Anyone who says that there are no rules in fashion is either lying, or has questionable taste. True, fashion is first and foremost a form of self-expression. Like it or not, the clothes we put on each morning reveals nearly as much about ourselves as it covers up. So unless what you want to express to the world is an utter lack of dress sense, there are things you need to keep in mind.
Nina Garcia has her 100, Tim Gunn has his Fashion Bible, and Rachel Zoe has her Style from A to Zoe, all bursting with invaluable style advice and nuggets of fashion wisdom, but the backbone of a great sense of style can be condensed into three simple rules. These simple and immutable rule know no exception and apply to all, men or women, feminine or androgynous, classic or punk.
1 – FIT
If it doesn’t fit, it won’t look good, there’s no two ways about it. Take fashion moguls Mary Kate & Ashley Olsen; at their best, they are fresh and completely original, standing out from a bevy of interchangeable young Hollywood beauties. At the worst, they look like they raided a tall octogenarian’s closet.
Difficult to imagine how Audrey Hepburn ever had a hard time finding clothes off the rack. But it’s no accident that many of her best looks are from her movies, Roman Holiday and Funny Face where Edith Head and Givenchy, respectively, labored to create glorious costumes specifically for Hepburn’s problem areas, her too small waist, too long neck and too thin arms.
Get yourself a good tailor and make him your new BFF.
2 – FIGURE FLATTERY
Figure flattery is closely related to fit but it’s not quite the same thing. Case in point, Jessica Simpson’s infamous mom jeans fashion faux pas. The high waist pants certainly fit her, but did it flatter her petite and voluptuous frame? We think not. Know what works for and against your body type. Even models that look good in everything will have certain styles that will flatter more than most. Not a model? Not a problem! Fabulous comes in many different shapes and sizes. Plus sized? Take a style cue from Adele and Rebel Wilson! Thin and boyish? Kate Hudson and Nicole Richie have mastered the art of dressing for their lithe frame. The law of proportion applies to dressing the body as much as it does architecture and cocktail mixing.
3 – DRESS CODE
Dress codes, written or implied, exist for a reason. Don’t be the blockhead who ruins a friend’s wedding photos by being in jeans when everyone else is in formal wear. Don’t dress like a tart and give conservative job or business contacts the wrong impression. By all means, be yourself and dress as you would want to, but keep in mind that being appropriately dressed shows respect for your hosts and whoever you’re with. Perhaps you’ve been invited to a party on a short notice and you find that you have nothing to wear. Perhaps you lack the energy to brave crowded malls. In this day and age of online shopping, those excuses no longer hold water. If you have an unlimited budget and more time to wait for your purchases to arrive, there are so much online shopping sites available that can surely save you the hassle by shopping at the comfort of your own home. If you want a wider range of price points and products, and need it delivered ASAP, there’s www.zalora.com.ph.
Now that you know the rules, you may start breaking them – within reason. The best, most enduring and iconic fashion looks of all time are those that pushed boundaries and took risks. Sharon Stone’s GAP button down shirt during the 1998 Oscars and Sarah Jessica Parker’s Calvin Klein mini dress in 2001, and the YSL le smoking jacket Bianca Jagger wore to her long ago wedding to Mick comes to mind. Fashion should be fun and freeing after all.
What’s the point of looking good if you can’t have a good time while at it? ;)
