying to salve a wound with Band-Aids covered in Swarovski crystals and logos. How's that working for ya, girls?
Sometime after the age of 12, a girl has to take charge—and responsibility—for her own choices, including ones that have to do with fashion. But most importantly, a woman has to stop looking at other women so critically and put aside those catty celeb fashion dos and don'ts. We are damning our own gender when we critique other women for making their own independent choices. And we are losing our power as grown women when we pay someone else to pick out our clothes. Make some mistakes and own them. It's not going to kill you.
Madeline Meyerowitz is the owner of enokiworld.com, a website specializing in vintage designer clothing.
