Be Smart Look Good

This is a post about looking good. Another post on style is here.

It really is important to look good, without becoming obsessive about it, not for others, but for yourself.

These ideas are from aesthetic consultant, Carrie Mixon, aka my favorite sister.

These three things look classy on everyone, men and women:

1. Jeans with a white shirt.

2. Black turtleneck.

3. Anything charcoal gray.

Now, what looks good on you?

To answer that, you need to know thyself and until thyself be true. Think about these questions:

1. Which silhouettes favor your figure? To get a handle on that one, think about what you were wearing when someone complimented your looks. Once someone asked me if I were my sister's mother, the outfit I wore that day was burned the very same day.

2. Where are your assets? Hair? Sparkling eyes? Great legs? Tiny waist? While most of us get mixed bags of goods, focus on your best features.

One way to understand your own personal style better is to cut out pictures from magazines that you really like. Take these and either keep a file on them, or better yet, paste them in your journal. Over time, you will see your own personal style developing.

The most important style tip is last: Take care of your body! Eat well, rest, exercise. That's the foundation to being smart, looking good.

Style is Not Superficial

Well, style can be superficial if that's the only thing that guides you, but if so, you're probably not a Mixonian reader. (BTW, Mixonian attracts many sublime goddesses.) Our tagline could be "Be smart, Look good."

By style we mean putting some effort into the appearance of your person, and of your living and work spaces. Both Puritans and extreme economists delegate everything related style to the trash bin because of their focus on net utility. For us....style really does matter.

These are the first five definitions from dictionary.com:

style   /staɪl/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [stahyl] Show IPA Pronunciation ,
noun, verb styled, styl⋅ing.

–noun 1. a particular kind, sort, or type, as with reference to form, appearance, or character: the baroque style; The style of the house was too austere for their liking.

2. a particular, distinctive, or characteristic mode of action or manner of acting: They do these things in a grand style.

3. a mode of living, as with respect to expense or display.

4. an elegant, fashionable, or luxurious mode of living: to live in style.

5. a mode of fashion, as in dress, esp. good or approved fashion; elegance; smartness.


5 Reasons Why Style Matters

1. If you look good, you feel good, and people are attracted to you.

2. The quest for beauty is part of the universal human experience, even for Puritans and economists.

3. It's fun.

4. It's a way to shape your tiny fragment of the universe.

5. People with style, which is not the same as being in style, are more confident.

For absolutely fabulous stylish photos to inspire you, check out the satorialist.

Tim Gunn on the Power of Words

Yesterday I found a copy of Tim Gunn's book, A Guide to Quality, Taste & Style, at the local public library. Remember libraries have millions of books on all subjects you can borrow for FREE. They even have electronic audio books. Having discovered Project Runway through Netflix, my daughters, sister, and I are now Tim Gunn fans. He embodies numerous Mixonian ideals: creativity, style, vocabulary, kindness, tough love.

He studied English Literature at Yale; hooray for humanities majors! His career path was unconventional, but he found his way by connecting the dots between literature, art, teaching, administration, showing up when you're supposed to, and doing a great job. Here is his take on the power of vocabulary:

I am mindful of the power of vocabulary; it can unleash limitless quantities of defining and descriptive words and phrases that awaken the listener or reader to new dimensions of understanding....But vocabulary can derail, render impotent, and befuddle meanings or intended meanings. The words that we choose to critically analyze people, places, and things are especially important, and we must be responsibly cognizant of what we intend to say (22).

Sometimes we are caught off guard and spout off the most negative vocabulary free fall, which truly goes further than we intended. On the other side, it's much more helpful to explain why we "love" this dress, this ad, this article. Here are his suggestions on the all-important skill of giving feedback: honest positives and honest-but-not-hurtful negatives.

POSITIVE:
"I find this (insert item here) to be compelling, because..."
"I respond well to this, because..."
"I'm attracted to this, because..."

NEGATIVE:
"I'm not responding well to this, because..."
"This isn't working for me, because..."

Apart from Mr. Gunn's very useful tool for delivering a more precise and helpful message, he's wise to understand the power of language. Make it work!