What style rules do you go by??

[happytobemrsg]

For example, I was reading a thread the other day about what coverup to wear with a tea dress. Quite a few posters said you should balance a feminine dress with a more masculine leather jacket to stop it looking too twee. I hadn’t thought about that before but now I get it.

I don’t have any rules but looking for more inspiration here!

Less is more.
A well fitting bra.
No over clashing colours.
No animal prints.
No golds or silvers except jewellery.
As much natural fibres and materials as possible and affordable.
Not too much cleavage nor too much leg, and definitely not at the same time.
Not too many transparencies and hardly any cut outs.
Things I like or think suit me rather than just because it's in fashion.
A hint of frills or lace at the most.
Comfort. Including dressing to the weather.

Yet another vote for never, ever black trousers with a bright top. It looks cheap.

If wearing wide legged trousers then top must be fitted. If wearing skinnies than top should be more slouchy.

Know your proportions, so high waisted trousers should be worn with slightly cropped top. A long tunic top should be worn with slightly cropped trousers.

Know your cut off points, so sleeves should stop at the slimmest point on your forearm and 7/8 trousers should stop at narrowest point of your ankle. If you have a mum tum then tops should reach your crotch.

Never wear matchy matchy earrings, necklace and bracelet. Looks very dated and cruise ship chic. It's either statement earring OR statement necklace, never both.

Nude (not white) bra underneath light coloured tops.

Legs or cleavage, never both.

I kind of threw out the rule book too Alsohuman. Things change, your body changes, fashion changes. What is acceptable now was not acceptable 10 years ago.

But a good bra is still a must. Other than that, my only rule is try it on try it on try it on. You'll know when you try it on.

Totally agree with your two remaining rules @championquartz.

I think a lot of what we think of as flattering is really just fashion. It took me a long time to realise this, but once I'd seen how a silhouette can go out of style and look hideous and then come back into fashion and look good again, then there was no getting away from it.

That's such a good point Flo....thinking back to when I first tried on skinny jeans again and how odd/unflattering I thought they looked, now they're ubiquitous

I live coastal/rural, but work mostly cities ( European).
I have found that I have greys, black, neutrals for cities but it looks weird (or I feel weird) wearing black when home in the country. So I have softer colours for beach, walling, slobbing out at home.
Never buy acrylic knitwear - god awful. Cashmere is my go to always - buy mens jumpers in XS/S for lounging at home (cheaper).
Don't wear jeans as much - prefer loose lightweight joggers, gym wear for everyday ( work a lot from home)
White jeans look crap - unless you are tall and skinny ( I am shorter, size 10/12 and lumpy).
wear what makes you feel good - comfy, stylish whatever. And yes - dress for your figure - not fashion/an ideal image

I started reading this thread thinking, 'rules?, how ridiculous, I don't have rules.'

Further consideration leads me to believe I have many, many rules.

No black and navy.

Definitely no black and brown.

No black and white. (The stark contrast hurts my eyes.)

No yellow, red, orange - except maybe in a bag.

Matching bag and shoes is fine for neutral colours (in which I include black), but not for 'statement' colours.

No polo necks.

Careful with patterns -risk of appearing 'swamped'. As a result, very few things of my clothes have a pattern.

No trainers with smart clothes. Ever.

No big patterns as I am small framed.
Never buy dresses with tie at the back belts.
No ruffles, frills, peplums or added lace panels.
No slogans.
No neon.
No cut outs or cold shoulder stuff.
No flesh at waist on show.
Underwear appropriate to the outerwear. Must match.
One piece of statement jewellery only.

Shops are full of unwearable rubbish at the moment. That’s fine as it forces me to evaluate what I have got in the wardrobe.

Get your colours done!
However expensive the outfit, if the colour is grey wrong for your skin tone, it will look shit never loo as good as you hope.
Sorry, but lots of people look ill in black.

• Only wear cheap clothes, preferably from a sale rail - full price hurts me soul.
• If I like it, I'll have it regardless of what it is
• Life's too short for boring hair, try all the styles and all the colours at least once
• Buy the brightest red or pink lipstick available
• Wear bright, block colour nail varnish
• Don't even bother trying winged eyeliner, I'm shit at it

I thought I had no rules as well..and I really do!

1. If it's stained, it becomes work wear (I do dirty work and every day is a paint disaster roulette)
2. No bra unless formal occasions
3. Good quality over price, always
4. Don't spend more than you need to for a name
5. Find it second hand, if you can, better for the environment and the pocketbook
6. when you try it on, you should feel sad you have to take it off. If you are already mentally planning how to fix it, how it will look good once you loose those few lbs, etc, put it back. (Need to take my own advice there)
7. when you are finished dressing, squat test the outfit. No riding up or falling down allowed.
8. wear what makes you happy, but please make sure your couzette is not on display when you sit down in short, loose shorts/miniskirts etc

😄 @Dirtydennis.
We all have different rules .
I think the colours thing is bollocks but then I worked out my colours when prescriptives make up was around . And I adore leopard print and snake print.
Well fitting bra - pah!
I wear what's comfy and that currently means Sloggi zero feel.
@Milliy I'm not sure I'm that classy!

My Mum is half French, she wears black and navy together all the time. Trust me, she knows what she's doing.

Good tailoring is worth the $$$

Hmm mine are:

No man-made fabrics (apart from gym clothes)
Only wear black with black
Buy quality and look after it
Buy second-hand or vintage (apart from underwear)
No costume jewellery

The black and colours thing is an interesting one. I remember it clearly from trinny and susannah and I buy into it a bit but not all.
At that time I remember a lot of women in offices wearing black trousers and a top or jumper of any colour. It almost always looked bad. Unthought through and just thrown on in a bad way.
However I’ve now had my colours done (winter) and can see there’s a bit more to it than that. For example, black goes with nothing in a spring or autumn pallette, always looks wrong with those colours. The muted and pale shades in the summer palette also look wrong with black in my view. But the winter palette! Black can look amazing with burgundy, bright red, fuschia pink for example. As long as the black isn’t some cheap polyester trousers then it can be really effective but the colour has to be cool and strong (not warm or muted or pale) and look purposefully put together.

For example, here’s Laura Fantacci from wardrobe icons and I think her outfit looks far from cheap (and def wouldn’t be cheap!)

See I think costume jewellery can look amazing as long as it’s obviously costume and not pretending to be the real thing.

Definitely Also

Handbag should never be significantly smaller than your bum. Not that you're trying to cover your bum - just makes the proportions wrong.

Avoid man made fabrics

Less is more for me! I like small understated jewellery and not too much of it :)

deli I don't think she looks cheap but I do think it would look loads better if her top was a dark grey rather than black. I just think black against that pink looks so harsh.

Be happy and comfortable.