Who's That Woman? Dressing to Your Essence

Style

Jun 6

Written By

It’s safe to say we’ve all gone to an event where we don’t know a lot of people. Perhaps it was a wedding where you may know the bride or groom, or the “mother of” but not many of the other guests. In instances such as this, it’s human nature to assess the crowd. Our inquisitive nature has us observing to start accumulating information to understand the people and the environment. One of the pieces of information we receive is what our crowd is wearing. Once I went to a wedding where I was my husband’s “date” since I only knew the groom, and not all that well. I find occasions such as this very liberating. I get to people watch and take in the event where attending is more of a spectator sport than being an active participant.So I’ve set the scene. We’re at the wedding reception now. Neither of us know a lot of people and we’ve picked up a cocktail in preparation of mingling. Mark gets caught up in a conversation (as he inevitably does, to his credit) and I take the opportunity to excuse myself. I love to study people and there’s really no better place than at a wedding. As I’m taking a lap, I see a woman who steals my attention. Her age does not matter, nor does her ethnicity, eye color, height, stature, etc. This woman has an energy that starts to pull me in. You may be wondering what it was. I’ll try and describe this phenomenon the best I can. From my point of view, she seems completely and utterly grounded in who she is, and exudes confidence without being intimidating -- and it’s all in the manner of how she is relating with others.Energy is a pretty powerful thing, but let’s never underestimate the power of a great outfit. My target guest looked pretty amazing. Ultimately, I had the chance to run into her and we started chatting. She was just as delightful in person and we shared some common interests. I had to ask her about what she was wearing, since it reminded me so much of one of my favorite designers, Figue. I usually don’t talk shop with people I have just met, but style can be the universal language at a wedding. I discovered her outfit was something she picked up while traveling nearly 20 years ago in the Mediterranean. The details were so reminiscent of some of the artistry of Figue, as well as the textiles themselves.It should be noted that aside from the actual outfit itself, it was the way she wore it that was incredibly chic. Her hair was braided in a manner that some pieces had fallen around her face and it seemed as if she only had lip color on...or an incredible hand at “ the natural look.” She had on a simple pair of mules and some stunning diamond earrings. Other than that, no accessories! No bag, clear polish, although I imagine she was wearing a fragrance since the air suddenly smelled pretty exotic once I engaged her in a short conversation. So who was this wedding goddess? Turns out she is a documentary photographer and photojournalist who travels the world. This had me wondering if it was the chicken or the egg. It’s possible her style is in line with how she sees the world: without pretense but with such understated beauty. She exudes what penetrates the lens of her camera.This revelation has stuck with me over time. We are all mirroring how we see the world. Each time we get dressed, we have an opportunity to share who we are and reflect our essence. Summer is the season when I was born, which may have something to do with how much I love this time of year. The collection that speaks to my soul from TSALT is, without a doubt, Figue. To so many women this collection seems so specific, but I feel these are pieces that connect with the global gypsy in many of us.The question I hear so often is if the Figue pieces are relevant beyond travel destinations. So often, women come into TSALT and buy Figue for their vacations. I believe every day during the summer is a vacation and plan on wearing my Figue everywhere and often. How do I do that? Here are a few examples of dressing Figue both casually and for special occasions...and perhaps you too will capture the attention of some anthropological stylist at the next wedding you attend!The first is the Figue Louise Dress, originally $1,295, now $971.25, shown here dressed up with heels and then dressed down with wedges. And a tux is always dressy! Welcome to the Figue Monique tux! Monique Tux Shirt, originally $395, now $296.25, and the Figue Impanema Pant, originally $495, now $371.25, shown two ways…as the tuxedo on the left, and with another pop of color top on the right. So both looks of the Simone Pant in Ashbury Stripe, originally $525, now $393.75, are kind of dressy but one gives you the option with the long sleeve tunic top (right), and then a dressier version could be the sleeveless ivory top from Ramy Brook paired with the Simone Pant. The heels really dress it up and make your legs look super long! [divider height="30" style="default" line="default" themecolor="0"]