May ‘16
issue 1
happy wear
Ever since I can remember, my mother has always told me to wish for happiness. “It encompasses everything”- she would say - “That’s when the universe will give you exactly what you need (and don’t even know you need) in order to be happy.” But what is happiness anyway? 'Martin Seligman, author of the book, Flourish, has framed a rather comprehensive definition of happiness and well-being through his PERMA model, allowing each individual to measure their level of happiness through 5 different dimensions: positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning and accomplishment. I have started this magazine to explore these exact factors and their potential connection to the way women dress. Does personal style actually influence our overall well-being and happiness? This question has been on my mind for a while now, and it made me explore my very own personal style from a different perspective, allowing myself to ignore trends and aesthetics in order to focus on a deeper meaning, on the underlying psychology of dressing up on a daily basis. I haven’t set my mind on finding specific answers, results or formulas through my research. However, I have hoped to get an insight into how women approach style in order to achieve happiness and well-being. In my quest, I have met a handful of admirable young women, who gave me so much inspiration and helped me see things from new perspectives. I dedicate this very first issue of “Constance” magazine to them, to their inner and outer beauty and to their inspiring stories that helped me put together these pages. I hope this issue will help you find new ways of using style in order to achieve happiness and make you look in the mirror with a brighter smile every day.
FAS H I ON S HO U L D BE A F O R M O F E S C A P I S M , AN D N OT A F O R M O F I MPR IS O N M E N T. A l e x a n d e r McQu e e n
6 strong independent wom en reflect on their “happy wear” experiences.
Seáron Julie Michelle Alexandra Shaunagh Charlotte
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S e รก ro n
ONE GIRL TELLS HER TRICKS TO STAYING BLISSFULLY AND PEACEFULLY FASHIONABLE. 8
How did I get lucky enough to meet a sweet, peaceful and creative person, with a perfect hairstyle and utterly covetable outfit, I will never know. But I surely was grateful for it. Seáron ticked all these boxes and many more. However, I would soon find out that behind a seemingly peaceful lady, there was a ‘mad marketeer” ready to sell you anything. I’ve met her for the first time at Almondine in Aberdeen, a cute little macaron & tea place, which seemed like the perfect location for our interview. Seáron blended into the background in the most fashionable way possible, giving me “the blues” in all the right ways. The girl knows how to rock that turquoise and my camera loved it!
“There aren’t many women where I work and I think that we kind of fall into the precedent that’s set by men, which is a suit, shirt and tie. So I always feel self-conscious when I am sitting in a room of men who wear a suit and tie, thinking that I have to fit in.”
Seá ro n
seemed comfortably candid straight from the beginning of our interview, talking about her idea of freedom in dressing up. She felt free that day, wearing her cute ensemble paired with statement contrasting boots. Never in a million years could you imagine this creative bubbly woman works in the oil & gas industry. But her confession regarding office dress code made it obvious. I was so eager to discover more!
Se á ro n
further confessed how
she is often forced to think about the physical comfort when dressing up at work, which takes a toll on her psychological comfort, because she’s not wearing something that genuinely reflects her personality. This also reflects negatively on her confidence level when interacting with people better dressed than her on a particular day.
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“YOU CAN TELL HOW SOMEBODY FEELS BY THE EFFORT THEY PUT INTO THEIR CLOTHES OR THE LACK OF EFFORT.”
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Seåron’s favourite purchase has her initials engraved. Talk about personal style taken to the next level!
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However,
Seáro n
found a solution, which I immediately took notes of: “Instead of
wearing the normal flat pumps that I would have previously bought in Primark, I have invested in a pair of flat patent boots from Dune, that I think look really smart with a trouser-suit. So now I feel more confident, even though I am dressing for comfort.” Smart? Definitely! Mature? She sure is! But what
Se á ron
can teach us all in terms of upgra-
ding our consumer choices in order to reach sartorial happiness & well-being, is that balance between style & comfort is key, alongside a sense of…ignorance! Ignorance with regards to others’ opinions, ignorance with regards to trends dictated by fashion’s all mighty power, ignorance with regards to the poisonous media. That’s the kind of ignorance I have also started adopting lately. I call it the “smart stupid me”. Instead of changing yourself completely to fit within a norm, clear your head off any distracting factors and only “adjust” to the norm. Focusing on your own positive feelings, be it physical or psychological, will get you that overall satisfaction with yourself and the way you dress.
comfortable creative, trustworthy, confident, appropriate, valued Top positive feelings she associates with her style and happiness:
“The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying: A Simple, Effective Way to Banish Clutter Forever” by Marie Kondo Style & Happiness secret:
“A lot of it is about self-awareness. Learning what suits you and what makes you feel good, but also what doesn’t.” Bottom line:
JULIE TEACHES US HOW TO USE STYLE TO GAIN MORE CREDIBILITY, RESPECT AND TRUST.
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You don’t often m e e t a 2 5 ye a r ol d wo ma n i n a n execu t i ve position, so self-a wa re a n d conf i d e n t. Ju li e i s exa ct ly t h a t a nd m uc h mo re. Sh e i s a you n g b e a u t i f u l a n d i n depen den t wom an who knows wh a t sh e wa n ts a nd h ow to get i t u s i n g h e r sty le and conf i d e n ce . Le g e n d a r y co s t u me des i gn er, Ed ith Head, o nce s a i d “ You ca n h a ve a ny t h i n g yo u wa n t i n life if you dress for i t”. Ju l i e h a s ce r ta i n ly a ppli ed t h i s s trate gy to her life a n d I wa s re a d y to lea rn a s m u ch a s possible from her.
Sh e appeared flawl e s sl y d re ss e d th e d a y I m et h er, s o yo u ca n i m agine my surpris e w h e n sh e confe s se d t h a t h er regu la r wo rk attire consist s of bl a c k j e a n s a n d Convers e s h o es . However, to day sh e had a c li e n t m e e ti n g sc h e d u led (s h e wo rks i n P R) , s o she put her infa l l i b l e tre n c h coa t a nd bla ck h eels o n . Th e ve rdict? Ready to k i l l ! Howeve r, on ce t h e meet i n g wa s over, s h e would immedia te l y c h a n g e i n to th e t ra i n ers wa i t i n g u n der he r d e sk. Talk abo u t p ra c ti ca l i ty ! Th i s gi rl h a s s u rely fo u n d t h e s ecre t to sar torial h a p p i n e ss . A l i ttl e co m pro mi s e do es n ’t h u rt as l ong as yo u kee p a b a l a n ce b e twe e n phys i ca l a n d p sychol ogical co mfor t. 17
Sh e wan t s to lo ok o l d e r, I l a te r fou n d ou t f ro m h er. Peo ple s eem to j ud ge one’s comp e te n ce s b a se d on th ei r a ge a n d i t ca n be real l y challenging to sta n d ou t i n th e b u s i n es s wo rld, es peci a lly as a young woman . He e l s ca n g o a l on g wa y t h o u gh , a lo n gs i de a sup e r confident a tti tu d e , j u s t l i ke Ju l i e ’ s . Sh e de fi nitely asso c i a te s conf i d e n ce w i th t h e wa y s h e dres s es , w h i ch in t ur n reflec ts u p on h e r m ood a n d pers o n a l rela t i o n s hi ps. How can o ne opti m i ze th e i r re l a ti o n s h i ps t h ro u gh s t y le, w h i l e still staying t r u e to h e r se l f th ou g h? Ba la n ce i s key, s a ys Ju lie , w ho approach e s a c h a m e l e on i c s tra tegy i n h er da i ly s a r torial habit s, dre s si n g d i f fe re n tl y for h er boy f ri en d, wo rk a n d fr i ends, while st ill re m a i n i n g fa i thf u l to h er co re. “It’ s ca ri n g ab out the o nes in f ron t of you ”. Bow d ow n , I s a y ! Anothe r interest ing a sp e c t I’ve l e a r n e d a bo u t t h i s i n s pi ri n g wo m an i s t hat she fe e l s th e h a p p i e st w h en s h e go es o n bu s i n es s tra ve l s because t ha t’s wh e n s h e ca n p l a n h er o u t f i t s i n a dva n ce, w h i l st at ho me, her d a i l y rou ti n e p r i or i tizes h o u s eh o ld a ct i v i t i es and not sar to r ial ch oi ce s. Ra i se you r h a n ds i f yo u rela te. I k now I do .
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“T H E WAY YO U P RE S E N T YO U RS E L F I S YO U R P E RS O N A L B RA N D.�
Top positive feelings: Noticeable,
Style & Happiness secret: Separate
Key items in her wardrobe:
confident, older, credible. your work wardrobe from your regular one.
Black skirts, high-waisted trousers, trench coats,
black shoes and spacious bags. Bottom line:
Know yourself and your strenghts and dress accordingly.
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Mi ch elle THE GIRL WHO FOUND HAPPINESS THROUGH EFFORTLESS STYLE AND BALANCE.
“ CON FID ENCE IS S UC H A BIG THIN G . W H E N YO U LAC K CO NFID ENC E I THINK IT S HOWS S O M U C H I N YO UR DEMEA NO R , IN YO UR P OS T U RE . I T RY TO G O FO R A BA L A NCE . I D O N’T WA NT TO LO O K S O D O N E U P T H AT EVERYO NE S TA R ES A ND I T B ECO M E S E M BARRA SSING . I WA NT TO BE TRU E TO M YS E L F.”
I a ctually met Mich e l l e wh e n I f i r s t m oved to Aberdeen , t h ro u g h Insta gram. We q u i c k l y b e ca m e f r i e n ds a s we were bot h i nte re sted in fashio n , h e a l thy l i v i n g a n d blo ggi n g. Wh en I dec i de d to c reate t hi s m a g a zi n e , I k n ew I wa n t h er to be a pa rt of it. This gir l’s st yl e i s s o p ol i s h e d a n d co o l a t t h e s a me t i me a n d I a lways admi re h e r com p osu re , ma t u ri t y a n d determ i n a t i on. Sh e stayed away f rom th e cor p ora te wo rld a f ter gra du a t i o n , ta k ing on an ent re p re n e u r i a l rou te , wh i le m i x i n g t h a t w i t h a b l issful retail jo b. He r j ou r n ey p rove d th ere i s n o s i n gle reci pe to hap piness and s u cce ss . Th e p a th s h e en ded u p fo llow i n g, offe re d her a sartor i a l i n d e p e n d e n ce yo u ca n ’t f i n d i n a n office job, as my two p rev i ou s i n te r v i ewees h a ve a lrea dy co n f i r me d . For Mic helle howeve r, b a l a n c i n g two j o bs i mpli es t wo di f fere n t sartorial fo c u s e s . On e re q u i re s psych o lo gi ca l co mfo rt, w hil e th e ot her pr i or i ti ze s th e p hysi ca l o n e. Lu cki ly, Mi ch elle h a s no dress code re g a rd i n g h e r wor k wea r a n d h er o u t f i t s re f l e ct her persona l i ty, m a k i n g h e r fe e l h a ppy a n d co nf i den t, a s she confir ms. 23
Howeve r, even t he m ost conf i d e n t ca n so m et i mes be i nf lu en ced. It was th e 7 0 ’s t ren d th i s ti m e , th e on e t h a t co nv i n ced Mi ch elle to try o ut t he de n i m b u tton e d - u p s k i rt. Hu ge mi s ta ke, s h e recal l s. It made her l ook too you n g , u n co mfo rta ble a n d s i m ply o u t of place. That’ s on e e xa m p l e th a t s h ows u s h ow t ren ds ca n take a n egat ive to l l on ou r m ood a n d co nf i den ce w h en we fo rge t about o ur co re s ty l e a n d s ta r t fol low i n g t h e m a i n s t rea m . Anothe r topic I was e a g e r to ta c k l e wa s h ow o n e’ s a ch i evem en t s o r accomplishments i nf l u e n ce s a r tor i a l c h o i ces . A s I s u s pected, j u s t l ike fo r mo st of th e oth e r g i r l s I i n terv i ewed, s h o ppi n g b ecam e more of an i nve stm e n t stra te g y a f ter gra du a t i o n , ra t h er than simply a rec re a ti on a l a c ti v i ty. Mi c h elle wo u ld ra t h er s pen d m o re on higher qua l i ty p i e ce s th a n b u yi n g i n to fa ds (es peci a lly afte r he r 7 0 s denim sk i r t d i sa ste r). Ju st li ke Ju li e, Mi ch elle a ls o wa nts to loo k slightl y ol d e r w h e n d re s si n g u p. Wh a t i s i t w i t h u s , yo u ng women t hat we a l wa ys tr y to m a s k o u r a ge? In te rms of st yle un i for m , Mi c h e l l e te n s to bu y da rker, m o re ne u tral co lour s t ha t a l l ow h e r to com b i n e mo re pi eces to get h er i n diffe rent ways. I g e t you , g i r l ! Bu rg u n dy i s a ls o my def i n i t i o n of “col ou rful”. Hur ra y for b l a c k a n d g rey ! Her s t y le i s m i n i ma l, cl assic, but slight ly u nf i n i s h e d . I ca l l i t th e “ef fo rt les s po li s h i n g”. Bottom line:
Keep i t p l a i n , b u t i n te re sti n g. Do n ’t over- do i t !
“W H E N YO U G E T T H E O U T F I T RI G H T A N D YO U ’ RE I N C RE D I B LY H A P PY A N D CO N F I D E N T A N D I N T H E RI G H T F RA M E O F M I N D, IT HAS SUCH A D I F F E RE N T E F F EC T O N YO U. YO U W I L L S P E A K FO R LO N G E R, YO U W I L L E N G AG E M O RE I N T H E CO N VE RSAT I O N A N D YO U WO N ’ T S T E P BAC K . YO U W I L L C RE AT E A F I RS T I M P RE S S I O N TO B E RE M E M B E RE D.”
SHOP A
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Ale xandra is a fe l l ow Rom a n i a n I h a ve met i n Aberdeen throug h a co mmon f r i e n d . Sh e i s a l so o n e of t h o s e gi rls yo u i mme d iately grow fon d of a n d wa n t to t u rn i n to yo u r bes t fr ie nd . Her calm a n d g ra ce f u l se l f i m m edi a tely ch a rm ed m e and so did her st y l e . Ale xa is o ne of t h os e wom e n wh o k n ow t h ei r s t y le a n d t h ei r b o d y and are alwa ys d re ss e d to k i l l . I t h erefo re kn ew s h e woul d make t he pe r fe c t c u stom e r for my pers o n a l s h o ppi n g s ession, so I was d e te r m i n e d to conv i n ce h er to s a y “yes ”. Lu ck il y for me, she a g re e d r i g h t a wa y a n d t h e n ex t t h i n g yo u k now, we wo uld su r f th rou g h Z A R A’s (o bv i o u s ly) ra cks of cl othing, in search of s om e n ew i te m s t h a t wo u ld a dd s o me s pice to her wardrob e . Before we head of f th ou g h , I m a d e s u re I u n ders to o d h er e x pe ctat ions from th a t d a y’s se ss i on , h er bu dget a n d h er s t y le p re fe rences. I wo u l d soon f i n d ou t th a t s h e u s u a lly feels mo s t co nfident in blac k, b u t s h e wou l d a l s o li ke to ex peri m en t w i t h co l our. She also fel t l i ke h e r wor k wa rd ro be h a d overta ken h er norm al o ne, and s h e wou l d l i ke to c h a n ge t h a t. Ch a llen ge acce pted. I was o n a m i s si on a n d I wa s res o lu te to s u cceed. 28
“I WOULD HAVE NEVER CHOSEN THE THINGS I BOUGHT TODAY ON MY OWN, BUT I AM VERY HAPPY WITH THE OUTCOME! THE NEXT TIME I LOOK AT AN ITEM THINKING IT WOULD NOT LOOK GOOD ON ME I WILL ACTUALLY JUST GRAB IT AND TRY IT ON. ”
Ale xa was opened to a l l of my s u g g e s t i o n s , w h i ch I rea lly a ppre ciated. Nee d l e ss to sa y, eve r y p iece I ch o s e fo r h er f i t h er p e rfec t ly. It wa s th e n on l y a m a tte r of w h a t pi eces m a de h er fe e l most conf i d e n t. Sh e im mediately fe l l i n l ove wi th on e m i n i lea t h er- lo o ki n g c re am dress and s h e a l so d i s cove re d t h a t yellow i s a ct u a lly h er col our ! (Not m a ny p e op l e ca n p u l l t h a t of f ) Th e ot h er t wo w inne rs were a nu d e top a n d a b l a c k bo dy - co n m i di s ki rt, a dorne d wit h some c u te b u tte r f l i e s a n d f lowers . Th es e la s t t wo pieces worked tog e th e r p e r fe c tl y a n d I co u ld i mm edi a tely n otice her confiden ce s h i n i n g th rou g h by t h e wa y s h e lo o ked i n the mirror. If the re’s one t hin g I e n j oy m os t a b ou t fa s h i o n , i s wo rki n g d ire ctl y wit h peo p l e a n d h e l p i n g th e m a ch i eve h a ppi n es s a n d we l l - being by ma k i n g th e m se e th e m s elves f ro m a di f feren t p e rspe ct ive. After a l l , we a re ou r own bi gges t cri t i c, w h i ch i s a shame. All wo m e n a re b e a u ti f u l a n d i t’ s o n ly a m a t ter of f i nding t he r ight c l oth e s to a cce n tu a te yo u r bes t fea t u res . Anot he r d a y, a n oth e r h a p py cu s to m er!
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SHAUNAGH AN IRISH GIRL PUTS A SMILE ON HER FACE THROUGH HER CLOTHES.
Never have I ever met such a positive person in Aberdeen before. In a picture painted with grey buildings and gloomy skies, Shaunagh’s smile shines through, not only on her face, b ut also on her clothes. As soon as I was greeted with her positive attitude, I instantly felt happier myself. I’ll have whatever she’s having, please!
Shaunagh revealed her secret weapon is makeup, which always works wonders on her confidence, whenever she wants to elevate her outfit. I haven’t really paid attention to this before, but makeup really complements an outfit and spices up a plain one, helping women feel better about their look. As much as I appreciate a natural face, it’s great fun to experiment with make-up. After all, that’s one of the perks of being a woman!
I wanted to talk about the concept of style uniforms with Shaunagh as well, but I would soon find out she actually wears a regular uniform at work, so you can imagine her wardrobe is a plethora of vivid, eclectic pieces, that say nothing but “uniform”. Fair enough, I would have to rethink the direction of the interview..nurture positive relationships through positive feelings . To my surprise though, the conversation ran smoothly and Shaunagh confessed how she actually enjoys wearing a uniform at work (she works in a hospital) because it takes the pressure off thinking what to wear every day.
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Externally-imposed uniforms have always sparked debates, but it was interesting to fin out how a fashionable person would consider her work uniform as a positive rule. I still have mixed feelings about this.
I also talked to Shaunagh about body image and how keeping fit makes her happy because it also improves her relationship with clothes. I couldn’t agree more with that. Fit is al so a state of mind. As long as we stay active and choose the right clothes for our body type, it doesn’t matter we don’t actually reach the ideal silhouette imposed by the media. Someone she looks up to in the fashion ind ustry is Gok Wan, who preaches exactly that: how to choose the right clothes for your body that would make you happy just the way you are.
What made me look up to Shaunagh even more as a role model for all women out there is that she doesn’t hold back from complimen ting other women in a genuine way. It’s wonderful when fashion allows people to engage positively and nurture positive relationships through positive feelings.
To p p os itive fe e ling s: co nfid e n ce , e xcite m e n t, un i que n e s s ,
a dm iration, indep e n d e n ce . B o t t o m line: Surrou n d yo u r s e l f w it h p e o ple who a cce pt yo u
t he way you are. Yo u h a ve to a cce pt yo ur s e lf f i r s t tho ugh. Happ iness w ill the n co m e n a t u ra l l y. .
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“MY GROUP OF FRIENDS IS VERY POSITIVE. WE ALL GIVE EACH OTHER COMPLIMENTS AND ENCOURAGE EACH OTHER TO DRESS HOWEVER WE FEEL BEST IN.”
Charlotte Lola THE POWER COUPLE THAT FOUND HAPPINESS IN BEING DIFFERENT, BUT REAL.
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“ Too mu ch g o o d ta s te ca n b e ve r y bori n g. In depen den t s tyl e , o n the ot h e r h a n d , ca n be very i n s pi ri n g.” Di a n a Vre e la n d Safe to say, I was a li ttle star-struck when me e tin g Ch arlotte Strou d for t he f i r s t t i m e . Sh e i s a well establi shed stylis t an d all- arou n d fa shionista t h at wo r ked her way up i n the i ndu s try, with ou t followin g a conven t i o n al p at h to success. She beli eve d in h e r dre am an d s h e wor ked h e r way towards i t even whi le she was s till s tu dyin g, wh ich p rac t ica l l y m ake s h er a hero ! Charl otte ’ s h ard wo r k , determ i nati o n and loyalty to h e r pe rs on al s tyle and va l ue s , e ar n e d her a respectable nam e as a s tylis t an d make - u p arti st. Sh e ’ s n ow d re am i ng to transi ti o n from fas h ion s tylin g to th e film & a d ve r t i s i n g i n dustry and i t’s o nly a matte r of time u n til s h e b eco m e s t h e n ew Patri ci a Fi eld (m aster-m i n d be h in d SATC wardrobe for t he l e as t Car r i e - o bsessed). But I wa s i n te re s te d to also m eet the perso n be h in d th e s tar. A witty, chari sma t i c an d p o s iti ve yo ung gi rl, parent in g Lola, a borde r- te rrie r t hat sto l e my h e ar t on the spot and the pi ct u re s prove why. Th e s e two seem e d to h ave fo u nd the secret to sarto ri al h appin e s s an d we llb ein g a n d I wan te d to learn all abo ut i t.
Inte rest in g l y e n o u g h, I fo und o ut that Charlotte ’s job is n ot as glamo uro u s as o n e wo uld thi nk. When wo rk in g on s e t, phys ical comfort re i g n s s u p re m e, altho ugh she admitte d to ch oos in g physi ca l d i s co mfo r t fo r the sake of bei ng psych ologically comfortab l e . However, wo rk i s a di fferent story. Eve n a fas h ion quee n m ake s co m p ro m i ses. I wa n ted to ap p ro ach the i dea of sty le uniform again , bu t Ch a rl otte s h am e l e s sly labeled herself as a le gitimate “h oarde r”. She e njoys t h r i ft s h ops, chari ty sho ps and eBay an d like s bu yin g thi ngs t h at h ave m eani ng and a sto ry behin d th e m, n ot ju s t for their l a b e l s . I g u e s s i t’ s qui te o bv i o us her cre ativity h as n o bou nda r i e s an d re i nventi ng her sty le keeps h e r h appy an d fu lfille d.
“ I m us t have abou t 4 0 ja ckets. .to n s. . a n d m a y be I ’ l l o n l y we a r one of those ja ckets o n ce ever y s i x m o n t h s o r m a y be not even in a yea r. . b u t it’s g o o d to kn ow t h a t I ’ve g ot i t.” Ch a rl otte d o e s n ’t l i ke si m pli ci ty. She li kes th in gs to be “awkward”, a s sh e pu t s i t. Sh e li kes o peni ng the do o rs to h e r clos e t an d discover a m i x t u re of textures, co lo urs, cuts . Sh e th e n kn ows exac t l y w h at s h e wa nts to wear and sti cks it toge th e r. Tha t’ s how a g e n i u s wo rks.
“IT MAKES YOU FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE AND SELF-CONSCIOUS WHEN YOU ARE NOT TRUE TO YOURSELF AND YOUR SENSE OF STYLE.”
Sh e d oe s n ’t we a r th i n g s th a t a re n ’t true to her sty le b ecause th ey m a ke h e r fe e l ri d i c u lo u s . It’ s her ec lec ti c sty le that m akes h e r s ta n d o u t a n d e x p re s s h e r uni q ue p er sonali ty. Sh e finds t h e fa s hi o n i n d u s try to b e qui te vac uous b ut she i s not l ike t h a t. Alth o u g h s h e i s p a i d to make p eop le j ud g e i mages, s h e n eve r j u d g e s a p e rs o n based on ap p earance. Th a t is o n e of t h e re a s o n s w hy s h e wo uld love to wor k i n fi lm a n d adve r t i s in g. It’ s o n ly a m a tte r of ti me unti l she also co nquers t h e bi g s c re e n ! It’ s diff icu l t to be s o co m m i tte d to yo ur core sp i r i t and k now exac tl y w h a t yo u wa n t. Ch a rlotte ca n teac h us all one or two things a bou t th a t. Kn ow i n g yo u rself and d ressi ng a ccordingl y h a s o n ce a g a i n p rove d to b e the sec ret to ha ppines s a n d well- b e i n g . To p p os i t ive fe e ling s : Ha p p in e s s , co nfid e nce a n d un i que n e s s Fa vou r i te ite m in he r wardrob e: A v in ta g e 19 2 0 ’ s ca pe . ( I kn ew
s he was Superwom a n ! ) Bo tt o m l ine: It’s goo d to l o o k cra zy, a s lo n g a s yo u’ re tr ue to
yo urse lf. You w ill a l wa ys a t t ra ct t h e r ig ht pe o ple a ro un d yo u, w h o wil l allow you to b e h a p py.
Special thank you
Karen
We’ve reached the end of my magazine, but before I say goodbye and share a few conc lusions with you, I want to express my gratitude for the woman who allowed me to bring this project to life. Karen Cross has been my coordinator throughout my final research project, inspiring me every time with her unique sense of style and intelligence. She accepted to pose alongside a sample of her extensive collection of trainers, which shows she definitely found the key to her personal sartorial happiness. Everything about her shoes is happy and so are her feet and ultimately her spirit. If the secret lies in wearing Mickey Mouse trainers, I’m definitely putting them on my shopping list!
Thank you, Karen, for believing in me and for leading so many generations towards fulfilling their dreams!
MOO
OD
Probably the hardest part in everything is to say goodbye and move on to the next chapter. This magazine may or may not have a second issue, but writing it made me realize that human beings can really achieve anything they want. After creativity, my 2nd biggest passion is working with people, interacting with them and listening to their stories. Constance Magazine allowed me to combine these exact two passions. Why “Constance”? Well, I started my personal blog , www.saraconstance.com , the exact year I also started university. My blog became an outlet for me to experiment with my creativity, be it through fashion, photography or graphic design. I have now reached the end of my student life and it felt only natural to create something to celebrate my blog and my work throughout these past 4 years. “Constance” also derives from Latin, which also represents my roots. The word means “constant” and can also be associated to “confident”, “persistent”, “devoted” and “unceasing”. This exact magazine has been all about confidence, persistence in being devoted to one’s core values and also about unceasingly pursuing happiness and well-being through style. I have chosen to write the name in the phonetic transcription to give it a little edge and mystery because this magazine is dedicated to women and that’s exactly what we are about. Makes sense now? I have enjoyed every second of this intricate research process. The women I have interviewed taught me so much about self-discovery and about the psychology of fashion and I am extremely grateful for their time and positive energy. I have discovered so many interesting ideas that I myself will apply to my life in my quest to create a happier self through clothing. The five pillars of Seligman’s PERMA model, that I initially started from, could be narrowed down to three, when associated with fashion. Positive emotions stands alone, while engagement and positive relationships become one inter-dependent entity. Lastly, meaning connects with achievement/accomplishment, becoming the only variable in the model. That’s becaue the women I talked to transitioned from their student life towards a professional career, where clothing gained a more mature meaning. The constant throughout this model seemed to be confidence. So to conclude, CONFIDENCE is the most important factor when aiming to achieve happiness through clothing. I hope you enjoyed reading this magazine. Feel free to join the conversation and share your opinion on this topic, either on Facebook (/sara.constance) or even via email (sara@saraconstance.com). Stay stylish and happy!
ARE YOU HAPPY? NO
YES CHANGE SOMETHING
KEEP DOING WHATEVER YOU’RE DONG
YES
DO YOU WANT TO BE HAPPY?
NO
Copyright c 2016 www.saraconstance.com