“I have so many fashion mistakes, but that is part of being in fashion. I think the people that you see make the most mistakes are usually the best dressers.” –Zac Posen
According to Donatella Versace, the three biggest fashion mistakes are cheap suits, shoes and shirts. She asserts that when it comes to fashion, people should spend their money on something good. Unfortunately, when it comes to fashion, the errors and faux pas committed extends way beyond cheap suits, shoes and shirts. In fact, women remain notorious for making these fashion errors. Whether these are hard ingrained style habits they have developed or fashion clichés and trends they tend to religiously follow, it does not matter. Regardless of what the reasoning behind their fashion lapses may be, it does help them one bit in enhancing their style. Women who want to improve their fashion and reach their full style potential should break away from obsolete styles as well as adapt to modern fashion practices to avoid damaging their personal style. If you want to be a chic, sophisticated and fashion forward woman, you need to break away from the style errors you are constantly committing.
If your fashion choices have been largely questionable (regardless of whether they are retail or wholesale clothing), then you need to revisit your personal practices and choices when it comes to fashion. Here are some of the mistakes you might be unknowingly committing:
1.) Wearing retro clothes without giving it a modern spin
While wearing retro pieces is not necessarily a bad thing (nor is it even remotely considered tacky), donning them without giving them even the slightest modern twist is. Fashion is cyclical and the trends of tomorrow are sure to make a comeback anytime soon. However, this is absolutely no excuse to garb yourself from head to toe in a style reminiscent of the roaring sixties. Unless you are attending a costume party, dressing yourself from head to toe in another decade’s outfits is never acceptable. Instead, incorporate small pieces from another fashion era and combine them with modern fashion staples.
2.) You believe tall women do not need heels
Not only is this notion erroneous, but a bit silly as well. A pair of heels does not only serve to add to a woman’s height after all, it does wonders for her posture as well. This misconception stem from the sexist idea that women should not be abundantly tall as it is not considered feminine and would only accomplish in drawing more attention to herself. However, a tall woman would still look graceful and every bit as feminine and sultry in heels as any woman would. So, do not let this skewed perception on the rules of high heels deter you.
3.) You primarily shop for Instagram
Since the advent of social media, more and more women are a bit more particular on how they portray themselves online–even going as far as to showing off their branded buys on social media platforms in an effort to impress their friends and followers. While we hate to think that this would be your reasoning for buying that Kate Spade Bag, the reality is we live in a materialistic world obsessed with appearances. So, ask yourself: Are you buying that exorbitant branded purse because you love it? Or because you want others to know you bought it?
4.)You only wear one bold color at a time
More often than not, you wear apparel in bold colors only one at a time. You either match them with much subtler pieces or patterned ones with the idea that it would look tacky or a bit much when complemented with another piece of clothing in a bold color. However, you will find that bold saturated hues look better when paired with another bold saturated hue. The effect is simply stunning, chic and modern.
5.) You avoid wearing horizontal stripes
Most women have this deep-seated belief that wearing anything with horizontal stripes would make them look wider. Although this antiquated notion may be true for body-hugging pieces, they do not necessarily hold the same for clothing pieces that are made well and would fit you well. Try on a blazer with this pattern and pair it with your favorite dark skinny jeans and see the effect for yourself.
6.) You do not mix prints
It has been the belief of many women that mixing prints creates visual noise and as a result, what you are wearing would look too busy. But on the contrary however, mixing prints can elevate your look and make you look fresh. You would be surprised at what you can achieve by mixing stripes with florals or polka dots with Ikat. Start small and break into pattern mixing slowly. Start by treating camo and leopard prints as neutral and add a colored print to it.
7.) You are quick to buy on trends
While there is nothing wrong with a splurge or two on fashion trends, exclusively buying trends is. Every fashion purchase you make does not necessarily have to be a classic, but buying an excessively expensive trend that would potentially fade into a tacky fad within a year is nothing short of unwise. After the season is over and the panache your once so coveted fashion item fades, you are stuck with a very expensive item that would probably hold no value even when it is sold. So, before buying expensive trends, think twice and mull it over. Otherwise, you might want to purchase cheaper alternatives instead.
8.) You believe loose styles would flatter plus-sized women
You are under the impression that in hiding your imperfections, you are effectively concealing your wide frame from view. The truth is, you are only making yourself look wider than necessary and truly are. Instead of trying to hide your body underneath mountains of clothes in a couple of sizes bigger than yours, opt for clothes that are well-tailored and would fit you well instead.
Elevate your style by getting rid of outdated fashion practices and beliefs. Start with the eight most common listed above and reach your true fashion and style potential so that whatever the occasion may be, you will always be sophisticatedly chic and fashionable.