Fashion Rules it’s Fine to Break

Some fashion rules have been around so long, and been repeated so many times, that most people follow them without even thinking about it, let alone considering the possibility of breaking them.  "No long hair after 40!", and "No white after labour day!" are two that spring to mind.  Who comes up with these rules, anyway? It's about time people took control of their own fashions, and stopped thinking about the "rules".  Some of those rules are decent guidelines - cutting your hair will

make it look nicer if it's started getting a bit thin, but if your hair looks great and you're 49 years old, don't cut it!  Rules, as they say, are made to be broken. Here's a few fashion rules that more people probably should be breaking:

1. Red Lipstick Should Never Be Worn

The barely there look is nice, and refreshing, on people that are blessed with a nice rosy complexion and perky lips.  However, not everyone looks at their best with subtle makeup.  For some people, a nice bright red is exactly the wake-up their face needs to draw attention to their best features.

2. Everything must match

Co-ordinating everything used to be the epitome of style, but now it just looks cheesy.  If you absolutely love a set, then by all means, wear it with pride.  However, if you want to wear black satin gloves with a cream Coach handbag, then go ahead.  An unplanned mixture of colours, prints, and styles will most likely look messy, but clever contrasts can look great.

3. Everything must be fitted

Fitted styles do look great, but if something is loose but hangs nicely on you, or makes you feel confident, then who cares?  It's common for silk apparel to be quite free-flowing and you might need to tweak it a bit to make it flatter you, but flattering silk apparel is comfortable as well as attractive, so the time you spend playing with pins and ties will be well worth it.

4. Suede is not for the summer

The rule about avoiding suede and leather during the summer must have been made by someone who lacked the common sense to avoid heatstroke.   There's no aesthetic reason for this rule.  If you're comfortable in suede shoes, a leather jacket or satin gloves, wear them at any time of the year.

5. Don't mix metals

Some people need this rule to prevent them from getting carried away and putting too much bling on their outfit, but if you're capable of restraint, then it's fine to ignore this one.  A subtle mix of gold and silver can look amazing.  Of course, subtlety is the key word.

There are lots of other fashion "rules".  Many of them are rooted in common sense, but that doesn't mean that they have to be obeyed.  When you're putting your wardrobe together, focus on what you like and what you feel comfortable in. If that means that you have to break a few rules, so be it.

Written by Amy Fowler on behalf of Patra, suppliers of silk gloves and other silk apparel.

Author Profile: Administrator

This author has published 487 articles so far. More info about the author is coming soon.