Los Angeles Fashion Week is a time for designers to showcase their upcoming seasonal collections, a time for celebrities to show their faces and prove that they are the biggest fans of this or that designer, and a time for the media to roll tape.  And most obviously, amongst the entertaining and eventful days of Fashion Week, it is a time when the stage is being set for trends and what will be hot for next season. These “trends” are what we, consumers, will eventually see trickle down into an affordable store and set on display for us to snatch up. Buyers, who also attend shows seeking ready-to-wear pieces to purchase, as well as inspiration for their own fashion company designers, play a major role in the overall picture. Buyers help to determine what will sell in a store, largely based on that retail outlet’s demographics and customer history:   income level, region, most common sizes, and lifestyle.

But I digress slightly. See I started out writing this piece to share my recent experience, wearing the wrong trend to a girlfriend’s bachelorette night out in LA, and how I should have been more conscious of how it would misrepresent my body shape and size.  But then as I start to think about trends, I can’t help but evoke thoughts of the runway, the models’ struts, and how the front row goes gaga over what is flaunted. And it’s all relative really, because we all have our favorite obsessions and what (we think) works for us individually. The catwalk is the place where it all starts.

So here it is: Before I left my home that evening, about 6-ish, I felt comfy and stylish, with just a touch of sexiness.

Yes, I did notice that this baby doll-esque spaghetti strapped dress that hit just below my knees did not flatter my pear shape.  But because it was black, and I wore over leggings with black, peep-toe heels, I figured it still worked. However, now that I analyze the look, I truly see how the dress—that flared fully at the hips—made me look double my size (the camera can be so cruel!). Needless to say, I’ve hung the dress up in way back in my closet. I plan only to wear it again under funky jackets or sweaters, maybe with scarves, as a fun, complementary piece versus being the focus of the entire outfit. Not to mention, that all of the other girls that evening wore mini, tight dresses, above the knees. While they had more petite frames and were smaller in size, it was interesting how the dresses hugged them in a nice way. While I was trying to conceal my size, they were embracing their curves, wearing more overt sexy fashion. I could have found a trend in the middle, something that was flirty-cute and still comfy.

It’s disappointing really, ’cause lately, in the midst of trying to lose the 10 pounds I’ve gained over the last few months, I have been extra alert as to how I present myself. But that night, I was blinded by my own insecurities. And it did me in—the baby doll dress trend (which has always been one of my summer staples!) is not for me. I now recognize it, and I’m moving on.