Rules are meant to be broken and when it comes to rules in fashion and style this cliché phrase holds true. Who even made up the “rules” in the beginning? Nobody of authority otherwise we would remember, instead these “rules” belong in fashion myths ready to be debunked.
Fashion and style is about fun, expression and confidence so below are my top 5 “rules” to be broken because they are definitely out of style.
Your Body Shape Dictates What You Can & Can Not Wear
We’ve all heard of body shapes such as hourglass, pear, round, triangle and so on and so forth until all inanimate objects are named. And with each body shape comes a list of strict rules to follow that dictate what you should and shouldn’t wear (more often than not the do not wear list is longer). Not only do these rule leave little room to showcase your own personality they can often me detrimental in causing a lack of love for your wardrobe and reduced confidence as often what you would like to wear or feel best in is in the “do not list”.
These rule is my number one to break because who wants to feel awful in what they wear everyday just because a body shape “rule” which hasn’t evolved over time says you must fit a certain mould? No one that’s who. Personal style is exactly that, personal and therefore it ultimately comes done to what you feel your best self in.
For example traditional rules for a “pear” shape is to minimise the bottom and thighs and enhance shoulders and bust, but what if you are a “pear” and you love your bottom? Why would you want to minimise it and hide it? By doing this every day you are hiding yoru confidence area and like a domino effect not only will you minimise your bottom every day but minimise your confidence every day.
Instead focus on the areas you love about yourself and highlight these features. By bringing attention to the features you love you’ll feel great in what you wear every time you get dressed. Also focus on fit rather than size or traditional shape rules. Clothes that fit your shape correctly (especially around the shoulders, bust, waist, bottom and thighs) will always look more polished and expensive than they really are.
Navy & Black / Brown & Black / Blue & Green / Pink & Red – Certain Colour Combinations Should Never Be Seen
As I mentioned before, says who? Neutral tones are exactly that, neutral and therefore can be mixed together. Even think about some of the timeless prints that come back in fashion time and time again, like leopard print – a print that combines black and brown together, naturally as mother nature dictated. Therefore, neutral colour combinations like black and brown and navy and black naturally work together, sometimes it’s just about choosing the right shade for you.
In contrast opposite pairings on the colour wheel or neighbour colours (like blue and green and pink and red) make statement outfits that while the colours contrast they still have a sense of purpose and polish. Other perfect colour combinations to try are blue and orange, green and purple and green and yellow.
Mixing Metals
The old rule that silver and gold should never be worn together should just disappear from human memory. Mixing metals is a chic way to bring added personality to an outfit, as well as give you better cost per wear with your jewels. And don’t just stop with silver and gold, mix all metals like rose gold, copper and oxidised metal.
Matching Shoes & Bag (or Shoes & Belt for the Guys)
While coordinating accessories can look polished, accessory uniformity is become more and more mute as people begin to realise it severely limits everyday style. When in fact contrasting bags and shoes or belts and shoes is a simple way to inject a sense of fun into an outfit, show off your style personality and make an outfit pop.
If contrasting accessories makes you nervous play with prints and textures such as choosing a leopard print shoe in neutral tones and a bag in similar neutral shade such a brown.
Sequins are Only for Nighttime
Thanks to the huge interest in street style and influencers on social media this rule has been firmly broken over the past 6 years. Look at any street style gallery and you are sure to find several images of outfits that contain metallics and sequins in broad daylight. I personally love this rule because if you have been following Style By Juvelle for a while you know I talk about cost per wear a lot, and by bringing sequins into daytime wear it makes those statement pieces a better investment.
But how do you make sequins daytime appropriate? Pair them with more casual items such as a metallic or sequin skirt with a white cotton tee and denim jacket or a sequin top with distressed denim or an embellished dress with sneakers. By choosing more casual items it helps to tone down/dress down an outfit allowing you to feel free to embrace the sparkle in the sunshine.
Honestly it comes down to if you love it, if you feel great in it, if it makes you happy then go for it! You can’t fake confidence and confidence really is the best thing you can wear.