The Fashion Rules were made to be broken!
Rules were made to be broken! So true, even in fashion. This issue of the "Monthly Fashion Update" will focus on some old and new rules that have changed the way we dress and can help you freshen up your look.
The first old rule, and one that is especially appropriate in the summer, is not wearing white before Memorial Day. This used to be a very strict rule, along with not wearing white after Labor Day, however, now it's completely acceptable to wear white before AND after these dates. These dates should just be a guideline, so don't be afraid to wear your white jeans, sandals, and other items before the big Memorial Day parade and after the kids go back to school.
Now, just because you are wearing white shoes before Memorial Day, doesn't mean that your bag has to be white as well. The old belief that your purse and shoes have to match no longer applies. Instead, your bag and shoes should act as the neutrals in your ensemble or should be the punch of color that a simple outfit needs.
I think it's always easier, (and less expensive), to do a pop of color with a shoe. I have already started my fall shopping and I'm looking to add the big color of the season - purple. A purple shoe is fun, especially this purple suede flat from Banana Republic. I picture this with just a black sweater and jeans. Very easy, yet a nice change from black. However, I would not carry a purple bag with that outfit - I would look like a grape and a little too "DTM", dyed to match, as Michael Kors calls it!
Wearing nylons has also become passé. Bare or nude legs are a much simpler and more modern look. However, it is acceptable to wear nylons in the colder months, but be sure that you are not wearing open-toed shoes! My suggestion for when you have to wear something on your legs is to make sure that it has a fun pattern - diamonds, polka dots, stripes, et cetera, but be careful because patterns add weight to someone who might already have thick calves. The less busy the pattern, the better.
Another fashion rule that needs to be tossed out is the idea that black is always slimming. Just because one is dressing in one color head to toe, does not a slimmed down figure make. As any one of my clients can tell you, the right clothes, not all black clothes, make the difference. The right shape and silhouette in clothes can change the way you look - and feel! (This is where I come in, should you need help in figured out what is the right shape for you.)
Here's an example - this is the same dress, yes styled in two different ways, but it's boring in black. It's nothing special, yet in the green, you could actually wear it with basic tall black boots and bag and they don't fade into the background.
Nonetheless, whatever you decide to wear, remember that these rules were made to be broken so it is ok to have bare legs, wear something other than black, put on white before or after the summer and have a bag or shoe in a contrasting color.
One final note: Regardless of the rules, there are some things that will never be in style. Aside from the obvious ones, (light-colored jeans, long skirts, double-breasted jackets et cetera), here are a few that I see over and over again:
- Fisherman sweaters (the big, chunky ones that everyone brings back from Ireland, but never wears)
- Overalls
- Square-toed shoes
- Purses with long straps (dated and usually hit at the widest point on a women's body)
- Vera Bradley bags
- Brighton belts, bags, key chains
- Velour track suits - with or without "Juicy" on the behind