^{Images courtesy of trendstop.com}

Once, a long time ago, I was at an art gallery when this striking woman walked by. Tall. Poised. Impossibly chic. It wasn’t so much the clothes she was wearing but how she was wearing them that made her stand out for me.

I remember thinking that she knew exactly what looked best on her – big, dramatic jewellery, oversized bag, and bold red lipstick. I so wanted to be her (which would have been quite the trick – hello – no legs below the knees). But I wanted to own a style as much as she owned hers.

And that’s when it began. My all-out fascination for how people dress; why they make the choices they do and the difference between taking inspiration from trends and being a slave to them.

So this is the first of what will be many observations on style statements and fashion crimes. Check back often as I look at style icons for direction and celebrity missteps for amusement in my exhausting mission to deconstruct what it really takes to BE THE ONE.