Fashion Is All About YOU!

By THÉRÈSE MARGOLIS    

Sometimes it seems that fashion and makeup styles are designed to force us conform to other people’s standards of beauty and chic.

Keeping up with the latest fashion trends can be exhausting (not to mention expensive), and a particular current style may not always the most flattering (or comfortable) for your individual body or lifestyle.

Moreover, fashion is finicky and can change from one day to another.

Whatever is “in” at the moment or whatever was worn by the latest fashion icon yesterday may be what’s trending now, but will not necessarily be trending tomorrow.

That little boho-chic dress that made you the best-dressed fashionista at a cocktail party last month may seem totally out of date come next month.

So how do you manage to look great and be always in vogue in the temperamental fashion world of stylish-today-unstylish-tomorrow?

“Don’t be into trends,” the late, great Gianni Versace once said. “Don’t let fashion own you. You decide what you are, what you want to express by the way you dress and the way you live.”

In other words, buy clothes and accessories that make you feel pretty, that flatter you.

Develop your own signature look, even if that means going against the fashion grain.

And never, never, never (well, maybe sometimes) sacrifice comfort for style.

If wearing those six-inch platform heels that look so great on your best friend means your feet will be pulsating in pain all night, dump them and opt for your favorite sparkled tennies instead.

And if you just don’t feel like that shocking orange and flamingo pink Zac Posen kimono that looked so fantastic on the model in Glamour magazine is going to flatter your golden-hued skin tone, leave it on the rack and buy something that suits your own tastes and color palettes.

Fashion is all about you, about your unique individuality and panache.

It’s about feeling good in your own skin, in your own clothing, in your own makeup style, not about following the style dictates of other people.

So stop being a slave to other people’s choices and get out there and be your own fashion influencer, your own trend maker, and maybe, just maybe, instead of following other women’s style, you may discover that they will start following yours.

Footloose and Fancy-Free

There is no accessory for which women make greater sacrifices for fashion than shoes.

But sky-high heels and tight little ballet pumps can do irreparable damage to your feet, and can definitely limit your spirit (and geographic radius) of adventure when it comes to exploring new places or getting out and hitting the pavement or a nature hike track.

Fortunately, the iconic German footwear firm Birkenstock – which has been making comfort-conscious shoes since 1774 – has added a definite element of style to its new spring/summer 2019 collection.

Inspired by the sophisticated gardens of medieval-era Florence, Birkenstock has blended balance, harmony and captivating textures to break the old barriers that separate comfort and haute couture to create a new and defiant style that pioneers fresh fashion architypes.

In an unexpected team-up, the makers of the world’s favorite sandal and the high-end Italian fashion house Valentino joined forces this season to create a unique shoe collection that is a bold hybrid celebration of comfort and style, with leather tops and tonal buckles.

Using sustainable materials such as cork, jute, natural latex and cotton – Birkenstock has always been a socially responsible company – the collection has updated its go-anywhere-do-anything contoured footbed sandals with slick, contemporary finishes for its straps, including metallic silver leather, iridescent colors, minimalist textures and cutting-edge floral prints

Love Your Body

Not everyone can be a size triple zero (in fact, two out of three Mexican women fall into the plus-size category), but that doesn’t mean you can’t look glorious in the clothes you wear.

The secret is to find garments that accentuate your curves, rather than exaggerating them.

Chico’s, which has been catering to curvy women since 1983, believes that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes, and women should revel in their bodies, not hide them under caftans an s sweatpants.

The brand’s latest spring/summer collection — part of a global corporate campaign titled #HowBoldAreYou — is an unabashed tribute to women with a little extra meat on their bones who recognize that they can look spectacular, no matter what size they wear.

The collection’s pro-curve garment designs and no-holds-barred accessories are feminine and outspoken, with bright, oversized, dare-to-wear floral prints and make-a-statement paisleys that can give you a pulled-together look while not compromising on comfort.

Don’t Hide Away on Your Special Days

According to recent studies, 80 percent of Mexican women shy away from some of their normal daily activities when they are menstruating.

But Saba, a subsidiary of the Swedish Essity tissue conglomerate, wants women to know that with the wide range of feminine hygiene products now on the market, there is no reason to be afraid to wear white or to steer clear of swimming pools when you have your menstrual cycle.

Saba, which has just launched a new, super-thin, super-absorbant Ultra Invisible Buenos Días female pad that is so light and slim it could pass for a pantyliner but is as absorbant as a thick pad, wants women to feel free and unrestricted no matter what time of month it is

For the last five years, Sabas has run a campaign for teenage girls in Mexico to better understand their bodies, with outreach programs at schools and youth centers so far being offered to 250,000 girls and young women.

Rather than to feel shamed or embarrassed by their monthly periods, Saba teaches young girls that they can do anything during their cycles that they can do the rest of the month.

The One Accessory You Always Need

You can ignore every fashion trend in the book and you can choose to wear bright green eyeshadow with electric orange mascara or forget about makeup all together.

But whatever you put on each day, there is one essential item that you should never forget to wear, and that is sunscreen.

Protecting you skin from UV rays is not something you need to do just at the beach.

In fact, because Mexico City is 2,240 meters above sea level, you are more likely to get sunburned (or damage your skin in ways that can lead to premature aging, or worse yet, skin cancer) in the city than when you are on an oceanside vacation.

And while some sunscreens leave a yucky oily finish and shine to your skin, Uriage’s new Bariésun Brume Sèche provides broad spectrum SPF 50+ UVA and UVB defense in an ultra-light, dry-touch formula that sprays on in a gentle mist that leaves no visible film.

Especially formulated for fair skin, it also provides protection against  free radicals and prevents skin from drying out (it has Uriage’s delectable Eau Thermale at its base).

With its continuous mist system, Bariésun Brume Sèche is easy and quick to apply, even on wet skin, and it is ideal for large areas.

Uriage Bariésun Brume Sèche absorbs quickly to ensures a nonsticky finish and its continuous diffusion system allows for easy application, even on wet skin.

Suited to outdoor activities with an built-in cooling effect, this do-it-all spray sunscreen comes in a light metal can that is can easily fit into your purse or gym bag for frequent reapplications.

Keep Your Cool with a Anger Fairy

Even when your intended fashion statement turns out to be a fashion faux pas, show the outside world you have true style by keeping calm and not blowing your cool.

Granted, that is not always easy in today’s busy, stress-prone world, where traffic, work and that insane upstairs neighbor who insists on playing his punk rock music full blast at 3 o’clock in the morning can put your temper on overdrive.

That is why fashion and beauty consultant Judith Oprandi (who has the distribution licence in Mexico for the Swiss cosmetic and skincare brand Lydia Dainow) created created the Ching*Hada, a little cotton doll that you can whack against just about anything to release your anger when you are stuck on Avenida Reforma for two hours or your brand new Jimmy Choo heels breaks, or your boyfriend’s dog just left a big yellow puddle on your white carpet.

(Hada means fairy in Spanish, and, well, we will leave it to your imagination to figure out what ching means.)

Available on line at http://www.chinghada.com, this little scapegoat fairy (which can double as a great voodoo doll, just tape a picture of your ex on its face) can take a beating and help you cope with the day’s frustrations without reaching the point of a homicidal rage.

And a Ching*Hada is that perfect gift for your neurotic best friend, your out-of-control screaming boss, your obnoxious, nothing-you-do-is-ever-good-enough mother-in-law, or for anyone prone to unrestrained temper tantrums.