It’s all in your head: Thinking you have style when actually, you don’t

By Terri Cluckie

My best friend once told me I reminded her of Audrey Hepburn because we apparently share the same quirks. I still take this comment as one of the biggest compliments I have achieved in life so far, and as such, I like to pretend that in my mind I am in fact, Audrey Hepburn.

We both have fair skin, brown hair, excellent eyebrows, and a sense of humour (I’m obviously referring to past-Audrey, may she RIP). But one thing I can’t actually nail is her impeccable style. It’s probably one of the most important things about her in my eyes because she was not just a very accomplished woman, but a very accomplished, stylish woman. And I am not.

I don’t need to go through the style archives of Audrey with you, we all know what she looks like and what she wore. We all also know she would have made a dirty bin liner look good. But humour me for a second. Imagine her in an all black long-sleeved top, cigarette pants and ballet pump ensemble. Classic, easy. You would think. I would think. I mean shit, it’s an all black outfit. The thing I have the problem with though are the cigarette pants because it seems every person on the planet looks good in cigarette pants but me. Like what is wrong with my body that I can’t pull them off? Actually, it’s difficult for me to pull of anything that’s not stuck to my legs which is why skinny jeans have been my best friend since 2007.

But anyway. I know I can’t be alone when I talk about my frustrations in not being able to manifest my thoughts into reality. You would think it would be easy for me to recreate the above look but my ability to find the perfect pair of black trousers seems to hold me back, as does my ability to put together an outfit apparently. But how can this be true when it all makes sense in my head?

In my head I’m already gliding through town in that outfit just like Audrey would… I’ve also got a friend by my side who takes random candid photos of me for my Tumblr blog just like those others girl… but that’s just all in my head.

This trend of not being able to follow through happens to me a lot in life. It is a concentration thing – not paying attention to the little opportunities that can make big things happen. It’s acting with purpose and it really shouldn’t be as deep as this but it is.

I used to think it was a confidence thing, being too shy to dress a certain way which is something Leandra Medine has even spoken about. That shocked me because I thought she was the most confident person in the world but if someone like her can have quiet days then there is definitely hope for the rest of us.

What I’m pitching here is a pledge to concentrate and be more decisive when I’m shopping – so important in life I know, but I’ll be damned if I continue on through my twenties never really becoming the person I know I can be!

[Photo credits: Google Images]