Learning About Fashion (Blog)

[Savage]

Use this thread to discuss the following entry from Steve Pavlina's blog:

Learning About Fashion

[Karanime]

Hey, I live in Vegas, and I love putting outfits together.

If we could find a way to meet up and go shopping, I'd be happy to help you out.

Also, really interesting approach to picking out clothing. The characteristics of clothing are characteristics of ourselves... I think I'll keep that in mind next time I feel like changing up my wardrobe.

/<3

[Excellent Lodestar]

Years ago my sister-in law-laid out the "season" color scheme analysis thing on me and it's pretty fool proof as far as colors one can wear.

Every season has a shade of every color(mostly) so you just have to find out what your "season" is and color accordingly. When i try to wear colors not in my "season" I look washed out I'm told.

My guess for Steve is a "spring" or "summer", but that's just an educated guess...It's analyzed based on eye and hair color. See a pro to be sure

and of course Steve, we don't have to go into the importance of SHOES, do we? LOL

[Savage]

Originally Posted by Excellent Lodestar

and of course Steve, we don't have to go into the importance of SHOES, do we? LOL

Haven't gotten to that lesson yet.

I only buy non-leather shoes and belts though.

[ericabiz]

Ha! I was ROFL the whole time reading through this article. (Okay, not literally.) It's fun to watch you expand your horizons into a totally new area.

I always seem to get appointed the fashion gal for all the geek guys in my life, and, to be honest, I absolutely love taking guys clothes shopping. I can hold clothes up to them and sense their emotions and immediately know what's up. Rarely do I get to experience emotions like that, so it's great for me!

"One thing I don’t yet understand is how to combine different articles of clothing to create an overall effect that matches my self-expression. What goes with what? This part still has me confused..."

Richard is the same way. I help him pack every time we go somewhere. I am proud that I got him to switch from a wardrobe made entirely of geeky Threadless t-shirts and beat-up blue jeans to some damn sexy and super-expressive, ultra-funky Hawaiian shirts. Of course, he got all geeky about it...he actually subscribes to an *RSS feed* of Tommy Bahama's latest stuff and calls our local store to reserve a small in whatever he likes. Often he knows about it before the store does!

Anyway, you'll get the hang of it...and you may even end up loving it! I know I helped one of my exes buy some totally hot shirts in a store at the Forum Shops. Oh, and if you want funky, check out Custo Barcelona (also in Forum Shops.) It's one of my favorite stores. Then again, my clothes may be a bit TOO expressive/funky for your tastes.

-Erica

[st33med]

Three words:

Get a tux.

They will be all over ya.

[Apollia]

Fun post. I usually have found fashion boring (or not practical for me to take much interest in, since I'm not willing to spend much money on it), yet somehow I read this whole blog post without getting bored.

The only context in which I've taken much interest in fashion is in the free virtual world game Second Life, I guess because it's very cheap (or even free) to dress nicely there, and you can even design your own clothes (and avatar) from scratch. (And sell them, which is even more interesting to me - but I digress. )

Another thing I love about Second Life is, you can dress as weirdly as you want, and unlike the real world, people generally won't sneer at you (or even if they do, it's not nearly as embarrassing ). Fashion-wise, there's a lot more freedom in Second Life than in the real world.

That makes it a lot more fun for me than real-life fashion. I would probably dress very flashily and strangely even in the real world just for fun, if it were possible to avoid attracting too much negative attention and negative judgments. I'd rather avoid that, though, so in the real world, I just dress like a boring normal person.

Anyhow, perhaps it would be possible to learn some things about real fashion by playing with virtual fashion in Second Life. Just thought I'd mention it. Even if it turns out to be of no practical use, perhaps you'd find it fun. It's pretty easy to take screenshots, too.

Best wishes,
Apollia

[ericabiz]

Originally Posted by Apollia

I would probably dress very flashily and strangely even in the real world just for fun, if it were possible to avoid attracting too much negative attention and negative judgments.

Hi Apollia,

I definitely recommend attending Burning Man to try out new fashion! (Among many, many other new experiences you will have while there.)

I went for three years straight, and learned a ton about myself in the process. You can dress however you want there.

-Erica

[Apollia]

Thanks for the idea. Sounds interesting.

I keep hearing about Burning Man - mostly through Second Life, actually, where there's an event called Burning Life every year.

Perhaps I will go someday. (I've been to Burning Life, but not Burning Man yet).

Best wishes,
Apollia

[Kathe76]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

Haven't gotten to that lesson yet.

I only buy non-leather shoes and belts though.

Shoes are as important to men as they are women. As a woman, when I meet a man, I will pick out every detail of his clothing while talking to him. Are his pants clean and pressed? Is his shirt complimenting of his eyes and face? I could keep going but you get the idea. (BTW Steve, if you have blue eyes, then I would certainly stick with royal blues for shirts, will bring out the color in your eyes and make them really stand out!! Very important for women.)

Then, I will notice the shoes. As silly as this is going to sound, if a man is well dressed and well versed in conversation, but has sandles, or beat up tennis shoes on, then right away I know I am dealing with someone who thinks that women in general will not notice the small details about him and for me that signals someone who thinks he can "pull a fast one on me" and I leave the meeting. Silly I know, but its another point of view to consider.

If a man is all of the above, but has on a nice pair of dress socks with a nice pair of shoes, nothing expensive, or leather, but clean, and nice to look at then I know that he took the time to make sure that everything was in its place on his wardrobe. That in turn will make me think that his life might be that way too. For me thats nice because I feel like I am getting exactly what I see in front of me.

I also will look at the watch, the jewelery, and all the other accessories that men wear and make sure that they are all in the same league. This gives me consistency.

Fashion is a wonderful tool in reading someone which I do everytime I meet someone new. Keep that in mind when buying new clothes and you will find what works for you and what doesnt.

[Beuford]

Originally Posted by Excellent Lodestar

importance of SHOES

I think barefoot is pretty trendy to me. My feet are too wide for cool shoes. I think more people should walk without shoes on.

[James81]

What the hell? While Erin is out shooting guns and pulling people out of burning buildings, you are mixing up raw food meatballs and talking about fashion. lol

[Karanime]

Originally Posted by James81

What the hell? While Erin is out shooting guns and pulling people out of burning buildings, you are mixing up raw food meatballs and talking about fashion. lol

It just dawned on me how absolutely brilliant that is... XD

I guess you're getting in touch with your "feminine side," eh? :P

/<3

[BillPerry]

Steve,
Good luck with your learning. I don't understand this stuff. I've always been comfortable wearing regular "beat up" clothes, and just thought that was my way of "sticking it to the man". After reading your post, however, I am now wondering just how different my life would be if I opened myself up to learning more about fashion.

One thing I still cannot figure out is best described with something that happened to me while my wife and I were in Washington (DC) for some medical stuff I was taking part in.

We were in out hotel room, and I had on a pair of pajama pants, from taking a nap (tired from some shots I'd gotten), and a Spongebob tee that was a picture of Mr. Krabs holding bags of money and screaming "I LOVE BOOTY!"

So, wife decides she wants to eat at the hotel restaurant instead of getting room service. I put on some dress pants, and really didn't feel like throwing on a nice dress shirt, so I just threw my suit jacket on over the Spongebob tee.

We ate our dinner, and got on the elevator to go back to our room. A woman, probably 22 or 23 years old, had just gotten off her shift working at the hotel and got on the elevator with us. I had already hit my floor button, and asked her "Which floor?"

She said, "That's ok, I'll get it." Then she squeezes herself in between me and the button panel, and literally put her chest in full contact with mine and stared at me, like a full-on eye stare for about 10 seconds or so.

Now, the entire time, my wife is right there watching this take place. After the girl got off the elevator at her floor, wife starts laughing and screams "Wow, she was so INTO YOU! Did you see how she was flirting with you?"

My question is..."WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?"

A SpongeBob tee with a suit jacket is nowhere close to what I'd wear if trying to impress a girl. Why does it work out that way?

[Excellent Lodestar]

Originally Posted by Beuford

I think more people should walk without shoes on.

Actually, so do I. Science is discovering that historically, shoes haven't done our bio mechanics any favors. There is a strong "barefoot shoes" movement developing and with each year they're becoming more fashionable.

Having said that, Women notice shoes like Kathe76 said; never mind that men don't understand why--Hell, I don't understand why my baby doesn't want to watch ESPN with me. I just observe the effects...and go with the flow.
When i first learned about shoes "completing the package", i thought it was BS. So i went shopping asked the female clerk what shoes looked good with what. she set me up,though I thought the shoes were dorky, frankly.

Wore the shoes to work and it was...Hilarious...women were checking out my shoes and when I "caught" them looking, they would quickly avert eye contact LOL.This is such a strange world we live in, I thought to myself...
Whatever; lesson learned

[Excellent Lodestar]

Originally Posted by BillPerry

Steve,
A SpongeBob tee with a suit jacket is nowhere close to what I'd wear if trying to impress a girl. Why does it work out that way?

Maybe you were wearing a pair of Marc Jacobs M230's that made up for sponge bob?

[BillPerry]

Originally Posted by Excellent Lodestar

Maybe you were wearing a pair of Marc Jacobs M230's that made up for sponge bob?

Haha. Nope. Nothing fancy like that. Even my SHOES were a $20 pair of the Route 66 brand from K-Mart!

Wife's theory is it was because I was with the wife. Something about women being competitive/showoffy. I can't say I didn't appreciate the attention. It's just something that I would've loved to had in High School.

[Jj3rrMz]

It's about time Steve. You always looked like a total dweeb

[GranCanaria]

Hey Steve, that was a totally unexpected post on your blog, but I loved it! Do share your next lessons in fashion with us. Another thing to keep in mind is the quality factor. Remember Donald Trump's philosophy of buying the shoes that are ten times as expensive?

BTW, that two-day beard on your profile photo looks great!

[Savage]

Had a great time this evening. Spent a lot of time learning about shirts and different types of jeans. Bought a J. Crew button-down shirt.

Hung out with my friend at a bar at the Bellagio and talked for a few more hours afterwards.

Tomorrow will most likely be a hair lesson.

[cacheborn]

Interesting post. Clothes maketh man could not be truer. People treat you in a completely different way.

I have a sense of what I like and what looks good on me and when I buy clothes I spend a little bit of time. But I have no idea what image I am projecting cos I don't know the lingo. Judging from the appreciative glances of women when I don those purchases, I think I am projecting something good.

Originally Posted by Kathe76

Then, I will notice the shoes. As silly as this is going to sound, if a man is well dressed and well versed in conversation, but has sandles, or beat up tennis shoes on, then right away I know I am dealing with someone who thinks that women in general will not notice the small details about him and for me that signals someone who thinks he can "pull a fast one on me" and I leave the meeting. Silly I know, but its another point of view to consider.

Sandals not even in summer? I hate wearing shoes when it's hot and humid.

[Milena]

I don’t like plain solid colors. Those seem very boring and drab to me. The funny thing is that most of the clothes in my closet right now are plain solids. Perhaps that explains why I feel bored and uninspired by clothing in general. My current wardrobe constantly reinforces that feeling.

I also don’t like loud, obnoxious looking clothes. I feel they’re trying too hard to stand out and be noticed, like they’re needy and desperate for attention.

I don’t like shirts with high contrast light and dark vertical stripes. They look too corporate, too rigid, and too uncreative. They also look like bars and remind me of jail.

I find it interesting that my taste in clothes is the exact opposite of yours. I love solid plain colors (<3 american apparel) and I also love crazy wild clothes. Maybe this is because I sway between shyness and obnoxiousness Oh and accessories are great too. Peacocking! lol

[colibri]

@kathe76

You don't like men in sandals?

Honestly, who cares? Is not that you represent the entire women community here with your tastes. I love wearing leather sandals in summer and honestly girls love it too.

You should look at your past, your sandals aversion could be a psychological issue with you, a bad experience or trauma you had with them.

[Beuford]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

Tomorrow will most likely be a hair lesson.

I think you should share a picture when you have finished learning about fashion.

[Felipe]

Originally Posted by Kathe76

Shoes are as important to men as they are women.

This is weird statement for a man at first but it is true.

As someone who only had around 2 pairs of shoes I could never understand why woman had so many. I though they had them and kept buying more and more just to advertise themselves as heavy consumers or in order to express a superior image to another woman. Even though there is some truth in that (yes, girls like to impress girls with their shoes like man do with cars) I started to see how important they were for men as well and nowadays I have many of them.

Shoe wear style separates men from boys. The female feedback on them is very interesting and gives you power as you start being able to use cause-effect reactions in your favour.

I now think that shoes are even more important to man than they are to woman.

[brendannz]

I feel similar to you about fashion, LOL

[TimDineen]

Whenever I go shopping for clothes, the main thing I'm looking for are clothes that I feel resonate with me. I think looking at clothes on an intellectual level can be useful too, but really, when I go to buy something I'm looking for an article of clothing that has a vibration that appeals to my inner harmony. If it doesn't feel right then, no matter how good it looks on me, I don't buy it because I would never end up wearing it. When making an outfit I use that same vibrational sense to feel which articles of clothing make a good vibration together and which don't. Just thought I'd post this up since Steve was just talking about creating abundance through vibrational harmonizing and I thought it related to this area as well.

[MidasGirl]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

Had a great time this evening. Spent a lot of time learning about shirts and different types of jeans. Bought a J. Crew button-down shirt.

Hung out with my friend at a bar at the Bellagio and talked for a few more hours afterwards.

Tomorrow will most likely be a hair lesson.

Good for you. I've never known a man that got back into dating that didn't re-evaluate their wardrobe. Seems to be a common thread wirh middle age men getting back into dating

And don't forget the underwear lesson. Most important. Whitey tighties must go. Not that I happen to know that's what you wear, but anything is possible with a computer geek

[ChrisDP]

This has definitely been something i have been flowing towards since embracing more of an understanding of the different areas of abundance. Iv had an urge lately to be more abundant in the way i dress and do my hair. Whilst reading Reconsidering Fashion I noticed how whilst growing up I have given my power to my parents scarcity of affording cloths and shoes and my mum even always did my hair. Lately iv been resisting with the hair by letting it grow out and experimenting with not shaving but you start to see it just ends up unkempt.

Its interesting just as with LOA inaction is an action itself. I thought I was fine in not giving my power to fashion, but in fact in not taking action my dressing and hair have been reflecting that inaction. These recent blogs regarding success and abundance have helped me see this more than I used to, but I am still aware my fashion isn't as abundant as id like it to be. Iv had the intention set out to be abundant in areas like fashion since the realization Ill only have my own power when I move to Uni next summer.

Perhaps Its thoughts like I have no one I trust about this subject and they may not have the best ideas for fashion which does no help to me. Oh well theres probably someone I know about hair but they live on another continent so ill just have to do it all myself through courage if all else fails. Some very interesting comments supporting this too I look forward to seeing what other people have to contribute I may learn some more

[Savage]

Originally Posted by Beuford

I think you should share a picture when you have finished learning about fashion.

Hopefully I can do it sooner than that.

That's like saying I should make a blog post when I've finished learning about blogging. By that standard I still wouldn't have posted my first blog entry yet.