The Keys to Dallas Style

I’ve addressed updating your style and my changing style on the blog, but what about the great place from where I moved to Seattle, good old Dallas, Texas? There are as many style types in Dallas as there are anywhere else: boho, classic, feminine, modern, etc. But the elements which I believe are present in Dallas across all style types are these:

• Dallas Style is finished. All the I’s are dotted and all the T’s are crossed. The hair is done, makeup is finished, the nails are lacquered and the outfit is complete. The Dallas woman does it all head to toe. Yes, sometimes her hair is dirty and pulled up, and sometimes the nail polish is chipped, but the effort is always there to look her best on all points.
• Dallas Style is bold. As they say, everything is bigger in Texas. This carries over into Dallas style. There are few shrinking violets in Dallas. The Dallas woman is doing her thing, creating her own style signature and doing it big whether it’s a bold lip color, a blingy shoe, pattern mixing, or big hair (yes, there are a few hangers on). The Dallas woman is not wasting time wondering what others think. Love it or leave it, she’s doing what she wants with her style.
• Dallas Style is on trend. The trends do not miss the Dallas woman. She’s on top of it the second it comes down the runway. Dallas women have, in fact, been known to inspire fashion trends. Zac Posen, Prabal Gurung, Karl Lagerfeld, to name a few well-know fashion designers, have not been shy about expressing their love and admiration of the Dallas fashionista. She sets a swift fashion pace.

It would be remiss of me not to mention a small downside to Dallas style (or perhaps Dallas, in general). There is a lot of pressure to keep up. You see a lot of “it” bags and “it” shoes stepping out of pricey vehicles in front of beautiful homes with perfectly manicured landscapes. It is not all that it appears to be, of course. It never is. However, it is difficult to push thoughts of “I want that” from your mind when you see it every day. Score one for Seattle. I have never once felt that kind of pressure here. No one cares what brand of car you drive or what part of town you live in or whether your shoes are designer or knock off. Bless you, Seattle.

This aside, however, Dallas still has my heart. My body is in Seattle, but my heart is with you, Dallas. Along with your big style and your big hair, you have a big, loving heart. See you again real soon, Big D!

(All photos by the marvelous Jenna of Styled Out West.)