In a moment of curiosity, while sharing a milkshake and fries, I observed dozens of people. Most wore trendy outfits. Baggy jeans, t-shirts, sneakers. A few people stood out. A couple wearing western cowboy boots and a friend of theirs wearing jeans and boots too. Others showed up in their motorcycle gear, helmets still on as they sauntered into the shop. The employees were all wearing white, with red hats, and red aprons. There is a science to it. From the cut of the jeans we wear, to the texture of our hair, the shoes we wear, the jewelry or lack thereof.
In the movie “The Devil Wears Prada,” she describes the origin of Andy’s sweater. How they chose the color, how it ended up as a trend, how meaningful that color is, etc. The scene perfectly illustrates the meaning of fashion. So easily people will diminish its meaning. Fashion has the power to change the world. Fashion truly can change lives.
The Devil Wears Prada Monologue Transcript
Miranda Priestly: Where are the belts for this dress? Why is no one ready?
Jocelyn: Here. It’s a tough call. They’re so different.
Andy Sachs: (snickers under her breath)
Miranda Priestly: Something funny?
Andy Sachs: No. No, no, nothing’s… you know, it’s just that… both those belts look exactly the same to me. Y’know, I’m still learning about this stuff, and uh… (giggles uncomfortably)
Miranda Priestly: This… “stuff”? Oh, okay. I see. You think this has nothing to do with you.
You… go to your closet, and you select… I don’t know, that lumpy blue sweater, for instance, because you’re trying to tell the world that you take yourself too seriously to care about what you put on your back, but what you don’t know is that that sweater is not just blue, it’s not turquoise, it’s not lapis, it’s actually cerulean.
You’re also blithely unaware of the fact that, in 2002, Oscar de la Renta did a collection of cerulean gowns, and then I think it was Yves Saint Laurent, wasn’t it?… who showed cerulean military jackets. I think we need a jacket here.
Nigel: Hmm.
Miranda Priestly: And then cerulean quickly showed up in the collections of eight different designers. Then it filtered down through the department stores and then trickled on down into some tragic casual corner where you, no doubt, fished it out of some clearance bin.
However, that blue represents millions of dollars of countless jobs, and it’s sort of comical how you think that you’ve made a choice that exempts you from the fashion industry when, in fact, you’re wearing a sweater that was selected for you by the people in this room… from a pile of “stuff.”
How we present ourselves truly determines our lives. I heard it once said that people decide if they are going to hire you based on the first thirty seconds that they meet you. Obviously a quick conversation is part of that, but how much is truly about appearance. Someone who arrives on time, looking the part is the correct outfit for the industry, well groomed, etc.
I often think about the men and women in old movies, dressed while, groomed perfectly, with elegance and poise. People who clearly respect themselves and others. Put together in such a way that if any opportunity, any person were to present themselves, they would be ready to have that conversation and confident in how they appear.
Dressing for the occasion is key as well. How odd for a man to arrive for a game of pickleball wearing a tailored suit. Or for a woman to arrive in gym leggings and a tank top to a formal business meeting. It is all based on time and location. Knowing how to dress for each situation is key. Not to dress up all the time, not to blend it, but to dress in a way that is comfortable.
I grew up watching beautifully dressed women. Granted, they were not living in the twentieth century. Women in movies. Vintage styles in movies such as; Anne of Green Gables. Little Women. Pride and Prejudice. Sabrina. Roman Holiday. How to steal a Millon. Nineties romantic comedies such as: While you were sleeping. Runaway Bride. How to Lose a Guy in 10 days.
My mother has a flair for dressing well. She has a way of dressing that takes subtle details, beautiful patterns, and properly fitting clothing, blended together into the perfect harmonious style. Think elegant jackets, western style boots, beautiful heels, classy dresses. Linen, wool, cotton. Brands that convey the style are Ralph Lauren, J. Crew, Nordstrom, Sundance, Chanel, Prada, Manolo Blanick, etc. As for active wear, she loves to layer a tied jacket over leggings, a long sleeve zip up, black sneakers.
I remember being a little girl wishing for a wardrobe like the one I own.
My everyday style consists of simple staples. A solid pair of jeans that fit well, typically a dark wash, either skinny, flared, with the occasional loose, or a light blue jean. Leather boots are my everyday staple, whether a western style, a flat related closely to its Western cousin, a business inspired flat, and my recent favorite, black go go boots for wintertime. As for tops, elegant blouses that are lace, satin, soft blues, pinks, whites. Lately, a notable change, losing the pink, exchanging it for navy, red, camel, white, powder blue. I absolutely love dresses, though typically only worn for church related functions.
Workout clothes used to be identical, literally, to what my mother wore. Now, an exchange from the intense modesty, to a balanced approach, wearing a tank top, wearing leggings without the jacket around my waist.
The point is not to persuade anyone to dress the way I do. The point is to say, wear what you want. Choose carefully. Be confident. Observe others and what their style says about them. Recognize the judgements made about others, about yourself. Be profound in your choices. Wear things that feel so you that everyone around you would pick them out as yours. Figure who the dream version of you is. Show up as her, or him, and dress in a way that conveys that.