The Opinion Trap

People will talk about you. They may sing your praises, think you're just fab, or believe that you walk on water. Or they may do the opposite, and turn into your worst critic. You can't stop people from having an opinion, and you can't stop them from sharing it. This especially true when it comes to fashion and style expression. My advice: get over it.

The tendency to weigh in on another person's image currently has its fullest expression in fashion forums and fashion blogs. Here you can see just how widely people's opinions differ, and how quickly they can change. Even fashion magazines are guilty of shifting opinions...sometimes within the very same issue. For example, Katie Holmes's new haircut caused quite a stir. But for everyone who loved it and called it chic, there was another who thought it aged her and was a mistake. An actress caught wearing the same outfit twice? Depending on the critic, it's either a fashion scandal or a statement of style. Even Audrey Hepburn, the all-time supreme icon of classic style has been criticized for being boring. Boring! Excuse me, but I'll happily deal with "boring" if I can make nearly every fashion critic's top ten list of the best dressed ever!
Instead of lamenting the fact that you can't please everyone, accept it and instead concentrate on developing your own image.

The fashion industry realizes the tendency of ours to be swayed by public opinion, and they profit immensely off our uncertainty. We begin to feel that we need to purchase this or wear that in order to be "in" style. But there is a difference between being "in style" and being "stylish". Don't let the desire to please everyone draw you into fashion schizophrenia. Leave that for the fashion victims. Those with true style don't follow the opinions of others. They maximize the look they have determined for themselves.

So how can you avoid falling into the opinion trap?

Decide how you want the world to perceive you. Study the elements that make up your fashion persona. Learn what looks best on you, and stick with it!

People will talk. But not all opinions should matter.

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