Tossin' Some Rules Out

I am not one to break rules, but from what I have heard, rules are made to be broken. I guess when I think about it, there are rules that don’t matter, especially in fashion. Yet in fashion, there are also many rules that should not be ignored, such as wearing socks and sandals. That in my mind is a rule that was made to last forever, and should never ever ever be forgotten! So I think it is time that people start being more daring with their fashion choices by breaking some of the rules, but if you go too far, the fashion police will come after you.

Everyone has heard the rule “Don’t wear white after Labor Day,” but that rule is outdated and completely irrelevant. From the runway to the magazines, winter white is becoming red hot. Now, with every broken rule there are new rules that are put in place. Such as, winter whites need to be paired with heavier fabrics like knits. This is what makes wearing the white appropriate, and keeps the outfit from looking too summery. Along with knits, you could throw on a fur vest or a warm scarf, which kicks winter white up a notch. Just to be clear, the fact that you can wear white after Labor Day does not mean that you should pull out your flowy white dresses or white daisy dukes from the summer. Those are only for summer and for nothing else. That is final. So if you are feeling like a daredevil, pull out your white jeans and throw on an oversize sweater (darker colors preferred), and if someone tries to tell you the rule, tell them to pick up a fashion magazine.

I have never thought that sequins and sparkles should be reserved only for nighttime, so now that that rule has been swept under the rug I could not be happier. However, a little sparkle goes a long way in daytime fashion. So this means that your skin tight sequined booty shaking dress should never be revealed during the daytime, and I mean it. By a little sparkle, I mean sequined tank tops or slightly bedazzled blazers. Actually, a fully bedazzled blazer can be worn during the daytime, as long as you pair it with the proper items. The way to do this is by dressing the sequins down. Wear the sparkly blazer with basic items such as skinny jeans and V-necks, and instantly a timeless outfit turns chic. This minor rule applies to anything that has sequins on it, and by that I mean that you have to dress down the sparkles to turn them into a daytime look. So to all you daring fashionistas sparkle on whether it is day or night.

So to the rule followers who say you can’t wear black and brown together, have you ever worn animal print? If your answer was yes, then you have been breaking your own rule all along. Sure black and brown can be tricky to pair together, but when you get it right, the color combo looks great. Personally I think warmer shades of brown look best with black, but there are ways that a dark brown can really stand out. To go along with the color combo rules, I would also have to disagree with the rule that states you can’t wear navy and black together. Most people have worn a black T-shirt with a pair of dark wash jeans, which means that this rule is easily disproved. The only time this rule does apply is when you are wearing suits. You should never pair a navy blazer with a pair of black dress pants or vice versa. If you do it just looks like you either can’t tell the difference between the colors, or you don’t care if you look sloppy. If you want to get this color pairing right, go for a shade of navy that is not too close to black, and from that point on it is as easy as one, two, three.

There are many rules that should be broken now a days, so here are a few more. Denim on denim, need I say more?  If you don’t believe me read my post Make It Work: Denim. Mix those metals, and by that I mean silver and gold can live on the same wrist at the same time. On a side note, what does Gold say when he walks into a bar and sees his enemy? A U, get outta here! Sorry, just my inner science nerd making an appearance. Anywho, to all my redheads, whoever said that we can’t wear the color red is completely wrong. It is adding fire to fire, which ends up making a bigger fire, therefore making redheads even more attractive than everybody else. Did I mention that I’m a redhead? If you haven’t noticed mixing patterns is one of the biggest trends in the fashion world right now, which clearly shows that that rule has been thrown out the window. So go ahead and mix stripes and floral, just make sure they have complementing colors. Any other rules you think you can break and make fashionable? Let me know in the comments.

As I said earlier, there are a lot of rules worth breaking, but there are also rules that are NEVER meant to be broken. So here are rules that I do not, and I mean do not want to see out on the street.  Leggings as pants, have I gotten my point across yet? If not, you probably should read my other posts about my love (NOT) of leggings as pants. Pajamas are meant to be worn at home, so that means they should never be worn in public. Panty line, do I even need to say that this rule should never be broken? Shorts should always cover your bottom because nobody wants to see your cheeks hanging out. I guess some guys do, but I can promise you that those guys aren’t worth your time and are not keepers. Never wear black tights with light colored shoes because it actually does make you look a lot shorter. Have anymore unbreakable rules? Share in the comments. I am sure that most know the rules of fashion, so if you ever look in the mirror and question if you are breaking a rule that shouldn’t be broken, you might want to change your outfit.

If you haven’t figured it out, fashion has a lot of rules. Some are important and others not so much, but I think hands down the most important rule is to express yourself. Fashion would not exist if people did not let their personalities shine with their clothing, so by all means express who you are with your clothes. Just follow the necessary rules, or you might end up on a list of fashion gone bad. So to all my fashionistas, be daring and toss those breakable rules out the window.

Fashionatley,

Sarah