As is often said, trends come and go, but style lasts a lifetime. This is said so often because it’s true. Jelly sandals, wide-leg jeans, off-the-shoulder tops, and the like will cycle through the zeitgeist every few years, but your inherent style, the way you express yourself, and how you embrace yourself through your clothes won’t change much.
However, what about style rules, general and personal? Are they made to ever be broken? Short answer, yes! With that, yes, let’s explore the five fashion rules that you can move on from and leave in the past.
One of the oldest and most old-fashioned rules is the notion you can’t wear white after Labor Day. This rule dates back almost 200 years, when wealthy New Yorkers would spend their summers on vacation near the coast, wearing white outfits to stay cool. After Labor Day, when the season was over, they’d pack up their outfits, which would stay in storage until the weather got warm again. If you’ve been watching “The Gilded Age,” I’m sure you can picture it. But now that warm weather and cold weather can happen in the same week and even sometimes on the same day, the practical purpose of not wearing white between Labor Day and Memorial Day is no longer relevant. In fact, most retailers offer cold-weather garments in winter white or white-adjacent shades, such as ecru or eggshell. This makes it easy to wear seasonally appropriate versions of white year-round. Sport white jeans and tees all summer long, and then contrast those white garments with pieces in deep, dark, rich shades come fall and winter.
The next rule to move on from is the notion that you can only wear one print at a time. This doesn’t have the history of the no white after Labor Day rule; however, I think it evolved from folks who weren’t fans of dressing boldly. And if minimalism is your style aesthetic, then you can maintain this rule, just know that you no longer need to settle for just one patterned piece in your outfitting if several are calling out to you. Some go-to pattern mixing ideas include pairing a striped top with a floral skirt, a paisley blouse with cropped polka-dot pants, or combining various scaled geometric pieces in one look. To keep things polished, go for solid-colored leather options for your handbag and shoes. Or don’t. If you want to add even more flair, consider mixing in a third print through accessories.
Speaking of accessories, you are no longer restricted to match your shoes to your purse or vice versa. It’s a common assumption that shoes, bags, and even belts should match, and to be honest, it makes finishing off your look a bit easier. If I’m wearing black shoes, carrying a black bag is a no-brainer. But you can throw this rule out the window; by intentionally not matching bags and shoes, you create a more dynamic look. An unexpected combination of colors makes standard outfits feel fresh. Some fun combos to consider are orange sandals and a purple shoulder bag, red heels with a navy clutch, or black leather boots with a tan suede purse.
That last color combo brings us to the fourth outdated rule, not pairing black with brown. This is a tricky rule to break because it really depends on thoughtful styling and color choice. The browns and blacks you choose should contrast in tone enough to be distinguishable shades. A camel coat with an inky black dress is totally chic. A charcoal black sweater with a taupe trouser comes across muddy. Keep the same sweater and swap in a chocolate brown bottom, then it would work. It’s all about the distinctive shades being worn together.
This last rule is a hard one for me to break personally, but I’m willing to try for the sake of all style-kind, and that is mixing metals. When it comes to jewelry, I’ve lived my life wearing only warm gold pieces or cool silver ones, with nary the paths crossing. But, after coming across pieces that feature both gold and silver, I’m beginning to think breaking this rule is not only possible, but a way to add depth and visual interest to an outfit. You can wear earrings that feature both gold and silver sections or tiered necklaces with gold and silver chains and a stoned pendant to create a more dynamic look. For mixing and matching, go with pieces that have similar undertones, like rose gold with silver, or mix yellow gold with white gold for a seamless look with a modern twist.
Whether you dare to wear white in winter, mix up prints, mismatch your shoes to your purse, don black and brown together, or mash up your metals, just remember there’s really only one fashion rule you need to know. Wear whatever you want, however you want, whenever you want. In other words, there are no rules, just outfits.
