Columnists, Opinion

HAGERTY: How to be fabulous

Fabulous is my favorite word. It’s defined by Merriam Webster’s dictionary as “resembling or suggesting a fable: of an incredible, astonishing, or exaggerated nature.” In my opinion, the month of September is the most fabulous month of the year. This month is so great because it’s a time where you can reinvent yourself. Over the course of the month, it somehow feels like the world is teeming with more inspiration than usual. From New York Fashion Week to the season premieres of shows old and new to the beginning of the school year, there are so many opportunities to become the fabulous person you’ve always wanted to be.

The fabulosity of September also has so much to do with the natural processes happening all around us. For me, watching summer turn into autumn is the most invigorating time of the year. Feeling cold enough in the morning to throw on a jacket on my way out the door is the best! And even though I’m not terribly keen on pumpkin spice lattes, I sure love seeing pumpkin paraphernalia everywhere. It’s nature’s reminder that things are changing all around us, and perhaps, we should do a little changing ourselves.

This time of year is my favorite seasonal transition because after summer — a period of relaxation — I start this autumn feeling rejuvenated, energetic, ready to work and ready to try something new. My world seems buzzing with new energy. I usually make resolutions around this time, and I take them more seriously than the resolutions I make at New Year’s. I think I’m just a little more inspired in September. Watching the trees shed a layer of leaves reminds me that perhaps I too should shed some bad habits or a few pounds or maybe get rid of some of the crap in my apartment. Now, part of this inspiration can be attributed to nature, another part can certainly be attributed to the extremely fabulous Anna Wintour.

The September issue of Vogue is a staple of this season. This year, clocking in at 774 pages, the magazine is my ideal starting point for a season of crafting new goals and refreshing my spirit. It’s a cultural north star and touchstone, reminding us as a society of who we were and are, but most importantly it’s a reminder of what is truly fabulous. In her Letter from the Editor, Wintour writes about how fashion is all about moving forward, but every once in awhile, it’s crucial to look back at that path we’ve been on. I couldn’t think of a more fitting message for the month of September.

One thing that always strikes me every month about Wintour’s Letter from the Editor is how she weaves the most important cultural issues, and often the most important political ones, into the fabric of Vogue. Last month, there was a fabulous profile of Angela Merkel and the theme of the issue was a reflection on gender. This month, the theme is Americana and the issue is laden with expressions of what it means to be an American. However, what stood out to me the most about Wintour’s letter was that next to it, there were several photos of past covers, including the highly controversial 2008 cover featuring Lebron James and Gisele Bundchen. In my opinion, that cover was a low point for Vogue, and yet Anna Wintour featured that cover front and center in the 2017 September issue.

In the world of cultural criticism and fashion, being honest and accepting and acknowledging mistakes is a crucial aspect of moving forward and ultimately moving on, hopefully in a better direction. The same goes for the way we should try to judge ourselves and become better. I love the September Vogue because it holds a mirror to our culture that shines light in every nook and cranny in what makes us, us.

For me, it sets an example. Taking stock of the year’s greatest triumphs, failures, most interesting stories, best outfits and everything in between is crucial for growth. Growing out of bad habits is certainly fabulous.

All of this brings me back to my favorite word. I think that in order to be truly fabulous, you must change, grow and adapt. You must take stock of who you are and who you wish to become and figure out a pathway to get there. Being as fabulous as the September Vogue entails becoming consistently better and bolder and always striving to be a better version of one’s self. So perhaps this September we should all try to drop something bad and pick up something new — it will only make us just a little more fabulous.

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