I recently saw the documentary Bill Cunningham New York (thanks to my friend and fellow blogger Fashion Gal in DC for the recommendation). The movie is a profile of the New York Times photographer who covers high society events, but who also rides his bike around the streets of New York City (at 80 years old!) taking pictures of what everyday people - aka, us common folk - are wearing. What I enjoyed about the movie was that, despite being adored by the style-makers and elite members of NYC society, his passion is for capturing what the unknown person walking down the street is wearing. He is a champion of individual style, even while finding unifying trends among the individuals.
In our business, we often use celebrities as a reference point. Jennifer Aniston's highlights, Emma Watson's pixie cut, Blake Lively's side braid. This certainly helps when a bob can mean different lengths to different people, and one person's red is another person's copper. But it's important to make the distinction between drawing inspiration from a celebrity and trying to look just like a celebrity. I admit I'm guilty of crossing that line. I recently cut my long hair after deciding I wanted Jennifer Aniston's new shoulder-length hairstyle (can't bring myself to call it a "lob" - long bob. What a horrible name for a hairstyle, magazine editors!) But after a week of adding a flat iron and two more styling products to my morning routine, I realized, sadly, that I was not Jennifer Aniston. And so I cut it shorter, to a length that felt more like me. And I love it.
The movie made me realize how much time we spend trying to replicate what we see on TV or in magazines. When really we should be seeking out that which inspires us personally, or that to which we are individually drawn. Life would be pretty boring if we all wore the same three outfits or had the same three haircuts. When it comes to style, when you go with what makes you happy and makes you feel most like yourself, then you will always be "in."
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