What 15 years of Riane has taught me about fashion...
Case here again. If you would have told me at the beginning of our relationship that I would be occasionally writing fashion blogs and that my wife would some day legally be my boss, I would have at least wanted to smack you in the face. But here we are. :-)...
Some of you may have recently read Riane’s “fun facts” about us where you learned that I was a wanna be cowboy when we met. This is true. I wore heavy starch on all my jeans and shirts. I own 8 pairs of cowboy boots, 3 hats, and a rig bag full of riding gear that sits on top of my saddle in our garage. I grew up in Amarillo and still throw on my boots when I go back home, but as I learned in the movie 'Sweet Home Alabama'… “you can have roots and wings”.
The first year we were married, Riane took me jean shopping with a friend of mine who I was playing in a band with and I picked out my first pair of "nicer" jeans. I think we spent at least 15 minutes in the dressing room discussing 1. if they cost too much and 2. “Can I really wear jeans that are sitting this low on my waist?” (keep in mind I had been wearing wranglers that typically hit me at about the belly button and this pair of 7’s for all mankind - what the hell is that? - were the first pair of low-rise denim I’d ever actually put on.) I literally wore them for 12 years. I had them patched 5 times and finally gave up the last time the crotch ripped out and I didn’t feel like I could put a patch on a patch on a patch. That 15 minute discussion in the dressing room would be a catalyst to change my views on fashion. So, here are 4 foundational lessons 15 years of Riane has taught me.
Sometimes you have to push yourself outside your comfort zone - It’s not always easy to try new things when it comes to what you wear. Because you are the one wearing it. A lot of us are self conscious and sometimes it's a challenge to get past. I’ve found that I have to get used to things before I like them or want to try them. i.e. - Skinny jeans. I waited at least 3 years after they became popular to actually purchase a pair. Now, if I wear jeans, they're skinny.
Only buy what you love - I’ve heard Riane say this over and over and over. If you don’t love it, you won’t wear it. And it’s true. I have 4 v-neck tee shirts hanging in my closest. I love 2 of them and the other 2 I do not. I wear the 2 I love, and the other 2 I only wear if the first 2 are dirty or Riane says I have to. Otherwise, they hang in the closet awaiting the next seasonal closet clean out.
It’s all about confidence - You can pull anything off within reason if you do it on purpose. Yes, I did mean to leave my sneaker boots untied with my joggers tucked in them, my hoodie over my beanie and the zipper all the way up… Why? It’s comfortable and it’s current. Do all my friends wear it? No! Most of them don’t… I would much rather be the one who isn’t #twinning. However; Riane and I have been together long enough that we end up matching unintentionally, a lot. - Note: There is a limit to this thought. i.e. - I love Jordans. I have since I was 8. However; I don’t wear them. Why? - Because I’m 5’7” and I’m 37 and my calves look like I’m riding a chicken. They just don’t look right and honesty the few pairs I did buy I ended up sending back. If you love something, but you can’t wear it on purpose, then don’t. Move on to something else you love and can wear. Part of the trick is finding that balance between pushing yourself to try new things and doing it with confidence. If it does't work, learn from it and move on.
Neutral tones are your friend - Black, white, gray… classics that never go away and are great for the foundational pieces of my wardrobe. (Something I never thought I would say 15 years ago.) Anytime I’m looking at getting something I’m going to use a lot, Riane always steers me towards the neutral tones if there are multiple options. It's always proved to be wise. When you are married to a fashion stylist, you are going to be shorted on closet space. It's like GEICO, "it's what they do..." This means that what I do get needs to be able to be worn multiple ways with multiple things. Neutral tones make this much easier.
I think the funnest part about what I've learned from Riane and from working with her is realizing just how good she really is at what she does. Riane has this crazy ability to understand people and how each of us can uniquely express who we are in what we wear. As a wife, mother, business owner, and general human being, she truly is a badass...with a really cute ass. ;-) (sorry pam/mother-in-law)
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