Fashion lover, Kate shares her “tips and tricks” to developing fashion confidence after vision loss.
The woman reflected in the changing room mirror whose face is covered in white dots is wearing a cherry-red dress, and I’m pretty sure she looks good in it.
I’m the woman in the red dress and the white dots are how my legal blindness manifests itself. Everything I look at all day every day is obstructed by a large throbbing group of white dots in the central part of my vision.
These annoying (understatement) dots are the result of an eye condition called Macular Dystrophy and have left me with around 15% usable vision.
I may be legally blind but I’m not going to miss out on the pleasure of dressing up. I’ve always loved fashion. I started reading Vogue when I was 13. I used to pour over the fashion editorials making mental notes of how to dress. Years of hours browsing the pages of Vogue taught me that animal prints can be used as neutrals, that Mary Jane stilettos work with all dresses, that ballet slippers work with all jeans, that winter coats should be playful and that the long bow on your silk shirt should always be worn casually looped, never in a neat bow.
Reading Vogue these days is a cumbersome experience. I have it so close to my face that my nose touches the paper and I have to squeeze my handheld magnifier in-between myself and the magazine.
I’ve all but given up on Vogue but I’ll never give up on fashion.
When I go shopping these days I have a few tricks up my sleeve to make sure I find fashionable affordable clothes.
There’s no need to spend a fortune, there are lots of fashionable inexpensive outlets around. Cheaper outlets mean if you make a fashion mistake, it’s not an expensive mistake.
Once you’re in the shop, a good trick is to go for clothes that are hanging in the same section. In many shops a rack will have the skirt, blouse and jacket together that all match one another. This tip works if you aren’t confident that you can choose things yourself that are matching.
Once you’re in the change rooms if you can’t see yourself properly in the mirror then take a selfie and enlarge the image on your phone to get a good look. Or if you are blind, bring a friend with you whose taste you trust, and ask them straight out, “Do I look fashionable?”, “Do I look good?
You’re after honest appraisal at this point because you haven’t bought the item yet so this is the time for your friend to tell you the truth.
You will be sure to have success in the shops if you get the best look at yourself, bring a trusted friend or else ask a shop assistant for advice.
Remember shop assistants want to make a sale and want the clothes in their stores to look good out in public so they have every reason to choose a good look for you.
I believe it’s true that real beauty comes from within. No amount of fashionable clothes can increase the goodness in your heart, however fashion can be lots of fun and people who are blind or have low vision should have the same access to all things fun and frivolous as the rest of the community do.
Happy shopping!
If you're seeking more advice about getting around and living independently, speak to our specialized team at Vision Australia by calling 1300 84 74 66.