RELATIONSTYLE

By Contributing Editors
Stacie Corliss & Julia G

Last week, on an average New York summer’s day, we were strolling through Soho and came across a fascinating, less-than-average sight. Walking towards us was an impeccably put together WASP-y girl, clad in a Lilly Pulitzer dress and a set of pearls. What was shocking was that she happened to be holding hands with a gentleman, presumably her boyfriend, who looked like a slightly tamer version of Marilyn Manson -- tattoos, piercings, Doc Martins and all. However, this rather odd couple had undeniable chemistry and looked like they couldn’t be happier.

This got us thinking, how can such seemingly different people be attracted to each other, and how does one’s personal style relate to the type of person one is drawn to? After several conversations with friends and colleagues, some research, and really thinking about how we would answer this question, we came to a conclusion that is far from simple. The way a person chooses to dress usually transforms during the course of a lifetime and directly relates to the way that person wants to be seen by others in a particular time. It is one of the most personal forms of self-expression, as it is often the first and only way one is judged by society, i.e. strangers on the street. For example, a teenager may want to rebel against her conservative parents by dressing like a punk rocker, yet end up in tweed later on in life, dating a Wall Street banker rather than the guy she met at a Blink-182 concert in 10th grade. Most people in their twenties are in the process of discovering their place in the world and who they are, including the way they choose to dress and whose hand they’ll be holding walking through Soho. Often, we date people who compensate for the qualities that we do not possess ourselves but admire. This explains the apparently mismatched couples who find true happiness together, because in a way they balance one another. Yet other times, people who are secure and established look for a partner who has similar views and life values, which explains the couples who are so similar they are occasionally confused for siblings.

Therefore, as strange as it may sound, our choices in fashion and who we date are very much related to one another, as both are a way of not only expressing, but also fulfilling ourselves.

Editor's Note:
Both Stacie and Julia are wonderful models living in New York City. Their sense of style and fashion are both striking and sophisticated. With their lips painted with vivid rouge Dior lipstick, and armed with Fendi B Bag they take the street and this article by the storm.

Photo courtesy of NYSH