Inspiration for ME!

In my line of work, I sometimes find myself so immersed in dressing other people and considering the many criteria each outfit must meet that I lose myself in the hundreds of actual pieces that I come across- particularly with my work in theatre. Every now and then I'll try to go shopping for myself and find that I'm in a rut. It's suddenly hard to turn off "work" shopping mode when looking for myself and it's those days that I come home empty handed. Other times I'll find myself at the end of a rack of dresses without really comprehending what I just looked at- it's like my brain gets overloaded with fashion ideas and then shuts off completely! It's times like these that I really need to get inspired.

Right now I'm exactly one week away from the opening of another show, so my brain is on overdrive and it feels like it might explode some days. There are literally hundreds of costume pieces to keep track of- every performer and the many different looks I've put together for each ofthem- it keeps my brain buzzing all day and into the night. The costume concept of the show is that there are actually very few "costumes." The show is more of a concert, so instead of costumes, there are a lot of beautiful gowns, tuxedos, suits, cocktail dresses, etc. It's all very formal and luxurious. At fittings with the performers it's important to listen to how they feel in a gown or outfit and of course be sympathetic to that, while at the same time maintaining the perspective the director has asked for. At times the two are in conflict and I have to find a compromise. Other times, the performer may have to wear something they don't really like. It's a delicate balance.

Today I started thinking about what it would be like to be on the other side- to have someone choosing my wardrobe for me. I admit, it could be very difficult. It could also be really interesting to see how someone else views my body and how they would dress me. What would they accentuate? What would they try to hide? What shoes would they pick to complement the outfit? One of the perks of my job is seeing a performer or client really excited about an outfit I've chosen for them- it really makes me happy. If the situation ever presents itself where I have someone else dressing me, I hope it's for something really special- like a fancy party at some celebrity's house or an awards ceremony like... the Tonys. Yes, I can definitely see myself with a Tony nom! That's rich! Anyway, if that situation ever arises, I hope that whomever dresses me chooses something like this:

This gorgeous pink rosette dress would be ideal for me for a fancy dinner party. I don't always like strapless, but it seems so hard to find decent formalwear that isn't strapless these days! Anyway, I love love love the color of this dress, but I especially love all the rosettes all over the skirt. It might not be the most flattering dress I'd ever wear, but there's something about the femininity of all those flowers that just gets me! Ok, now for my Tony nom red carpet gown:

This Marchesa DREAM of a gown is a little over the top, but at the Tony's you HAVE to dress over-the-top! We're talking STAGE performers here! Of course, if it was the Oscar's, I'd go a little more subdued. Maybe this drapey red ditty:

Ok, enough with the award shows! I think it would be really fun to have a personal stylist do for me what I do for my clients. My first challenge would be to build an outfit around these Louboutins:

I love to make a statement with my footwear and I think these Louboutin's would be a great statement to make. The key would be to create an outfit that rises to their level without competing. Or maybe it would be fun to take the whole outfit as over the top as the shoes are! I dunno! It's fun to think about anyway!