What Makes A Woman Stylish?

Clothes, accessories, shoes - they make us feel pretty, but there is something else that makes a woman extraordinary! It's the way she behaves! In my book, her attitude makes her stylish. Anybody can buy the couture clothes, dazzling jewelry and the trendy accessories, but the stylish attitude separates the truly stylish from forgettable beauties! A delightfully stylish woman shows her fashionable colors not only through her wardrobe, bur also through her behavior. Wanna know her style secrets - keep reading!

• She does not buy fake designer goods - And neither should you! Other than being fake (do you like the word?) they are produced with unethical business practices. There are so many horrible stories of children being abused to make counterfeit goods and these fake fashion merchandise makers often are associated with drug and human trafficking rings. They take jobs away from legitimate companies and their workers and promote bad business practices. If you can not afford a Gucci, go buy a Coach. If you can't afford a brand name, go to discount stores where they have good quality merchandise for low prices. Fake is not stylish!

• She never measures a woman on her looks and NEVER calls her names - This is my personal pet peeve! Oftentimes, a successful woman is not judged by her qualification and achievements but by her looks!! If a woman is not in the industry where looks are the driving force for her success (e.g. fashion,modeling, acting) nobody has the right to put her down for her style! Critique her behavior, public policy or political views, but negatively commenting on her physical features and style is just wrong! Hilary Clinton may not have been your favorite candidate but calling her B word is repulsive! (I draw the line at poking fun at her headbands!). Michelle Obama may not be your favorite first lady but commenting on her posterior is none of your business. You don't have to agree with Michele Bachman, but making fun of her eye makeup is just mean! Ladies, we have enough males doing that, we have to behave better then them - right!! {Silvio Berlusconi (oh the nerve!) called Angela Merkel something I can not even print on my blog!! And she is one the most successful and at this economically critical time - important European leaders!} I don't see a man calling another man such disgusting things. Even in an election year when most male politicians are out there debating, challenging, even calling each other names - you hardly hear a man calling another man - dog? or see them snickering over other guy's hair/eyes/body weight??

• She does not fear her age - She may not reveal it to public, but she is always gracious excepting each year as a badge of experience, a life well lived, the dreams fulfilled. Comedian Rita Rudner once said - The problem with our pop culture is that a 16 years old wants to dress like a 30 years old, and a 30 years old wants to dress like a16 years old! Aging (and dressing) gracefully is the most important style skill a woman can have!

• She does not equate stay at home moms/spouses with 'not working' - Yeah right, we just laze around all day watching TV! Believe me, I have worked in a crazy, chaotic, totally unorganized newsroom for 24 hours straight and compared to my SAHM experience, that was the rejuvenating vacation! Even CNN says being a mom should pay a 6 figure salary. Don't believe me - read this ! My point - stylish women respect what each and every woman in society does - no matter what the label!

• She shops wisely- Her wardrobe is the envy of the women's club! Not because she spends like a celebrity, but because she is wise in her shopping. She builds a wardrobe piece by piece, mixes bargain price merchandise with high end (original) goods and preserves and conserves the fashionable pieces for a timeless wardrobe!

• She uses a tailor - Good fit is the ONLY fit. She doesn't buy something that does not fit just because it was on sale or she loved the color!!! Be it the right hemline for a skirt, right cut for a jacket, right fit for a shirt - she treats her clothes as the extension of herself - always the perfect fit for her body!!

• She respects her body without stereotyping -  She does not follow the media standard or fad for what is sexy - she celebrates her body whether stick thin or full figured! For the longest time we were made to believe (and still are) that thin is beautiful, then the fashion world and celebrities tried to change the perspective and full figure/curvy became sexy! But these days I am seeing a dangerous trend to lash out on thin women and celebrate curvy figures but not the real everyday curvy- only an hourglass Sophia Vergara -esque body or perfectly toned -but just big boob-ed Kim Kardashian-esque figures! It is like going to other extreme in setting standards of beauty and body size. Just like the time we stereotyped thin as sexy and pressured women to throw up after meals, we are now stereotyping "curvy" image to pressure women (and even young girls) to go under the knife for bigger boobs and butt! And a stylish woman sees right through it- instead of giving the hard earned cash to the plastic surgeon she celebrates her body by rewarding it with a massage or a new DVF dress!!

Have a great week ahead you all!!