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!

Wear clothes that make you happy - by happy I mean add a sense of fun to your day. Comfy, colourful, quirky, enjoyable! Life is too short to be wearing opressive clothes.

I think a lot of what we think of as flattering is really just fashion.

Absolutely - and flattering is one possible thing you might want in clothes, not the be all and end all. I started a thread about a dress I was wearing to a wedding which I loved but which wasn't really 'flattering' and a few people seemed actively angry that I was 'wasting' myself or something by not having 'what makes me look the thinnest?' as my sole criterion for a dress.

newaccount see I like that! I like the statement it makes, it looks deliberate and thought through, a high impact look. I don’t like black with colour when it looks accidental, same as just throwing anything on with blue jeans, not everything goes with blue jeans. Grey would also be nice with that pink skirt but softer. But that’s what makes the world go round, we all like different things!

No more than two main colours, although different shades of a colour can sometimes be acceptable (usually blues), one accent colour. Baggy jeans have to be worn with a tighter fitting top, and I have a cropped jumper specifically for wearing with high waisted things to add definition to my waist so that I don’t end up looking shapeless.

Agree with the legs or boobs thing, never thought about it before but I do follow it, also I rarely have both my arms and legs out, I wear a lot of dresses and tend to have shorter ones with longer sleeves or longer ones with short sleeves

Natural fabrics. Lots of linen/wool/silk (although wool and silk I only really buy second hand, wool occasionally from small, ethical companies. I don’t buy silk new although I’ve just come across ‘peace silk’ so will be looking into that a bit more)

I avoid patterns other than occasional narrow stripes.

Mixed textures. I wouldn’t wear jersey trousers with a jersey top (although I don’t really wear jersey trousers anyway) and if wearing woven trousers with a woven top they have to be different weave patterns

It’s funny because I don’t consider myself a particularly stylish person, I didn’t know I had these rules until I thought about it just now!

Also yes to not mixing patterns, but also not wearing the top and bottom in the same pattern.

I do black and brown, but definitely not grey and brown.

flattering is one possible thing you might want in clothes, not the be all and end all.

I agree with you New. To be sure, flattering is a big consideration but I'm not going to spend my whole life wearing a knee length A line skirt just because it might be the most flattering shape for me. I get bored. I follow fashion and I'm not ashamed to say so. Course I'll give some trends a swerve - the cold shoulder top and the polo neck and the electric blue. But if a look - and particularly a silhouette - takes a grip, like say skinny jeans did, I'll probably work out a way of wearing it rather than hold out.

You're going to tell me now I was one of the posters telling you off on that dress thread aren't you

Cold shoulder tops, no. Polo necks, no. Cobalt blue, hell yes! It really, really suits me.

Have you noticed that some posters instead of answering the OP What style rules do you go by have answered the "What style rules do you think everyone should go by" we all suit different things - suit yourself, leave others to sort themselves out!

No manmade fibres

I stick to my colour palette (HoC winter) - so don't wear any beige for example.

I only wear white, not offwhite (see rule above)

Silver not gold

I don't wear blue and black together (appreciate that's old fashioned)

only 2 or at a max 3 different colours at the same time

I don't wear just above the knee skirts as they don't suit me

I don't wear strappy tops to work - hangup from my formal days

Ditto strappy sandals

No see through tops to work

No jeans without high heels to work

Regular pedis, hair cuts, eyebrow sorting

Cashmere or cotton jumpers only (yes I know, I'm a ponce)

I tend to wear fitted things as they're more flattering

Bootcut jeans aren't my friend (or anyone's really)

Shorts/mini skirts wear them at the right length - cut off at the thinnest point of my thigh (this is a Trinny and Susannah rule that works for me!)

”A long tunic top should be worn with slightly cropped trousers.”
I hadn’t thought of this one before milly

For those who say all their knitwear is cashmere - do you have young children? I have 1 cashmere jumper (which I adore) but I’m terrified of wearing around my DS so I only wear it to work which means limiting to only a couple of pieces (I’m part time).

Mess I’m currently waiting to get my colour analysis back & I'm praying grey is allowed! Otherwise my favourite tops will be hidden at the back of my wardrobe.

”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.”

I’m slowly getting better at this North. It’s a great rule!

My cashmere is a daily wear - I wash it in the machine - wool wash at 20C - most of it is Uniqlo, a couple of dresses from Whistles, for me it is just practical - warm and comfortable and I get so much wear from it.

yes, I have youngish children, pets and moths. Still wear cashmere because it feels so much nicer to me.

Like the PP not really expensive cashmare, but it just feels nicer.

Do I feel great in it? If yes then that's all I need!

You will never like it more than you do in the shop. If you're not in love with it there, it won't get better once you get it home.

My grandma's mantra: "You buy it cheap, you buy it twice!" (aka: you might as well splurge on one special item – you'll end up spending the money anyway when the cheap one shrinks / rips / pills)

Mix one highbrow piece with one lowbrow - a gorgeous expensive dress with a relaxed denim jacket, or a very simple white tee and jeans with my most expensive jewellery. Unless I'm going to an actual formal event, 'all casual' tends to look scruffy and uninteresting and 'all fancy' looks too try-hard.

No mad patterns next to my face – my hair is mad enough.

No high necks (I feel they are choking me, even a crew or boat neck)

No jumpsuits (weak bladder)

No frilly cuffs or anything frilly hanging down the front of clothing (likely to dip in my dinner)

Nothing which is made of polyester, highly patterned, with frills and flounces (Asda's entire current clothing stock)

No high heels or ballet flats

Skinny jeans and leggings with long top

Legs always covered e.g. Opaques with short dresses for winter wear, maxi/midi for summer wear

No black near my face, no orange, red, yellow, brown, peach or cream

There's no such thing as too many stripey tops!

You will never like it more than you do in the shop I don't go to clothing shops very often - so when shopping online I like to place items in my wardrobe for a couple of week and see how they feel - if I'm excited by them, I'll wear them almost immediately..if not worn within 2 weeks (barring high season wear) they should go back.

I don't wear heels with shorter skirts.
I spend a lot on heels and research them carefully, so that they are comfortable, on the few occasions I need them.
I don't wear red with white or black.
I'm a bit conservative with trainer colours.
I usually buy wool coats and knitwear, other than raincoats.
I prefer layers in summer.
If I wear a short, I'm careful it isn't a stuff or starchy one, but fluid.

UNIFORMS...

Winter - plain black dress, black tights, mix it up with coats, shoes and bags, the more glamorous the better

Spring and autumn - high waisted black jeans, black tops or camisoles, interesting jackets and bags again

Nice summer - ridiculously flouncy dresses in very feminine colours

All year
Simple make-up
Neat hair, either a loose curl set or in an updo
Sunglasses
An excess of gold jewelry, because i like it

Can I breast feed in it?

Does it hide my mum tum when sitting cross legged with a baby on my lap?

Will I have to keep hoiking it up/down

Will it crease to buggery after wearing a sling on top?

These are quite specific to my current situation obvs.

Generally

The hoiking thing
V neck for big boobs
Skinny jeans as legs are best bit
Black black lots of black
No heals

*heels