I adore fashion more now than I ever have. Writing, reading and talking about it is something that I enjoy doing every chance I get. Fashion allows us to express ourselves. Whether you're a maker or a patron or both, it brings color to the otherwise black and white palette of our daily lives. The more I consume fashion news, though, the more I realize this. You make fashion, fashion does not make you.

There's so much controversy over thin versus thick, black versus white, IQ versus marketability. While it may be true that the majority of us respond favorably to certain images more than others, in the final analysis we each bring something unique to the table. We each have our own signature, our own way of doing things and no one looks exactly like you except you. Remember that when you feel like your nose or your waistline is too big. Think about that when the latest fad just doesn't seem to work all that well with your body type. Thank goodness our fashion options are not limited to scarcely available resources as they might have been in centuries past. You can define, redefine and reinvent yourself at will on the outside. You and only you, however can feel good about your own smile, charisma and light from within that you share with the world.