The Evolution of a Fashion Addict

Vintage/thrift/flea market shopping is my downfall. Contemplating the purchase of some Marc Jacobs heels (which I now own)

By Punch Correspondent Hannah Roth

For my first post, I thought it fitting that I introduce myself to you, the Pamela’s Punch reader. The reason is almost too awkward of a thing to say online, to my computer screen, but I hope we can be friends. It’s so much more fun to dish about crazy fashion stuff with your friends. Subsequently, here is a tidbit of my style or ridiculous borderline over-the-top taste (depending on who you talk to), and why I love fashion.

I'm a HUGE DVF fan...One of my favorite quotes of hers is, "When a woman becomes her own best friend life is easier" - beautiful AND wise Picture from Summer '11 on the highline in NYC

As a wide-eyed girl of 16, my fashion class (actually based at Tysons Corner in Mclean) took a weekend trip to NYC. In between showroom visits and strolling along Broadway, the one visit I remember in exquisite detail was our tour of the WWD headquarters. Walking into the foreboding Conde Nast building, staring in awe at the girl in the elevator wearing the new season’s Miu MIu clogs, I was hooked. The man who spoke with us was witty, well-educated (Ivy league, dahhhling), and wearing the most fabulously luxurious casual knit gray v-neck I had ever seen. From then on, my life’s ambition was to BE him – or at least, become a fashion editor. Sorry mom and dad, my adolescence and young adulthood was destined to be filled with lining my walls with couture advertisements, studying abroad in Florence, and numerous unpaid internships. My younger brother is studying biochemical engineering…a much more marketable skill if I sadly say so myself.

The most fabulous dress fashioned out of newspapers I have ever seen

Enough of the niceties. So. Fashion. Its not so much the clothes. Although don’t misunderstand – I LOVE clothes. There are very few things better than having on the perfect outfit. But I’m not so much concerned with the outfit itself. The WHY of the perfection is what is astounding. This mythological summation of variables adding up to Style – temperature, appropriateness, fit, color, silhouette, trend-appropriate representation of YOU as an individual, showcasing YOU as the best possible version of yourself – this is what so enthralls me about the world of fashion.

At the Arc Du Triomphe in Paris (The little girl's face kills me). Wore a Jean-Paul Gaultier t-shirt in homage to the great country, jacket it thrifted Dior from the 90's! (J'adore French designers)

I always dress up when I feel sick or sad. Why? It changes my mood. Whether psychosomatic or just coincidence of variables, this is a powerful truth. Not to mention the reflection fashion has on today’s society, or visa versa. Why are the 20’s vogue again? Because The Great Gatsby is coming out next summer! Or, is the fact flapper dressing is popular one of the factors that influenced the movie coming into production? Not sure – ask Miuccia Prada, the newly-announced costume designer for the film. This dialogue of which came first, the chicken or the egg, is the mind-bending interconnection between fashion and popular culture that is so enthralling. Sometimes, historical landmarks cause a stir in the fashion community. For instance, after 9/11, all of the Spring runway shows in the winter of 2002 showcased mostly black, muted tones. Fashion is reflective of the day. Style was in mourning.

At present, I can gladly share that fashion is in anything but mourning – in fact, the upcoming year is positively brimming with beautiful clothes to choose from. Showcasing exquisite prints and exotic fabrics, designers definitely felt the muse for Fall 2012. Spanning the decades and ranges of personal styles, there is a look for everyone this year, and I can’t wait to be part of your decision-making process!