Fashion and Style are two different things. Lauren Hutton said it best by reminding us that “Fashion is what we are offered four times a year by designers and style is what we choose.” Fashion has always had this set of rules that we all knew to follow if we wanted to be stylish, but the truth is many of these rules are now obsolete. As for the ones that aren’t… well you know what they say, sometimes rules are made to be broken. Fashion has changed so much over the years and it may that some rules of fashion that you’ve been falling are now outdated. Where ever you are in your fashion journey, you should at very least be up to date with today’s fashion so it’s a great time to have some fashion myths debunked.
7 Fashion Myths Debunked: 7 Fashion Tips You Need To Stop Following
- Good Fashion & Style Means Sticking To The Rules Of Fashion
- You Have To Keep Up With Fashion Trends If You Want To Be Stylish
- Shop In Numbers ( Go With Friends)
- You Need Tons Of Clothes To Make Several Outfits
- Your Bag & Shoes Should
- Never Mix Your Prints
- Good Style Is Not Possible On A Budget
Why It Doesn’t Work: The Fashion Myths Debunked
Good Fashion Sense & Style Means Stick To The Rules Of Fashion:
The rules of fashion are statements like: your bag and your boots must match, you shouldn’t wear white after labor day, and don’t mix prints. These are just a few of the many many things you knew and followed if you wanted to be considered fashionable, but why is that? What was so bad about mixing prints, or not matching your shoes and your handbag? These days the fashion rules are changing which is great, but sticking to the rules whatever they may be is exhausting and there’s a chance that following a new rule may clash with your personal style which kind of messes with the point.
Good fashion sense is one thing, but having great style means you know what your style is and the outfits you create emphasize points of that style again and again. Creating and following your own style and not what’s fashionable gives you the ability to mix chic and trendy pieces with the ones that have a boho style or mix prints or experiment with it in a number of ways, your style is what every you make and you don’t have to be pigeon-holed, by rules of fashion, you can create your own.
You Have To Keep Up With Fashion Trends If You Want To Be Stylish
In the same way that we can ditch the rules of fashion, we can ditch the trends. If a new trend comes out and you want to try it, great, if you don’t that’s okay too especially if it doesn’t fit the style you have/or are trying to build. The style you create is yours and gives you the chance to really get creative.
One of my favorite aspects of fashion is the multitude of options for a single outfit and the chance to explore creatively. I love how a simple mini dress can be not one outfit, but twom three: a dress, a skirt (if you throw a sweater over it), These are my favorite ways to wear a mini dress but I’m sure there are a few others and that right there is the point, different people come up with different ways to wear one fashion piece, and that’s when it becomes style. Try a trend or don’t, but it’s not going to have an impact on whether or not you look stylish
Related: Why You Don’t Need To Follow The Latest Fashion Trends To Have Style
Shop In Numbers ( Go With Friends)
I love going shopping with my friends, but those times are more about hanging out with them rather than being productive when it comes to shopping. I prefer to shop by myself if I’m really shopping for things because I have no one to influence my purchases or how I might style and outfit.
When you are shopping, you want to pick up things on your shopping list, head into stores that fit your style, avoid a friend/ family member talking you out of something you really love or into something you can’t see yourself wearing. A few years ago, I saw this cute jumpsuit in a store while running errands with my family and though I bought the jumpsuit, I was talked out of buying it in the color I wanted. When I tried it on at home, I loved the style, but not the color, still, I asked a friend what she thought and she wasn’t fond of the color or style because it wasn’t her.
As nice as it is to have the opinion of a trusted friend because she can tell you when something just doesn’t flatter your body, it’s still not as important as your opinion on your outfits. I wish I bought that jumpsuit in the color I wanted, maybe I would still have it instead of wearing it a few times and donating it. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go shopping with your friends, but if you do stick to stores and styles you love. If your friend is leading you to a store that’s new to you, be open to looking around to see if fits your style before buying anything, if it does great, if it doesn’t, that’s okay too. My favorite thing to do If you want your friend’s opinion for an important event or special occasion put together a few outfits you love and ask them to help you decide, this way you know you will love the outfit regardless of whatever they pick.
You Need Tons Of Clothes To Make Several Outfits
Wrong.This is simply untrue. You can create several outfits with just a few pieces and some good accessories. This is the whole purpose of a capsule wardrobe. This type of wardrobe focuses on creating a closet full of outfits you love where most of the pieces can go together taking the guesswork out of creating great outfits. In order to keep this type of wardrobe up-to-date you can add a few pieces that fit your style each season. Whether you’re changing up a few things or starting from scratch with your closet, don’t feel like you need to wait for a full closet of amazing pieces to show off your style, go at your own pace and have fun with it.
Your Bag & Shoes Should Match
This is one of the oldest rules of fashion that you shouldn’t feel obligated to follow, in fact, it’s now common not to have your handbag match your shoes. You can pair your shoes with your handbag, but it’s not your only option. Add a pop of color to your outfit with shoes or match them to your accessories or lipstick, there are various options to accessorize your outfit, try different things.
Never Mix Your Prints:
This fashion myth is probably as old as matching your bag and shoes or never wearing white after labor day. Mixing prints in your outfit can be tricky, but it’s simply as long as you consider colors, patterns(including their size, and what looks pleasing to the eye, for example, ensure that the smaller of the two prints is at the top of your outfit. The idea of mixing prints doesn’t appeal to me personally, but if it’s something you’ve considered, but thought it might be too complicated, give it a try, you may even find a new favorite outfit.
Good Style Is Not Possible On A Budget
Again this is simply not true, building a wardrobe on a budget may take some time, but it definitely possible regardless of the type of wardrobe you are trying to build whether your closet is full of investment pieces you can wear season after season or quick pieces you buy each season, though, in order to stay on budget, I’d suggest a blend of the two. Good style is knowing what works for you on your body and personality and continuously creating outfits that showcase that.
Related: How To Build A Stylish Wardrobe On A Budget
I love fashion but’s been much more fun to play around with my personal style, then focus on trying the next trend. Over the years, especially recently, it’s been interesting to watch how fashion has not only been changing from season to season, but statements that we viewed as rules of fashion (i.e. you can’t wear white after labor day, don’t mix prints… etc) aren’t as rigid. as we once believed.
Fashion myths are just that… myths, You can take whatever is put out there in the world of fashion and wear it in a way that fits your style because new and trending or a fashion myth debunked, if you wear it in an interesting way that works for you and your style, that’s all that matters. Remember to have have fun with the process and toss those fashion rules out the window, because one day that fashion rule you just had to follow to follow to be stylish could end up on a list of fashion myths that have been debunked.
~Kimberly
