Occasionally I watch soap operas.
Not because I like them. In fact, I hate them. They're horrible, painful to watch, and total chick shows. If ever something was written and designed specifically for women, it's the soaps.
So why do I torture myself like this? Why do I watch these God-awful things?
A quest for knowledge, of course. Clothing-specific knowledge to be exact.
Keep in mind that these soaps are designed specifically for women... so the men on these shows, in addition to being good-looking, are always extremely well-dressed. Even in their casual attire, they're "dressed to impress."
The colors, the styles, how it all fits together... you can never go wrong if you follow the styles displayed in the soaps.
Now, as I mentioned, they're horrible and painful to watch. So what's the easiest way to go about doing your "research?" Personally I like to tape the shows. Then I can watch them whenever I have a chance and make prolific use of the fast-forward button. I can go through 3 or 4 hours of soaps in about 30 minutes.
Other suggestions:
- Turn the sound off. Don't torture yourself unnecessarily.
- Take notes. You'll never remember it all.
- Find one of two characters that you can identify with or who you think always look good, and pay specific attention to what they wear.
- Note the colors and which colors seem to go together well. Also note the feelings you get when you see these colors and color combinations (what's tough, what's sexy, what's fun, what's happy, what's relaxed, etc.).
- And finally, don't get addicted to the soap operas while doing your research. That's just sad.
