Respect the Public

PEARL OF WISDOM

According to fashion professional Nicole A. Carter, style is not necessarily fashion. It’s about expressing who you are through the way you dress, groom and adorn yourself. Individual style and creativity earn respect-that is what fashion is all about. Nicole has dressed, styled and produced fashion and art events for celebrities, designers and many other clients. Nicole imparts the wisdom of her Granny Annie Pearl, the most stylish woman she knows, on BLACdetroit.com twice a month. Granny Annie Pearl’s most important advice is: “Respect the public.” By this she means take pride in the way you look and present the best you, always. Would you want to be remembered the way you look in the public eye? Everyone has fans whether or not you know it. Be your own celebrity, respect the public.

I’m a fashion and art professional who has dressed, produced and styled for individuals, celebrities, designers, magazines, major department stores and ad campaigns. I’ve learned, and taught, so much about fashion throughout my career, and at the core of it all is the wisdom I gained from the most stylish woman I know: my grandmother.

The greatest pearl of fashion and style wisdom I’ve ever heard was coined by Granny Annie Pearl, the original diva in my life. She has one major rule about clothing, fashion and style.

Respect the public!

With this mantra as my fashion foundation, she has given me tons of rules to live by. Now I’m going to share some of these precious pearls with you.

BEFORE you leave the house:

• Would you mind putting on moisturizer, including ChapStick, if not lip gloss for the ladies? (No one wants to pretend to concentrate on what you’re saying, when they’re distracted by crusty, dry lips. Really, we’re talking about respect here.)
• Is it so extra to iron (press, as she would say) your clothing before you run outside?
• Ensure you don’t look like a dryer lint trap. (Get a lint roller or at least a piece of tape to remove lint, for goodness’ sake.)
• Chipped polish-can we just not, ladies?
• Be sure to put on proper undergarments before leaving the house (No panty lines or bra straps showing, please.)
• Check your shoes for scuffs, dirt, holes and missing taps. If wearing sandals, make sure your pedicure is up to par.
• Check the mirror, which should be near the door.
• Smile at yourself. Pull your shoulders back. Hold your head high.

After you’ve left the house, smile at others while making eye contact as you walk down the street. Trust me, you’ll love the feeling.

While this is a fashion blog, I felt it necessary to cover Fashion 101, given the ever so relaxed trend of mainstream dressing today. I wanted to hit on some basics before we really dive in. See you here twice a month for more fashion and style.

Please do send your feedback, thoughts on fashion as art and questions about style to info@BLACdetroit.com. You can also follow me at Twitter.com/FashionAsArtPro.

Fashionably yours,
Nicole

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