Lemondrop

Ever since I hawked my wardrobe for a tax deduction and a slap in the face, I've fallen into a fashion rut. And, in my opinion, it's all the boyfriend's fault.

No, not that one. I mean the catchy prefix tacked onto every cardigan, jean, T-shirt and jacket for the past few seasons. At first, I just dabbled. A slouchy pair of rolled-up Levi's here, an oversize schoolboy blazer there, and then -- WHOOSH! -- I'd been sucked into a menswear black hole even Annie Hall couldn't crawl her way out of.

Suddenly I was less boho, all hobo, and clearly, I needed professional help.

Lori Goldstein has styled some of the world's most beautiful women, including Madonna, Anne Hathaway and Demi Moore, while serving as creative consultant to over 40 design houses (Carolina Herrera and Vera Wang, to name two). And, as luck would have it, she just launched LOGO Instant Chic, her new line of affordable ready-to-wear for QVC, and invited me over for a look-see.

The rules were simple: Show up at her swank New York apartment with an item you love but don't quite know how to style, and Goldstein would work her fashion magic. Here was my chance to cut my boyfriend addiction off at the source. I reached for my vintage brown corduroy blazer, which I'd only been able to use in my "English professor" look.

Goldstein is upbeat, accessible and fearless -- especially with a pair of scissors. Her style philosophy can be pretty much boiled down to this: If you hate something, cut it off.

"We all see ourselves in a certain way," she said, after flipping another attendee's floral silk dress inside-out to reveal the chic gray slip underneath. "But we have to break free of the rules and try different things." Shears in hand, she cut 2 inches from the slip to let the flirty floral print peek out beneath.

"What are you afraid of?" she exclaimed, handing the rejuvenated garment back to its ecstatic owner. "No one's going to die."

Goldstein's bravery is inspiring and infectious, and as I watched her MacGyver fashion dos emerge out of a pile of don'ts, I promised myself that when it came time, I would let her do her best (and worst) to my beloved cord coat.

Then it was my turn.

I laid it all out for her: my menswear addiction, wanting to dress like a woman again without looking too put-together. Goldstein, who, truth be told, is a big fan of the menswear look, liked the jacket and wasn't so sure it needed tweaking, but I persisted. Then, when she suggested we cut off the sleeves and turn it into a vest, I balked.

Yes, this was my golden opportunity to finally break out of the mold. But what I experienced at that moment was something akin to a fashion flashback; memories of me and my jacket unfolded like film before my eyes. Me and my jacket at the vintage shop as I rescued it from obscurity; me and my jacket on a first date ... under an umbrella in the rain, flying back to a rainy New York, and that familiar scratchy feeling every time I pull it over my shoulders.

No, this wasn't the time for goodbye. This was falling in love all over again.

Goldstein seemed disappointed, not so much for the jacket, but for me. But she gamely offered me an embellished tee and jersey cardigan from the LOGO line. Not the stark style departure I'd hoped for, but a little sparkle never hurt anyone. And I found she did leave me with another, even more valuable, takeaway.

What Goldstein made me realize is that I don't hate my clothes. Sure, I'd fallen into a monotonous rhythm, but doesn't that happen in most long-term relationships? I didn't need to rip what I owned to shreds, I rationalized. I could simply start by adding a few slightly less-manly accessories.

Nicole Sia is a frequent contributor to Lemondrop. Most recently she wrote about the girls at the thrift shop who were too cool for her secondhand clothes.

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