You know what they say: another day (or week in this case), another discovery. And this week's discovery was more of a reawakening than a realization. In addition to working on Oxygen's upcoming fashion-based shows, I've been styling my friends and helping them shop for the outfits that I know will make them look best. I've always loved shopping and clothes and all that fun stuff that comes with being a girl living 20 minutes from New York. So it's not like my boyfriend Chris had to twist my arm to get me to help him buy new clothes for the Fall. It's become a relationship routine of sorts; with every major change in weather, we head to the mall and I pick out some basic pieces and cool accessories to supplement his seasonal wardrobe. He ends up looking quite put-together and handsome, if I do say so myself. This autumn I was going for a sleek look with button-downs, sweaters, and vests (think Justin Timberlake circa 2007), so I was running around the store looking for the clothes and then running back to his dressing room to deliver the next piece for him to try on. Then just a few days later, I hit the mall with my friend Lyss to find
her new outfits for Fall. And yes, I must say I enjoyed these shopping outings immensely, especially since I believe that what a person wears says soooo much about him or her.
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| One glove only |
Don't get me wrong - I don't love fashion for the reasons that non-fashionistas (is there even a term for people who aren't into clothes?) may think. I'm not shallow or all that materialistic, and I certainly don't judge people solely on appearance. But whether or not you're pretty/plain/rich/poor/disabled/all of the above, you have the freedom to choose exactly how to decorate and present your body to the world. And how awesome is that? As a writer/creative/media professional/artist/20-something/whatever you want to call me, I'm really into personalizing everything. From the background photo of my baby cousins on my iPhone to my hot pink and zebra print bedroom (rawr), it's all about self-expression. And what better canvas than the body that takes me through every moment and every action to showcase who I am?
Now let's get one thing straight: I don't buy into the "ideal figures only" approach to fashion. Having a disability doesn't preclude me from celebrating the way I look and wearing the clothes I want to wear. And over the past few years I've found a handful (haha, I love puns) of ways to highlight and prettify my asymmetrical figure. Sadly, though, the computer that was home to the majority of my photos crashed a while back. So I hope you don't mind if I post pictures I found on Google or store websites instead of pics of me in the completed looks. Anyway, I type too much. So without further ado:
1)
One-Shoulder Tops/Dresses - I LOVE asymmetrical necklines because they mirror the unevenness of my arms and make the statement that strange or different proportions are beautiful. There's a lot of talk in the science world about beauty and symmetry being synonymous, but this look proves that it's the unique and the off-kilter that strikes the eye and holds attention.
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| Subtle but lovely |
2) Upper Arm Bracelets/Cuffs - When I'm not wearing my prosthetic hand, I don't have a wrist on my left arm to wear a bracelet. But I think that arm deserves to wear pretty accessories too, so upper arm cuffs work particularly well. Plus, it'll go just as great with a party dress as it will with casual jeans and a tank top. If Cleopatra could pull it off waaaaay back when, then I say why not?
3) Opera Gloves - Yes, they look super fancy shmancy over the prosthetic and paired with a cocktail dress, but I think it's also pretty cool to wear just one on any given day. (Note: For me, it started for practical reasons rather than as a fashion statement. The "skin" on the prosthetic was easily stained by ink on newspapers and books, and I hated how it looked "dirty" so I just wore the glove over it.)
4)
Grecian/Roman Goddess-Inspired - The famous Venus de Milo statue has long served as a standard of beauty for all women, in spite of AND due to her lack of arms. So it's always fun to channel this icon with a Greek/Roman-inspired piece or full outfit.
So there you go - just a few ideas on how I like to use clothes and style to my advantage. I hope this has been an interesting post. And I promise I'll start taking more pics of what I wear so I can post them on this blog. Do you want to see more style/fashion content on this blog? Let me know what you think.
Peace,
Caitlin :)
