FABULOUS AND FASHIONABLE BY ALEX

[Susan Beausang]

Pencil skirts or skinny jeans?  Colored or patterned tights?  Over-the-knee boots or peep-toed heels?  Button-up sweater or pea coat style jacket?  Turtle neck or tunic?  Brunette or bald???  I’m Alex, and I have been totally bald for all of my fabulous 20 years alive.

First and foremost, I cannot wear wigs.  They are hot and honestly, I would probably whip it off half-way through the day out of total frustration!  So the alternative - let my bald head shine!

So it is not surprising that I stick out every place I go - grocery store, coffee shop, everywhere!  So what am I going to do about it?  Give all those lovely people staring something to look at!

Coco Channel is famously quoted as saying, “A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous.”  Coco, I couldn’t have said it better myself.  I love waking up every morning and putting together a piece of artwork outfit.  I love turning heads with some overly flashy sequined dress.  I love feeling fabulous.  I have never ever let the fact that I’m bald deter me from looking and feeling wonderful.  I know that there are those with alopecia who have settled into a comfortable, simple wardrobe, one that won’t turn heads or stand out.  We want to blend in somehow and we use our clothing to do it.  I’m here to tell you to buy that wrap dress and rock those silver heals!

Ladies, life is just too short to not walk down the street and not feel gorgeous.  We are constantly bombarded with society’s idea of perfection and beauty: skinny, long flowing hair, perfect skin.  But I can’t ignore the latest YSL collection because all of the models have hair.  In fact, I consider myself on the cutting edge of fashion with my baldness.  I have found the secret to making people comfortable with my being bald… own it!  Every time I walk out of my house, I take with me just a little more self-confidence than everyone else.  It has been my experience that if you are comfortable with yourself, then everyone else will be too.  I think that I am absolutely perfect the way I am, and no one is going to tell me different.

Fashion is something I adore.  I love looking through all of the new designer collections and then copying them at TJ Maxx.  Clothes make me happy, so who is to tell me that just because I’m bald I cannot be fashionable.  I am going to be fabulous!

(Oh, and fashion tip for the season, it’s ALL about boots.)

About Alex, our 4Women Guest Blogger:

Alex is a sister Alopecian and good friend of mine.  I admire her self-confidence, fashion sense and congeniality.  Being bald has only enhanced these qualities in her.   She is off to Paris in the fall where I’m sure she will continue to turn heads for all the right reasons.

Susan Beausang, President 4women.com