BE UNIQUE: BE YOURSELF!

Be Unique: Be Yourself!

I notice that when I meet new people and when they find out my line of work...they panic. They become intimidated, I can see concern on their face. They check out their clothing and often apologize for what they're wearing. Why are people so insecure?  I do not work 24/7, I work when people hire me.Oscar Wilde said: “Be yourself, everyone else is taken." I would say: “Love yourself, everyone else is taken”.In order to be yourself, you have to take risks and accept that you are not perfect. First of all, to have an unique style and personality is important and attractive. Diversity is a lot more exhilarating than conformism, which is awfully boring.What if you were just yourself?

Create your own image:

• Find a level of consistency that suits YOU. Be consistent in you daily routine for better results i.e. skin care, makeup, grooming.

• Do not follow a trend simply because it’s in style.

• Learn what fits you. Know you body proportions, your best features and how to enhance them.

• Others are not interested in ‘déjà vu’, be creative.

• Do things differently, we all have a different personality and a different lifestyle, your clothes should reflect just that.

• Your image is your first form of communication.

Fashion designers who have created a unique look for themselves: Karl Lagerfeld, Giorgio Armani and Ralph Lauren do not follow the fashion trends. Can we consider them as models of elegance? Yes indeed.To follow the crowd may be ok for most people, but if you want to be respected and listened to, follow your ideals, be yourself.

“Be a first rate version of yourself, not a second rate version of someone else” – Judy Garland.

Giorgio Armani's lead stylist in san francisco!

Style Training With Giorgio Armani's Lead Trainer Andre Perulli.   Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. Michele Benza 5,464 followers 2,445 tweets following 5,243 people follow July 2013 - Michele Benza, Andrea Perulli What A Treat! Mr. Andrea Perulli, Giorgio Armani's lead stylist, was in San Francisco last week. I am honored to have been selected (I was the only independent stylist to be invited) to attend Mr. Perulli's training. It was simple pleasure to see Mr. Perulli styles the models using Giorgio Armani and Emporio Armani fall collection. Thank you Andrea! Giorgio Armani Fall 2013 RTW He Calls His Show "Garçonne". Almost a romantic androgyny collection. Decidedly avant-garde! Copyright © 2013 Michele Benza, Image Consulting & Posture, All rights reserved. You are receiving this message because you are a client of Michele Benza's. If you prefer not to receive this message, you can unsubscribe at any time. Our mailing address is: Michele Benza, Image Consulting & Posture 210 Post Street Suite 611 San Francisco, California 94908 Add us to your address book forward to a friend   unsubscribe from this list   update subscription preferences

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Fashion Snobisim

Can you socially identify a woman only on the bag she carries? In a certain era we could, now with all of the imitation designer fashions around it is impossible to say who is who and who wears what.

And the wrist-watch? The watch too,  was once a sign of a certain standing. But the symbol of a watch is now gone for so many. For generations, the watch was 'the' gift from father to son and sometimes the watch was given down from one generation to the other, but now the watch has barely any meaning of standard.

Shoes too were a way to make a statement.  Especially, the ones with the red sole. As an aside--I can’t help but wonder who invented stilettos? It was surely not a woman!  Have you recently walked in this contraption? Not only the ankles are miss-treated and suffer hard, but also the foot position is at a 45-degree angle, which is absolutely unnatural.

We have to walk on our tiptoes to avoid grids, grass, pebbles, sand or our high skinny heels go into deep.  Deep sofas and armchairs are our enemies too, from which we have to get up with grace without loosing our balance. In short, stilettos are instruments of torture!

And who makes us wear them? Men of course. They are so happy to see us walk in those stilts under the pretence that it gives us a lovely leg. Do you think men’s pleasure is to see us suffer? But vengeance is already on its way with the new generation. Look how young women dress these days in jeans, loose tees and sneakers and clogs!

All of this is to say, please, don’t be a slave, nor a snob to fashion. Know your body and what flatters it, and keep in mind the current styles and trends, but do not be beholden to them when they don’t work for you.  Fashion is flexible.

A Bientôt,

Michele

The Pencil Skirt

Very soon the pencil skirt may well dethrone the miniskirt in women’s hearts and wardrobes.  Today we see them at every fashion show, and on every catwalk.  Don’t worry, unlike most new fashions, it’s easier to wear a pencil skirt than you could possibly imagine!

Some say they are uncomfortable, too sexy for everyday use, and even impractical. They say they are hard to wear, whether you are taking the subway or dropping the kids off at school. Some even accused the pencil skirt of being flattering only on mannequins with long legs!

However, the rising sales and success that the pencil skirt has won in the fashion world is truly remarkable.  This success has encouraged women to dare to wear this feminine attire.

Indeed, it can be difficult to walk in these skirts, but that is a thing of the past; designers have recently optimized their practicality.  First they added creases on the sides so as not to hinder the process of walking (Max Mara).  Then, to increase the range of motion, some designers added stretchy fabrics and mesh knit jersey.  This significantly increases their comfort, making them much easier to wear while performing day-to-day tasks.

The pencil skirt, which arrived in stores this spring, is already a huge success.  Coupled with a cardigan or a plain well cut tee, et voila! a great form of "power dressing."

In the late 1940s, the first pencil skirt was a response to a fashion necessity for the working woman, a beautiful dress without using too much fabric. Today its original function, to dress women in office attire, is still relevant.

"Commercially, it is a piece that works very well… It attracts mostly powerful women, even beyond 60 years of age,” says Carole Bénazet, of the Multi Female Department in Toulouse.

The pencil skirt is now an essential part of a woman’s wardrobe although it does require some confidence to wear, the full acceptance of one's femininity and one's power of seduction.

So what am I saying: all women should have at least one! Its cut flatters no matter what morphology!

A Bientôt,

Michele

PS--Have you seen my newly-redesigned website (http://michelebenza.com/) ? I'd love to have your feedback. Please reply if you have comments or suggestions.
Pencil skirts rule the runways this season.