I don't remember what prompted me to add this book to my cart–maybe it was after I binge-watched the latest Making The Cut season–but Tim Gunn and Kate Moloney's book, A Guide To Quality, Taste & Style, was now in my possession. It also had to do something with me trying to find my style in my 30s around the same time. However, I didn't get to the book till this year.
I have always been and will be a Tim Gunn stan. The way he mentored and uplifted people while on Project Runway and Making The Cut was just a glance I got of him on screen. Through the book, I understood his background, how and when he committed to his signature look, and why his take on fashion and style mattered.
The book is nicely divided into sections to guide the reader to understand and then zone in and equip themselves with their personal style. It acts as a map to a closet that speaks to an individual's style. But what caught my attention was the overarching theme of truly knowing oneself. Aha! Maybe that's what my real quest was when understanding my style. I truly wanted to understand the new me I have grown into in my 30s.
Okay, enough with the intro, let's get into the three lessons I learned through this book. They have become the tools I can depend on to help me showcase my authentic self whenever I need them.
Exploring Who You Are
I didn't phrase this point as"Know who you are" because I think of it as an endless pursuit. The book mentions that with what you wear you're sending a message about who you are. It can be a message you're reiterating to yourself or how you're showing up in front of others. I didn't realize this till I accomplished the exercise of describing my style. What you project to yourself or others matters. It has given me a think-before-you-style attitude that was missing before.
According to Tim Gunn, the dilemma of "I don't have anything to wear" while browsing the closet full of choices arises when there is a gap in perception that the image the clothes you have project and the ideal image you'd like them to project. My takeaway from this is that, at times, you grow out of a style or an idea of you. And that's okay! The concept of your style discovery is to close that gap. And in this journey of examining who you are, Tim encourages you to experiment:
If adjusting to and discovering your personal style results in a few funny outfits, so be it. What is important is that a space is created for a person to embrace who she(/he) truly is.
However, when it comes to trends–especially the fleeting ones–Tim asks us to beware. Not all trends will work with your personal style and that's why understanding what authentically suits you is important. He puts emphasis on making a choice and for that, he quotes from volume one of Danish philosopher, Søren Kierkegaard's 1843 book, Either/Or:
If you do not make choices for yourself, someone else will make them for you.
That's almost always true in life too. Don't you think? However, when in doubt Tim prompts you to ask yourself, "Am I wearing the clothes or are the clothes wearing me?" On that note, onto the next lesson.
Make Fashion Work
The one mantra that the book really concentrates on is silhouette, proportion, and fit. Tim believes and explains why size is just a construct made by the industry for their manufacturing needs. When it comes to personal style the focus should be the fit, as he says:
Keep in mind that this is not an issue of size, as in your size. This is an issue of the size and shape of your garments and whether they work to accentuate "all the things you are."
While selecting what's best for you, think about yourself holistically. Clothes should be your vehicle to accentuate your beautiful features and give you confidence. Take note of the silhouettes, colors, tips, and tricks that flatter you.
The items of apparel and accessories are discreet components designed to be mixed and matched. You're selecting and placing them on an image of you, so take into account your coloring, your height, and your silhouette.
Try out different clothes and understand what works for you. Through my sartorial experiments, I now know that when a garment emphasizes my waistline it helps to make me look proportionate.
Remember when Kareena Kapoor Khan had a "Zero Size Figure" and the media was obsessed with it? It was one of the many times the conversation around sizes made me feel uncomfortable, and I bet I wasn't the only one feeling that way. In the book, Tim further makes you question why we are expected to fit into one size when we are all so different.
If you look great in something, who cares what size it is?
When it comes to fit, trying out the garments is the only way to figure out if they work for you. An interesting shopping tip he gives is to grab a size you think you'll fit in, a size up, and a size down.
Never forget that fashion, your fashion, cannot be comprehensively assessed without projecting it onto you; you need to try clothes on and look at yourself.
Stand Up Right
One time in school, I was one of the few girls with a growth spurt and was taller than most of the students in their class. I never liked attention, especially in school, so I slumped and blended in. Of course, this ruined my posture and contributed to backaches that just got worse as I aged. My posture got worse too.
When it came to posture and fashion, I always associated it with something that models have to focus on. But Tim rightly points out that a good posture makes the garment sit right on you. Bad posture can affect your stride and can overall impact the way you project yourself to others. His tip is to get in the habit of checking your posture every time you check time.
Do a mental sweep of your body. Shoulders down? Collabone wide? Pelvis slightly tucked? It'll soon be second nature.
FYI, as I type this, I am adjusting my posture. Well, it's definitely a valuable reminder if it helps me get some relief from the back and neck pain that I'm constantly in! Plus, it exudes confidence and makes your clothes look better.
There are so many tips and tricks and valuable takeaways from the book. But these were the ones that I found profound. What do you think of them?
This book was a fun little read, and now I patiently wait for the next season of Making the Cut to be announced! Love,
Rashmi B.
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