The Style ‘Rules’ That Make Your Outfit Boring
August 24, 2018
We have all heard ‘the rules’ – don’t mix prints, do match your belt/bag/shoes, don’t wear white after labour day and so on. But fashion is about having fun and following rules isn’t fun. Wear leopard and red together, stripes and checks, green and red. Don’t have only one accent piece, have many of them if you want to. Do it with style.
So I hereby present to you the rules that shouldn’t be followed religiously. However, if that’s your thing – you do you, boo. As long as you feel great and are having fun.
Matching your belt/bag/shoes
I cannot explain how much I hate it when someone says that they always match their shoes, belt and bag (or any combo between the 3 pieces). This is the most boring looking, style-lacking thing in the world. I understand that this was a thing some decades ago, but if that’s something you still enjoy – try with different patterns, different hues, different textures.
Underwear is only for under your clothes
First of all, underwear is so expensive, I wouldn’t want to have only one way of wearing it and that being hiding it. Although this is not an office-appropriate look, you can go to the bar in your bralette and a blazer over it and I bet you’d feel amazing, and you will be stylish as hell
Don’t wear red if you have red hair
I have red hair and I wear red. Sue me. I look good in it and it actually complements my hair colour. However, I will say that it can get easily overboard. The key is to wear clothes which are a different shade of red to than the undertone of your hair. Wearing true red with any red hair should be mostly fine, as most hair dyes have purple or orange undertones.
Sneakers don’t go with pretty dresses
Throw a pair of converse and call it a day. A skater style dress of skirt goes perfectly with sneakers. However, even boho dresses can be worn with sneakers. It’s all about finding the balance between preppy and comfortble. Tip: A pair of white converse or vans do the trick with most dresses.
Avoid clashing
Clashing is one of the biggest trends of the 2010s and it is beyond me that there are still people who haven’t tried pairing stripes and plaid in one outfit. Pink and red, leopard and zebra, satin and leather… You can all make it work. Wearing them them in colours/textures/prints that complement each other is a foolproof way to this major street style trend.
This Post Has 17 Comments
Adriana Renee
24 Aug 2018Sneakers with dresses is my favorite thing! I found a perfect pair that can easily make an outfit and makes it work. Plus, it’s comfier than wearing heels.
Stephanie
24 Aug 2018I adhere to all of these but the underwear one – that’s just a personal preference haha I feel so uncomfortable if more than a bra strap shows. But I definitely extra agree with the red on redheads. I wear red constantly. It’s one of my best colors – and I’m a redhead! Love this post!
The December Dame
25 Aug 2018Wearing underwear out is a daring move, I confirm that! Thank you for commenting!
Katherine
24 Aug 2018I loooove these examples so much!! I used to never mix prints, but now I love mixing prints like floral and stripes. Wearing casual-cute sneakers with a dress is so nice for traveling, too!
The December Dame
25 Aug 2018Mixing prints was super weird to me at first. It felt super unnatural, as I have always been a ‘one accent piece’ kind of gal. But it is actually so easy to mix and make it look even more stylish than it would be if you didn’t mix prints!
Indya | The Small Adventurer
25 Aug 2018Wait, red heads AREN’T meant to wear red clothes? That’s crazy, I think it looks BETTER on red heads as it matches so well! I also didn’t know you were meant to match your bag to your shoes, as I certainly do NOT. I LIVE in my black boots, but my bags are always fun and colourful, and that’s not going to change ?
The December Dame
25 Aug 2018Yas, girl! Matching bags/belts/shoes is and old-timey ‘rule’ which I have always hated! It’s just so boring! xx
Nessa
26 Aug 2018I agree 100 % !!
Sara
26 Aug 2018I don’t think I’ll ever be brave enough for the underwear one but I get behind all the others!
Caty
26 Aug 2018I learned the shoes/belt/bag no match rule years ago and I find it very liberating! Mixing prints is something I haven’t done very much, but I think I’ll give it a try!!
Great article, super useful
Jenny Yang
30 Aug 2018such interesting takes on this topic–love how you are able to stand out!
xx jen
http://lilthoughtswithjen.com/
The December Dame
30 Aug 2018Thank you for reading and commenting, Jenny!
Dani
2 Sep 2018Since kissing corporate world goodbye, i also kissed high heels semi goodbye and started wearing sneakers with my dresses. They are the next best thing to nutella. Lol there are sneakers that look good with dresses. ?
jade
2 Sep 2018I love all of these and agree to each one 110%
Gabrielle
6 Nov 2018I love your point about not always matching belt/bag/shoes; that’s something I’ve always done and have never considered ditching every once in a while! Hope you’re having a fabulous week so far!
aglassofice.com x
The December Dame
7 Nov 2018Thanks for reading and commenting! You can still match them, but something like a black belt with silver hardware and metallic silver boots would be bomb! xx
Ellie Jansen
3 Dec 2018I have been loving NOT matching my belt/ bag/ shoes at the moment! Such a fab post babe
http://www.petiteelliee.com
Ellie xx