Chic defined as an adjective is elegantly and stylishly fashionable. As a noun, it is stylishness and elegance, typically of a specified kind.
Personally, I prefer the adjective as opposed to the noun because the adjective describes a person who is Chic whereas the noun can make it more subjective and tied potentially to a subculture as opposed to society in general. Both deserve attention though because in different societies Chic can mean something entirely different. For example here in Southern California to be chic is quite different than what it would be for example in Mali or Pakistan. In fact even within the United States what is fashionable in one city or area looks out of place in another.
To be Chic has meant different things since the beginnings of the history of fashion. To me, a person can be Chic when they understand themselves and express their own unique style in a way that flatters them and makes them stand out in a good way within the relative norms of their own society.
But Chic also follows trends. For example, you might feel as if you are drawn to the fashion of the 1920s and you might love that period in time, and the clothing may flatter you, but dressing like one would during that decade is out of step with the modern world. However, wearing a piece of jewelry or some other accessory that harkens back to those times could be quite Chic. It’s the same with fashion icons. Let’s take Princess Diana for example. Her clothing of the 1980s was at the height of fashion and though the outfits she wore are classics, they would still seem a little out of place by today’s fashion standards. Not too far out of place but dated nonetheless. However, to give Diana her due diligence, it’s safe to say that were she still with us, it’s a given that she would continue to be a style icon and remain Chic.
Fashion trends today seem to draw inspiration that is eclectic to say the least. For example, bell bottoms or flared pants which were extinct in the 1980s have been in style for the last twenty or so years especially when it comes to wearing jeans or slacks with a heel of some sort. Today because our large world is so connected there are designers creating clothing in many different modes and styles. They are mixing and matching styles from the history of fashion and from various cultures to create hybrid fashion that frankly is all over the place stylistically.
Today in commercials and in society plus size or “big girls” instead of being relegated to the back of the room are taking center stage. Designers realize that consumers come is all shapes and sizes and they have serious buying power. If brands want to cash in they have to have respect and consideration for everyone. Can you be a plus size and be Chic? The answer is a resounding yes! In fact, it’s only been within the last 75 years or so that being pencil thin was considered fashionable. Throughout history, a more Rubenesque figure has always been in style and preferred.
But what is the secret of being Chic? The real secret is not to bend yourself to the vagaries of current fashion but to look at and study the current trends in fashion to get inspiration for yourself and hence create your own distinctive style. That is what being Chic is all about. Look at fashion as a palette of suggestions from which you select ones that suit and please you the best. You can easily find a way to express your distinctive and individual style and still be modern, forward-looking, and Chic. To be creative you can take from the past, the classics, the basics that never fade, and blend them with the present to look up to date and then add in a little bit of the future, of the Avant Garde plus your own sense of style, personality and unique personal way of dressing.
So part of being Chic is an attitude, it’s the way you think about fashion. It’s all about you, about how to present yourself to the world, about how your unique style shows off your best attributes, not only while you’re young, but as you move through life, like all women you change and embracing that change, owning who you are right now and showing off, those positive attributes that make you the best person you can be living life to the fullest is what being Chic is all about.
Mme V. Fontaine (Fashion Blogger for ChicChicChic.com)
Wishing You a Life of BeingChic Chic Chic
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