THE LOOK
Common Fashion Mistakes
In the court of style, are you guilty or innocent? Far too little is said about the most common fashion mistakes seen around town. Okay, seen everywhere. We have all made them at one point or another, me included.
Last month, we talked about trends for spring and summer but one thing we didn’t cover are the most common fashion blunders that would have the late, great, Fashion Police Supreme herself, Joan Rivers, stopping perpetrators in their tracks! She must be rolling in her stunningly fashionable grave right now at some of these issues that keep popping up! So, I am going to channel my inner-Joan for a moment and get a little judgy, but just know it’s because I want to help you! So don’t take it personally!
In the court of public vestment, we have offense numero uno: mismatching in public. We’ve seen this faux pas one too many times where the idea of color matching seems like a good one but, in reality, unless pulled off properly, it’s fashion road kill to the third degree.
When wearing a bold colored top or bottom such as a pink blouse with jeans, it can be instinctual to match the top with matching shoes, jewelry, belt and other accessories. In theory it should work but in actuality, it looks uncoordinated and as if one might be a little color blind. It doesn’t work because the outfit lacks visual balance. If you’re going to commit to one color, go all in, don’t do it halfway. Try a full monochrome look from head to toe. Take that pink blouse and pair it with some pink trousers. You can match your shoes and accessories, or, this is where you can add a touch of contrast, have your accessories and shoes be the rebel and go for an opposite color. Playing into monochromatism is an easy way to create a cohesive look that looks expensive and on point with what’s been trending on the runway.
Offense number two – an oversized felony in sizing. There’s no doubt oversized everything is in these days and it’s easy to see why as a relaxed fit flatters all shapes. Oversized pieces have been popular as they help add volume to smaller frames and give wider frames a draping effect that creates a slimming silhouette. It’s a universal style that flatters all - if executed correctly.
The cardinal rule when wearing oversized garments is that they must fit you around three key areas: the neck and shoulders for tops, and your waist for bottoms. If the fit isn’t right in these points, then you will be guilty of sporting a shirt three sizes too big rather than looking effortlessly chic. As for the pants, those will speak for themselves when the waistline falls to the knees. If you nail the fit in those places, you’ll be on point for the season, and if you cinch your look with a belt, you’ll take it even further to the next level!
Fashion infraction number three – accessory neglect. We’re always busy and on the go, sometimes opting for practical over aesthetic as it pertains to our day-to-day bag. Or, quite the opposite, we fell in love with a purse or backpack that we want to sport everywhere – but just because that bag took your breath away doesn’t necessarily mean it’s right for every look.
Remember that your bag is part of your look. Make sure it matches your attire and vice versa – otherwise, why put in the effort in styling your look if it’s going to clash? Your arm piece is your secret weapon to levelling up. I’m not saying to not buy these – Carrie Bradshaw is proof that those iconic pieces are always a good idea but there is a time and place and fit for them all. For a safe, everyday bet, try smaller, neutral-colored accessories as they usually have more versatility to pair with different outfits versus larger loud, monogrammed purses.
A key rule for any look is finding balance. Let’s think numbers as “fashion math” is real. Think of the rule of thirds. If wearing three different colors, are they all in perfect balance like three same-sized pieces of a pie? Are they equal in style ratio? Shoes, accessories and handbags can equal one portion while your top and bottom complete the equation. This also applies when opting for only two colors – you want a harmonized fifty-fifty, and if you’re going to be bold and go all in with one hue, make sure that monochrome look is a perfect one hundred. And yes, prints also count as a color.
And another, perhaps the most important style rule of all – forget everything you were taught about fashion.
No white after Labor Day, no mixing brown and black, gold and silver can’t mingle – throw all those fashion rules out the window. They were indoctrinated to us in an era when fashion was different and following style norms of the time. In other words, that was so yesterday!
Fashion has evolved so rapidly year after year that we now live in a moment where we’re more adventurous and have gone against the grain and learned that it pays off to be a rebel.
Experiment and have fun breaking fashion rules of yester-century. Try a new and unexpected combination. Trying an outfit doesn’t mean you have to commit, but you won’t know what it’ll look like if you don’t try it. The dressing room is like a chemistry lab – play with different shapes, pieces, colors and textures, and the more you experiment, the closer you’ll be to a winning formula. Joan would surely approve and pardon you of any infractions if she knew you were attempting to take a style risk. After all, she was the final authority on so many incredible looks of her time!