Fashion and Style can seem like a foreign language to many women. I hear all the time from Clients that they aren’t quite sure which “fashion rules” are true and which ones are no longer relevant. Today, I am here to clear things up and help you navigate this topic so you have no question! Lets hop right into it!
Myth #1 – You Can’t Wear White After Labor Day.
Oh dear goodness, this one is so false. This “rule” came from back in the 1950’s when more wealthy, affluent individuals decided that wearing white after Labor Day meant you could afford to take end-of-summer vacations. So, those who couldn’t afford such vacations, thus should not wear white. Okay, so this is the first crock of you-know-what. The second thing to know about this is that we all know that white reflects light and doesn’t absorb it, so it was “logical” that after the official end of summer (Labor Day weekend), you no longer needed to wear white to keep the heat away.
If you aren’t wearing white after Labor Day, you are truly missing out! I don’t know about where you live, but it is STILL plenty hot in the Carolinas in September. Probably more importantly however, Winter White is STUNNING. A beautiful cream on white look is *chef’s kiss* PERFECTION! Do not sleep on this one!
Myth #2 – Age Matters.
This one is very controversial. From wearing mini skirts and crop tops to bright colors and ripped jeans, there are many people who believe women of a “certain age” need to skip these styles. I am here to tell you that what anyone chooses to wear, no matter her age, she should wear if she feels confident in it! There are ways to style these pieces to make them more comfortable for a woman to wear as well. If you want to rock a mini, throw on a pair of tights or a longer duster sweater over your top. If you want to wear a crop top, you can ensure that the pants or skirt you team it with overlap slightly. If you want to wear ripped jeans, you can make it more polished by wearing it with a classic Chanel-inspired jacket on top. The key idea here is that if there is a style a woman of any age wants to wear, she can definitely wear it! It’s all about her personal level of comfort with it.
Myth #3 – Mixing Metals is Faux Pas.
FALSE! In fact, I would beg to argue that it is a beautiful way to pair jewelry and create a more statement look. It is easier than ever to also find pieces created with a mix of metals already done for you. Whether you want to mix your metals with your necklaces or you want to wear a necklace with one metal and a bracelet or earring in a different metal, you go girl! My one suggestion to pull the look together is to make sure the “finish” of the jewelry is the same. For example, if you are wearing shiny gold, make sure you are pairing it with shiny silver. If your bracelet is matte gold, make sure your necklace is matte silver. That will create harmony with the metals.
Myth #4 – Horizontal Stripes Make You Look Fat.
Not all stripes are created equal. This is definitely true when it comes to horizontal stripes. Stripes can be manipulated by designers to be extremely flattering on the body, regardless of if they are horizontal or vertical. And in some cases, a vertical stripe actually makes a person look wider than a horizontal stripe!
In a study way back almost 100 years ago in 1925 the Helmholtz Illusion was born. Based upon Helmholtz’s studies, a square appears WIDER when it is filled with vertical lines and higher when it is filled with horizontal lines. Since then, continued research has shown that this illusion translates to the body and the wearing of lines in clothing as well. There is a fascinating article all about it linked here.
In addition to the science, when Designers manipulate lines, there are several things they can do. They can use different widths of lines. They can vary the width of a line to strategically make them smaller in areas they want to “slim”. Designers will use different colors to trick the eye and create a slim illusion. Horizontal lines get a bad rap, but the type of line matters whether it works or not!
Myth #5 – Black Is The Only Color That Is Slimming.
Black is a favorite “color” in many a woman’s wardrobe. The color that is truly the absence of color. Many women believe that black is the “it” color when it comes to looking slim. It certainly is one option, but I’m here to tell you that you can create a slimming monochromatic moment with absolutely ANY color, even white! Again, fashion and style is all about creating visual illusions. When you choose to wear one color from head-to-toe, it creates a lengthening effect because when your eye sees the outfit, it easily travels up and down creating a long, lean line. So, instead of reaching for an all-black look next time, try dipping yourself fully in another color and enjoy the visually slimming benefits!
Myth #6 – Black Is A Neutral Everyone Should Have In Their Closet.
Many women love black. Many women clutch black and won’t let it go because it is an easy way to “hide” and not be seen. Also, black can translate both elegance and power. The truth is, not everyone should wear black. **GASP** For many, many women, black actually will make them look pale, sickly, and older because the color is not right for their skin tone. It can make wrinkles appear more prominent and your skin look more blotchy (so you then have to pile on MORE makeup). This is where the beauty of having a Color Analysis comes in. When you wear colors that HARMONIZE with you, all of a sudden, your dark circles fade, your skin looks clear and bright, and you look more youthful.
Myth #7 – You Can Never Wear Colors That Aren’t In Your Color Palette Ever Again.
Drawing from #6, what does it mean if I have a Color Analysis done and black (or insert ANY other color) is not part of my palette? It does NOT mean you can never wear the color again. Here is a quick tip: you will likely want to keep the color that doesn’t harmonize with your body on the bottom half of your body (and then you also have to take your body type into consideration). And, of course, if you refuse to give up a color, that is your choice, you just have to know that wearing it close to your face may cause you to look older or sickly.
The other thing to understand here is that when you work to build your closet around your specific palette, all of the colors in your palette work together beautifully and in harmony so it makes it much easier to create outfits within your closet. You will likely find, as you start adding colors from your palette into your closet, that you begin to shy away from wearing the color you at one point refused to give up because it will look out of harmony with the rest of the colors in your closet.
Myth #8 – Petite Women Can Only Shop In Petite Departments.
Oh, my petite friends…this is me, too. I am 5’2″, so fall firmly into this category. Anyone under 5’4″ is petite. I hear OFTEN from women that they cannot buy such-and-such because it is not made in petite sizing. This is completely inaccurate and there are a couple of considerations to make when you shop. Before we get to THAT, let’s talk about petite construction and what is different about it. Petite does NOT mean small-boned. You can be petite and plus size at the same time. It’s all about the height. When petite garments are cut, the proportion is changed. For example, they will be cut for shorter arms, the inseam will be smaller, the rise may be shorter, the shoulders may be cut slimmer, for trouser pants: the leg break (at the knee) will be shifted, a waistline may be cut higher on the body.
A woman could also carry more of a petite frame on the top than the bottom (or vice versa). She may have longer arms and a longer torso, so she can wear a regular size on the top and petites on the bottom. If she has longer legs, she could maybe wear a regular size in bottoms. Or, no matter if her legs are long or short, with a skinny or straight cut denim, she could easily wear a regular size pant and have it altered for length, but she would want to wear a petite range for her bootcut trousers or denim.
Alterations will be a key ingredient to a petite women’s arsenal. If you find a jacket you love, but the sleeves are just a little long, a good tailor will be able to fix that. The key is that with some of the more expensive alterations, if you LOVE the piece, it will be worth it and you will wear the garment MUCH more and it will feel tailored to you. Remember Ready to Wear is NOT Ready to Wear (you can read THAT blog post here)!
Myth #9 – If It Zips, It Fits.
Oh, friend…in an inconsistent, vanity sizing world, this is a trap that many women fall into head first! In addition, when you shop at a department store, it can be INCREDIBLY difficult to find a knowledgeable sales associate who understands a brand and how their designers cut and design their clothes. I can’t tell you how many times I have heard women get SO EXCITED about the fact that they can “fit into a size small”, not fully understanding that the Design intent of a piece is intended to be worn oversized. In addition, just because you CAN squeeze into something or fit in something, doesn’t mean you SHOULD. And if you aren’t comfortable, you will never wear the piece anyway.
Myth #10 – If Your Colors Don’t Match Exactly, You Should Not Wear Them Together.
So, I talked about monochromatic looks in Myth #5. Playing with color and using color is an INCREDIBLY powerful way to create fashion-forward looks. A very common misconception is that if you have a pant and a top in the same color, but they are off tonally, you cannot wear them together. However, this is a really playful way to wear color. Now, maybe bold and “all in” isn’t your MO when it comes to wearing color, but the same goes for a blouse and a pair of shoes. If you have a beautiful Kelly Green blouse, you can wear a shoe that is either completely close in color (but doesn’t match perfectly) with it OR even pair it with a Lime Green pump. It makes your outfits more whimsical and attention-worthy!
BONUS MYTH: When You Lose Weight, Your Body Shape Will Change.
I know, I know, this is going to be an unpopular truth to grapple with, but truth it is. God gave you the body you have and regardless of weight loss, your bone structure is your bone structure. Period. Full Stop. If you are a Triangle body type who carries more weight in your hips and thighs, even when you lose weight, you will still remain a booty-licious Triangle. I can tell you from a personal standpoint, I am a Rectangle and when I lose weight, it comes off all over in my body-proportioned way so I may be a new SIZE, but my body type/body shape doesn’t change. Embrace the body type you have. Flatter the parts of your body you love and camouflage the parts you don’t instead of fighting to have a body shape you can never have!
I hope that you feel enlightened and empowered to go out into the world and have more fun with your wardrobe knowing these fashion myths. Fashion and style are so much fun, and allow for a beautiful creativity to unveil itself. I encourage you to have fun and try something new this week!
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Stylishly Yours,
PS – Are you interested in learning your seasonal color palette? The colors that will give you a beautiful, youthful glow? Get on my Launch List NOW for my virtual or in-person Color Analysis services launching soon!
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