Knowing the fashion rules gives you the power to dress your best
Are you a rule follower?
Rules; I love them. I love to learn rules, make lists of them, memorize them, recite them back, and then, after I know them by heart, I love to break. the. rules. My love/hate relationship with dictates is a real struggle. I find them equal parts soothing and chafing. My husband said I used the wrong word – chafe – but I didn’t. They rub, irritate, and leave me raw as I struggle against what is holding me back from being…me!
Style is a form of self-expression. We are each a walking billboard, and right or wrong, we are judged on our appearance. Because we can’t have our brains on display, we can use our outfits to put our personalities on display. Anyone who sees me knows I’m a force to be reckoned with. I have opinions, ideas, and solutions, and I’m not afraid to share them. My sharp edges are visible, the black and white thinking is obvious, and there is no doubt I get things done. I’m bold, serious, busy, and not a lot of fun. AND THAT’S OK.
There is power in being authentic with myself and my style. You know what to expect from me, and no one is shocked when I open my mouth.
BUT how do you dress and be authentic when it doesn’t go along with the style rules? What no one talks about is that the rules don’t often apply to me or to you, but the lords of fashion insist they do. So, if you have a love/hate relationship with rules the way I do, I have some fashion rules for you that will always apply.
Rule #1 Review the Style Rules You Know
It’s impossible to live in modern society without being bombarded by fashion rules, whether they come from media, friends, or your mom. There are books, magazines, TV shows, movies, clubs, and more dedicated to them. Your brain is swimming with the dos and don’ts of style dictated by others, and they often contradict each other!
Some of the rules are helpful and some are ridiculous, but when you know them, you have power. I spent years learning the rules created by others, following these and then those, and always feeling smothered, suffocated, and wrong. But I did gain some value from them.
Rule #2 Decide Which Rules to Follow and Which to Break
You can’t break the rules if you don’t know the rules. My whole business is about sharing ideas in the hope that it’s helpful to you, but never telling you in concrete terms that this is right and that is wrong. My motto is, if the rules don’t work for you, IGNORE THEM! That includes anything you hear from me.
Classic style and my ideas about it aren’t for everyone, and that’s ok. There are billions of ideas in the world, and you will gain the most by taking what serves you and ignoring the rest.
If some of the rules you’ve learned help you, then use them. The ones that don’t can go in the discard pile. Each one of us is unique, and no rule can possible apply to us all, other than keep your lady bits covered in public. Beyond that, there has to be flexibility and room for you as an individual.
Rule #3 Wear What You Love
This is my number one rule, actually. If you love it, if you feel amazing in it, wear it and strut. The only person who has to like what you have on is…you! I love neutrals, basics, classic-style clothing, and some might think that’s boring, but that’s ok. I love it. Always have, always will.
Rule #4 Make Your Own Rules
Anyone can make up style rules. You don’t have to be elected, hired, certified, or in any way qualified to make a style rule, so why not make your own? The designers, media, and influencers are MAKING IT UP! Sure, there are certain design principles that help make thing flattering and appealing, but they don’t always use them or we wouldn’t have suffered through Hammer pants.
No one is flattered by looking like their legs are 18 inches long and need their poopy diaper changed. Comfortable? Certainly. Flattering? Absolutely not.
Remember, the fashion industry’s primary goal is not to make you look and feel your best, it’s to sell you new clothes, and they can’t do that unless they change the rules every season or two. By making you feel outdated, out of touch, and out of sync, they convince you to buy new clothes to remedy the problem they are creating.
I’ve created my own fashion rules, and they are always under construction because nothing is set in stone. By taking all the rules I know, selecting the ones that help me, discarding the rest, learning what I do and don’t love, and mashing it all up, I have created my own unique fashion rules that are my personal style.
I tried the monochromatic trend, and turns out I love it! Other trends I discard because I know they aren’t for me.
I have a free masterclass to get you started with figuring out what you do and don’t like called “5 Steps to Find the Right Clothes for You”. It comes with a free workbook to take you through the steps at your own pace. Once you know your style, it’s so easy to identify the rules that help you and ignore the rules that don’t! When you can see WHY you do and don’t wear and love certain things, you can write your own style rules.
Join My Top masterclass today!
This masterclass is a must attend if you...
- Want to look at a clothing item and instantly know if it's right for you
- Want a checklist so you don't have to remember the details
- Want to know how to navigate trends
- Want a wardrobe that feels like you
- Want to know exactly what you love and don't, no matter what type of clothing it is (dressy, casual, swimwear, etc.)
- Want to know what to keep and what to purge during a closet clean out
