The Seven Deadly Sins of Fashion
Wow. I still can’t believe it’s 2007, so in honor of this glorious year, I’ve decided to address the 7 deadly sins of fashion.
So let’s start with my most hated crime against fashion: pants that are too short. Now I know this may not seem that bad to most people, but if you look around, they are EVERYWHERE! This is not an exaggeration as I know most people can recognize a pair of floods, but what makes something too short? The rule is, the pants should brush the toe of your shoe – not the middle of the shoe. Your pants should cover almost your whole heel. If they don’t, then they are too short and the pants don’t fit. Which brings me to the next crime: clothes that don’t fit.
| Pants that are the CORRECT LENGTH |
Pants that are TOO SHORT |
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Good fit means that clothes skim the body, showing your curves without clinging to them. Whether you are a 2 or a 22, your clothes need to fit. When they are too big, you look big. You need to show off your shape no matter what it is, instead of just swimming or hiding inside your clothes. Any time clothing pulls or buckles, then it not only creates a sloppy appearance, but it adds pounds.
Now, when thinking about your clothes, there are some things that are very dated and will never come back in style. Things like pleated pants, long suit jackets, double breasted suit jackets and tapered legs are all dated and even more importantly, never flattering!
Along with dated items, another thing to consider is your shoes. There is no good way to explain it, but great shoes make an outfit and bad ones, well, they destroy it. A quick guide to bad shoes are the black ones with the contrasting/off-white stitching because it makes them look cheap and it’s everywhere. Shoes that are worn and scuffed at the toe are also a big no as well as chunky heels – this is not a good look for anyone. Hard and clunky doesn’t create a nice line or shape for the body. This isn’t to say that you have to walk around in really skinny heels, just something in between chunky and skinny like a stacked heel. Lastly, a pointed-toe shoe is best because it continues the line of the leg, but a rounded-toe is great as well. A squared-toed shoe falls under the dated category.
| GOOD SHOES nice shaped heal, pointy or rounded toe |
BAD SHOES too chunky square toes |
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Now, I know everyone has at least one black item in their closet and yes, all black can be very sliming, however, all black, all the time is not. Black can be nice in a dress or a skirt, but it can be very harsh. Colors like dark brown and navy can be much more flattering. However, don’t fear if your closet looks like the flying nun, because it is easy to perk up that all black outfit with a colorful belt, purse or shoes. Or if you wear all black, be sure to add texture in the blacks you are wearing like a tweed coat or an animal skin bag that has both texture and shine.
Number one, the right bra can change your look. It can make you look thinner, younger and feel more comfortable in your clothes. And for underwear – well, a visible panty line is not attractive and actually makes people stare at your butt as that’s all we can see when you are walking in front of us! If you don’t like thongs, I understand, but you have to give them a try. If they are still not for you, then try a boy short or go commando. Whatever works!
Lastly, I feel I must address my other fashion pet peeve and something I believe has become a crime against fashion. Designers, labels and knockoffs are becoming much more available, and the image of carrying a designer item turns into a crime against fashion when suddenly it is paired with everything from a track suit to a little black dress. By this I mean the Louis Vuitton speedy bag that is carried with everything! I know people think, “It’s just so classic. It can be worn with anything.” Not necessarily. When paired with a velour track suit, well that’s not classic, that’s tacky. This is partly because now it appears that everyone has one. To me, a track suit and a cute tote would look much more stylish or a black outfit would look great with a patent leather bag or something to add a pop of color. A Louis Vuitton bag does not a fashionista make.
I know this is a lot of information, but this is meant to be helpful and to give everyone some basic guidelines as we head into 2007. So for a bright fashion future, I would advise people to stay away from pants that are too short, bad shoes, clothes that don’t fit, all black all the time, dated styles, visible panty lines and saggy bras.