Where do you get your sense of style? I guess I should thank my paternal grandmother for my sense of style. Always a true lady, she could be found wearing a hat of some sort, heirloom jewelry, Ferragamos, St. John and a corset. Yes my friends, the pre-Spanx generations wore corsets and my grandmother did daily until her passing in 1992 at the age of 91. Could you imagine spending almost a century in full body Power Panty? She also wore proper stockings, not to be confused with panty hose. For those that don't know, stockings are thigh high nylons that attach to a garter belt, mostly reserved nowadays to movies that start after 11 on cable TV or the Victoria's Secret fashion show. The discomfort must have been unbearable, but my grandmother never had a hair out of place nor looked anything less than fully polished. She passed her love of shopping, personal style and exquisite taste genetically to me for which I am grateful. Having said that, she would roll over in her grave if she saw me in my hideous pink garden crocs or with hay dangling from my ponytail in my faded Barbour ball cap. I have evolved to shop for my lifestyle while always honoring my familial style.

Little did I know how her influence would shape my entire life? From a young age I yearned to be closer to the clothes, bobbles and shoes I loved by working in the retail industry. I started when I was 15 and have held several, long term positions in the village of Middleburg. Over the years, I have likely dressed you or your neighbors, wrapped a Christmas gift or two or referred to my list of graduation or cotillion dresses to make sure the event didn't crumble because there was someone else in your ensemble. Now, I can be seen in an airport near you or imitating the speeding bullet up and down the east coast with my sample collection in tow. I have shifted from retail to wholesale and it makes me tingle. I can't remember from which movie a blonde is trying to become an anchorwoman and she says something like "just think, as an anchorwoman, you get to know the news before everyone else does." That is the way I feel about being a consultant buyer, sales rep and stylist. I get to see the fashions that are going to be in the stores two seasons in advance and I have a something to do with it. It is like a personal shopping crystal ball and I love it.

What is your personal style? Do you want Fashion Police and follow Stacy's dressing rules to the letter? Or do you buy clothes once every 10 years or until you have actually worn your clothes out? Do you pull apart seams on a thrift store dress and make unique creations? Or do you solicit the help of a professional to guide you? Whatever your path is, take a moment to pause and appreciate you and your style. You are as unique as a snowflake and if we all wore the same uniform think what a boring, drab world we would live in.

Cheers to being you.

Sincerely, Me