Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right? Whoever
said that must have been the imitator. There’s nothing more annoying than
finding something you love, debuting it in all its glory and then seeing a
friend or an admirer wearing the exact same thing the next time you see them,
or even worse if they look better wearing it than you do.
With the same trends being replicated in shops, from time to
time you and a friend are likely to buy something either the same or very
similar. I have friends that share a similar style to me, and I have others
with completely different taste. My friends and I that have similar taste often
gravitate towards the same colours, cuts and fabrics, so there have been
occasions were two of us will turn up wearing pretty much matching outfits, completely
unplanned. We laugh about it and joke ‘ooh I like your dress’ after all great
friends shop alike! My best friend and I are so similar that we have an
implemented rule that when shopping together if we both like the same
thing, who ever saw it first gets to try it on first, and if they buy it the
second see-er gets to borrow it. Handy, especially if you’re the same size.
It’s great when you have friends who have clothes that you
love and can borrow, but occasionally you come across a style stealer. At
school there was a girl, I’ll call her A, who
copied a lot. There was a mix of styles and personalities in our group but A
still managed to find a way to turn up in ‘what this old thing’ knowing very well
that she had seen it on one of the girls before. I’d love to say she was subtle
but she was always asking ‘where did you get that from?’ it got to the point
where we would tell her it was from a different shop. There was another girl B,
who would ring to find out what you were wearing to a party, and then turn
wearing something suspiciously similar.
I know that sounds harsh, and it probably was, but style is
very personal. So when someone starts to copy your exact clothes or even buying
it in a different colour you can’t help but feel like they’re taking a part of
you. Thing is A was a lovely girl and has one of the prettiest faces and a
perfect hourglass figure, but what looked great on one girl didn't always look good on her. After years of us encouraging her to find her own
style she eventually did. It took a few accompanied shopping trips but she
looks great and like herself.
It’s not just girls who are bothered by it. I’ve overheard
so many male conversations about what they’re wearing for a night out, trying
to suss out if they should wear their check shirt or not, or who’s wearing a
slogan t-shirt. I've even heard 'I can't wear my navy chinos, Tom wore navy chinos last week'. People want to look different and have their own identity.
Imitation can be flattering, it’s nice to know people like
things you wear, or a how you do your make-up. However, tread with caution if
you want to try to copy their look. It’s like fashion trends, never go overboard
just incorporate touches into your current wardrobe or look. If you think their
styling is great, why not just ask them for tips, that’s the way to flatter a
friend and I can guarantee they will be more than happy to help. If you’re a little shy of make-up, take your
best make-up knowing friend to the nearest department store or Boots and spend
an hour finding new colours or the right products for your skin tone. Shopping
with friends is one of my greatest past-times, you encourage each other to try
new things, play dress up, and sometimes you may even learn a thing or two from
them.
So no imitation is not the most sincerest form of flattery. Asking someone, or better being asked, to accompany a shopping trip, most definitely is.
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