How Do I Look?

When I asked my sister how she would describe me her answer was suitably concise. ‘Pretty and sweet’. I mulled this over. Did I want to be pretty and sweet? You never hear a successful business woman described as ‘sweet’, or a delicious sex goddess described as ‘pretty’. They seemed terms best suited to the pigtailed girl of a nursery rhyme. I did don some pigtails recently, though they were less Lucy Locket, more Pixie Lott I hope.

At school I was a regular little drama queen, the infuriating type that would be cast in a main role before auditions had even begun. Yet the ‘pretty and sweet’ image meant that I was always chosen for the part of the simpering heroine. As I swooned my way across the stage I would look on enviously as another girl delivered a witty monologue to the tittering audience.

My signature style is very feminine. I am what you might describe as a ‘girly girl’. I tend towards paler colours. The shades of this season’s collections; the sorbet hues of Burberry and the ever-sophisticated nudes of Chloé, fit beautifully into my favoured palette and I’ll be almost sorry to see Autumn/Winter 2010 sweep them away.

Maybe I should start wearing black. It might make the transition easier. It’s not that I consciously exclude the colour from my wardrobe, it makes the odd appearance in shoes, bags and belts. But black never dominates an outfit for me. Perhaps this is where I’m going wrong. It’s virtually impossible to walk down a city street without seeing a girl sashaying along in the prerequisite LBD. They exude an effortless confidence and togetherness, and could quite easily be the successful career women and delicious sex goddesses of the world.

Yet I never feel quite myself in black. Every girl knows of that odd occasion when you try on an outfit, look in the mirror and something isn’t quite right. It’s hard to pinpoint, but often comes down to the fact that the clothes feel more like a costume than yourself.

I’m not edgy in any sense of the word. As a young girl I was swathed in Laura Ashley and over time the busy floral patterns have faded away leaving a love of simple cotton silhouettes. The terms ‘pretty and sweet’ have that same girlish youthfulness about them that continues to influence my fashion choices and personal style. It is always irritating to admit your sister was right.

Photographer,India Hobson.