By Leanna Pankratz (The Cascade) – Email
Print Edition: January 11, 2012
The dawn of a New Year never fails to inject a spring into my step and a gleam into my eye. Call me an idealist, but I do see the change from 2011 to 2012 to be an opportunity for a clean slate in all aspects of life, be it my organizational skills (sorely lacking), my plans to travel, my creative process, and for the first time ever, my love of style. Every wardrobe needs a little change-up now and then, and what better time than the New Year to take advantage of that fresh feeling in the air and throw a little something new into the mix. Here are a few of my own style resolutions for 2012, and hopefully it will inspire you to make a few of your own.
1. Discover colour
For a girl whose style icon is the famously monochromatic Coco Chanel, this first resolution might hurt a little. However, I have taken it upon myself to give black a little break. It’s so easy to get stuck in a rut of sorts when it comes to sartorial hues, and too often I am finding myself opting for the darker blacks, greys, and stark whites over pieces that are genuinely much more fun. While I’ll never be a neon girl, there is nothing wrong with a little colour now and then. This Christmas, I was gifted with a large, burnt orange purse that has been the perfect addition to a black-and-white look. I suggest to those vying for a little burst of colour to start slowly by adding a piece at a time. I’ve so far invested in garments ranging from turquoise to rich purple to liven up the dark night of my wardrobe.
2. Step up
Now this one is a little more personal. As a female member of the over 5’9” crowd, I have rigidly strayed away from any shoes with even the slightest suggestion of a heel, substituting an inch or two for a flat shoe with a little more design on the front. This year, I vow to give heels a try. It will take a little bit of extra confidence, I suppose, but it’s something that’s been asking to be done since I was a five-foot-seven ninth grader. While I probably won’t be able to push myself to anything over an inch, it will surely open up an entirely new shoe realm for me that even this couture lover hasn’t yet navigated. It’s time to get high!
3. Be bold
I admit that the one aspect of my style regime that I skimp on the most is my hair. It’s not that I don’t try – I do, honest! It’s simply beginning to feel boring. For years I’ve taken pride in my black, straightened, “Pocahontas-hair” as several friends refer to it as, and I feel that 2012 is the perfect time to chop it all off. With new looks come new perspectives, and I feel a shorter look will do just that. The flappers of the Jazz Age found liberation through bobbed hair, and there’s no reason why I can’t translate that same attitude to this decade. This resolution is not simply about hair – it’s about finally achieving that bold choice that’s been brewing for years, perhaps. Maybe it’s finally getting that long awaited tattoo or piercing, or splurging on a piece you’ve been eyeing for a long time. In the words of F. Scott Fitzgerald, “This life is our only chance to experience earth. Live it with a furious passion.”
