“It is a new era in fashion where there are no rules. It is all about the individual and personal style” -Alexander McQueen
We are all aware of how dynamic fashion can be and just how incredibly diverse one’s taste regarding it can be. Choosing one’s individual taste from an array of various selections is no daunting and difficult task, but as it is with fashion pundits and authoritative figures, we have learned to follow a set of fashion rules and edicts when we are donning our favorite sartorial pieces. Over the years–especially for those who rigidly and religiously follow fashion magazine advice, fashionable individuals were constrained to follow these rules that over time became a conventional thing to do.
Perhaps you may have been even aware of some such as “the no white” policy right after labor day, a certain restriction in wearing white to someone’s wedding event, always having to match every aspect in your ensemble including your accessories. All that is just a small fraction of the set of fashion policies we have grown accustomed to and yet here we are living in the modern century wherein some of these rules are not only considered unconventional and obsolete, but incredibly absurd as well. Personally, I am a firm believer in forgoing all of fashion’s issued statements and decrees and that real genuine style should come from you and not from what fashion editors tell you it should be. This says a lot more about your personality and style than sticking with the conventional rules. However, some of you are more partial to having a bit more of an expert advice when it comes to dressing up and that’s where this article comes in. All the fashion rules may have been deeply ingrained in you by now but consider that regardless of whether you are wearing retail or wholesale clothing, some of these rules can be bent or event revised to allow for a bit more leverage and flexibility in our fashion choices. To give you a brief sample of what these bendable rules are, take a gander below.
RULE NO. 1: HANDBAGS, SHOES, AND BELTS SHOULD ALWAYS MATCH
Whoever devised this rule sounds like a boring and stiff individual with no such love for mixing and matching different colors and patterns and without any awareness of the other color schemes apart
from monochromatic. We have all probably heard this snobby statement when someone is looking askance or aghast at our mismatched belts and sandals that you can always tell a lady by her coordinated belt, bag, and shoes. Although this was fairly true enough once, the coordinated sets are a thing of the past and currently, it is all about complementing colors as well as patterns. Matching everything from your bag to your shoe down to your necklace would make you look dated while mixing it up a bit would add interest to your outfit making you look modern and polished.
RULE NO. 2: DO NOT STAY UNDER THE SUN
In a modern era wherein people are investing hard-earned money for a few hours on a tanning bed or even some tanning lotions, this seems an unlikely rule but do not go on believing that you can totally forget about this rule. There is some truth to this rule, after all, sunscreens with high SPFs are invented for a very good reason. But instead of staying out of the sun completely, try to negotiate with this rule by staying protected while out in the sun instead. If you are to enjoy a day out in the beach or anywhere else for that matter wherein your skin would be exposed, do apply some sunscreen lotion liberally and this should be the primary thing that you apply. Remember that a sunscreen’s effect on your skin can be compromised when you apply it to other beauty products such as makeup or moisturized, so take caution in doing this as it may damage your skin.
RULE NO. 3: AS YOU AGE, THE HEMLINES SHOULD FALL
Strict fashion rules would dictate that women should dress appropriately for their age. One of the known edicts of this rule is that a lady should wear a skirt that does not go over the knee. In this age, this rule seems no more than an absurd poppycock. Women ought to wear skirts based on their comfort level rather than conform to what society thinks looks good on them–no matter the age. However, there is a certain truth to wearing sartorial pieces that should be appropriate for your age for one: a hot pair of pants that would show a generous amount of your midriff is considered a no-no, but short skirts are relatively okay. You can wear a short dress and high heels as you get older, but to make the look age appropriate, layer it with a sweater or a jacket. If you are uncomfortable with showing leg, then you can always pair your short skirts with tights so you would not feel too overexposed.
RULE NO. 4: ONE SHOULD NEVER WEAR OPEN-TOE SHOES AND SANDALS WITH HOSIERY
Reading this rule constructs the image of guys wearing socks with their pair of Crocs or sandals, and though that is a very cringe-worthy image, the same does not hold true for women. We may have been under the mistaken belief that wearing open-toe sandals or peep-toe shoes would suggest–as their name goes, to show our toes but of course, we have also seen styles wherein these shoes would look spectacular paired with any elegant charcoal tights. Achieving the look may seem a bit tricky but with apt deliberation, anyone can pull it off. What you need to keep in mind is that you would need to find tights that do not have a reinforced toe or even a seam so that there would not be any creases at the edge. However, under no circumstance should tights should be paired with huge open toe sandals. It would look like you took your heels off and wore something else to be more comfortable.
RULE NO. 5: NEVER MIX METALS
In a simpler and more stifling time, it has been specified that jewelry–particularly those that come in silver and gold or bronze and silver or whatever, do not simply mix and under no circumstance should you ever do so. In fact, if we have to choose one metal then the rest of our jewelry should follow the color of the metal worn. Yet despite this rule, we have seen Cartier pieces that lump all three metals together and still manage to look stellar. The reality is, you can always choose to blend your bling as all of these metals are considered neutrals so mixing them is absolutely okay. You do, however, want to look like it has a purpose by keeping it in odd numbers (three if you are laying necklaces and cuffs) Uneven groupings give it a more modern and sophisticated look.
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