Can I Pull This Off?

My very first post is inspired by my wonderful Fiance, Tom, and a pair of green pants. My favorite question that people often ask me is, "can I pull this off?" 'This' usually refers to a brightly colored dress, skinny jeans, knee-high boots, or something else fairly mundane, yet terrifying for the average person. On a recent trip to shop the sale racks at J.Crew, I lead my Fiance to the dressing room with a pair of bright green pants from the summer sale rack. "Green?" he asks with a look of confusion, yet intrigue. I tell him to just try them on. Of course he ends up getting them after some prodding, because deep down he is the preppiest person I have ever seen living in New York City. So the green pants go in the closet, with plans to wear them the following weekend on the day of my bridal shower. The following weekend arrives, and Tom happily puts the green pants on. He takes a look at himself in the mirror, and hesitates. He is worried about wearing his green pants to greet my friends at family at my shower. He worries he looks "flashy." He asks if he can really pull them off. With an eye roll (for which I am famous) I tell him to change into whatever he wants to wear, because if hes not comfortable, then the entire outfit will be ruined. So Tom reluctantly changes out of his new green pants and into his uniform of stone colored khakis and a button down. So the green pants hang sadly in the closet, waiting for the day that Tom realized he can 'pull them off'.

The art of this elusive ability to wear an outfit, any outfit, with confidence is really quite easy. It takes 1) a mirror, and 2) an outfit. Do not rely on the opinions of others, because others are not wearing the outfit, you are. Do not ask 'how do I look?', because that's why you have the mirror. Unlike a friend, the mirror will not lie to save your feelings. If you feel 'flashy' like Tom in his green pants, take the outfit off, or else you will spend the day sitting with your shoulders hunched, using your hair to cover portions of your face, and nervously fidgeting with any object that is placed in front of you. The true 'art' of the 'pull off' is to like what you see in the mirror. That's it! I will not talk Tom into another pair of green pants.