Every woman grows up learning certain fashion “rules.” Wait, no…let’s rephrase that. Every woman grows up learning certain fashion “rules” that no one knows the source of, the date of, or the reason for. These “rules” have been around so long they have become subconscious habit, and blindly accepted. Well, no longer! We’ve got 5 that you need seriously need to start retraining your brain on. And trust us, your wardrobe will thank you!

• Don’t Mix Prints – In theory, this is probably one of the only fashion “rules” we kinda understand the reasoning behind. But, as with so many other things in life, moderation is the key. Prints can be tied together in so many ways…colors, patterns, size of the prints, style of the prints…and look fantastic. Mixing prints is also a great way to have fun with style, to create a wow instead of a ho-hum If the idea scares you, but you’re still up for trying it, start with this guideline: mix one small print with a larger one, and try to tie them together by similar color/colors. This way there will be enough similarity to create a “matching” feeling, but it will still be visually interesting.
• Don’t Wear White After Labor Day – This rule is just plain silly. Period. End of story. Dismiss it from your mind immediately. Whites and creams are such amazing contrasting colors for so many “after Labor Day” looks! Just think how great a creamy-white wool coat will be over a deep burgundy sweater. Think how fabulous an oversized white cable knit sweater will look with a pair of skinny cropped jeans and ankle boots! What about skinny white jeans and a plaid shirt worn open over a casual grey tee?
• Always Match Your Shoes, Belt, and Bag – Not only is this rule ridiculous to all but the extremely OCD among us, it’s financially and physically pretty impossible most of the time. Don’t let this rule govern your fashion life…but, if matching your shoes/belt/bag makes you feel better, go for it! A red shoes/red bag combo would make quite a statement, as would leopard print shoes and a matching skinny belt. A good rule of thumb is to either match your shoes with the tone of the outfit, or use the shoes to make a statement. For example, if your outfit consists of warm tones, brown shoes (even those with a print or pattern, like snakeskin) will compliment it. Or, if the outfit has more of a cool-tone feel, then a black shoe would work. But to contrast or make a statement, red, hot pink, nude with a pop of neon, or bold animal prints (like zebra) would look fab!
• Don’t Match Gold and Silver – Sure, a matching one-tone bracelet/watch/ring/necklace/earring combo is a great way to give an outfit some impact, but at the end of the day, yellow gold, silver, white gold, rose gold…it’s all shiny! Not to mention the fact that jewelry pieces combining all three tones are huge right now, and by wearing all three, you are pretty much guaranteed complimenting and picking up on whatever tones are in your outfit overall.
• Don’t Wear Metallics and Sequins During the Day – As with the above silly rule, this rule is considered equally silly due to the fact that…duh….shiny! The key to wearing metallics, sequins, and shimmer during the day is to keep balance with the rest of what you’re wearing. Sure, you can rock that sequin-embellished cardigan…just balance it out with non-shiny pants and top. Want to break out the sparkly stilettos or sequin tank on a Wednesday morning? Why not! Just be sure to keep the rest of the outfit matte and subtle, using the shine as a fantastic focal jewel in your crown, so to speak.

 

Image by kaboompics is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 (source: pixabay)