Is it still Halloween?

"I'm Italian. We don't have that gene that tells us when enough is enough. I grew up in a house with a chandelier in every room."

This is what a friend said to me at work the other day.

The comment was in response to the appearance of another beloved colleague who had walked into the office OD'd on zebra-print*.

*Identifying fashion crimes have been changed to protect the not-so-innocent.
Colleague #1 (let's call her Tracy) has a person who steps in and lets her know when to say no. For example, if Tracy wants to wear leopard-print shoes with a leopard-print belt, bag and sweater, her guardian fashion angel will step in and say, "No!"

Unfortunately, Colleague #2 has no such friend. But her clothes to seem to make her happy and I think that is probably the greater good--fashion police be damned!

After Tracy's comment, I couldn't stop thinking about the problem of fashion binging that curses so many. I wanted to help, so I came up with some terminology that I thought could potentially help others keep themselves on the right side of the proverbial fashion line (or keep the black "Glamour Magazine" DON'T bar from across their eyes).

I walked into Tracy's office and said, "I think I have something that might help you when you're tempted to go overboard.

"Think of the term 'statement piece.' A statement piece is something that makes a big splash on it's own: animal prints, red, etc. One piece--shoes, a hat, a scarf--is enough. One piece," I emphasized, "is a statement piece. Head-to-toe is a Halloween costume."

We laughed. Hard. And I like to think that I may have struck upon something that will help others who are also missing certain fashion genes.