Apparently obsolete fashion rules that you stick with regardless

[Echobelly]

For me it's 'Leggings must be worn with something that COVERS YOUR BUM'

I'm sorry, even with teenagers with lovely pert derrieres, leggings and top that stops at your waist look like you haven't got dressed properly, and on those of us with less than gravity-defying butts (such as myself) it just looks horribly unflattering, especially if you wear cheapass leggings where the fabric goes all see-through when stretched.

What rules do you stick to, even if out of fashion?

I don't get it. What's wrong with wearing black trousers and a colourful top?

Nicky Hallam used to have a little feature in the Sunday Times magazine called ‘How Common’.

the one that still sticks with me (and my sister!) is ‘your shoes should NEVER match your skirt unless you are a Filipina matriarch’.

not that any ‘rules’ bother me. i’m nearly 50 with pink hair and a serious trainer addiction.

@AngelicaElizaAndPeggy

Never buy leggings that match your skin tone.

Is this the kind of look you’re thinking we should all swerve @AngelicaElizaAndPeggy?

I really thought she was naked

@StrychnineInTheSandwiches

I always have red toenails and am fond of tarty misbehaviour.

Me too

I agree with nude underwear and definitely with white trousers.

No navy and black together. Not nice.

No to sleeveless tops if you are anything bigger than a size 12 or so. Same with cold shoulder tops. Just unflattering.

@Malin52 Black with a colour is a) associated with 80s workwear, a cheap pair of black trousers and a naice blouse b) can suggest a lack of imagination ‘surely everything goes with black’ c) pairing black with a colour can take the life out of the colour, and it usually looks better with an equivalent match eg hot pink matches bright orange d) you can look like a licorice allsort

The black trousers/bright top thing was a Trinny and Susannah rule. And the only piece of their advice I can recall. Was more in reference to black trousers, rather than jeans. Black trouser (at that time it was black bootcuts that were everywhere) and a red/fuchsia/purple top looks a bit '90s office worker'. Black trouser and a less jazzy colour can look great. Red trousers and black top can look great. It's just the black trousers bright top combo.

See Carrie Johnson arriving at Conference today.

She looks like a travel agent there.

Yes, coats should be 2-3" longer than skirts. Yes coats are often long. (If you look at photo of royals on Christmas morning church walk, all the woman wear longer coats than skirts, its still a thing).

I hate midi dresses and winter coats for this reason. I know it doesn't matter, but it feels scruffy.

I struggle with breaking the "black footwear with jeans" rule. I know chunky black boots are fashionable, but they feel wrong with blue jeans. I know they look good on other woman in blue jeans. Just not for me.

My first boss in 2000 had two rules for office dress; no toes, armpits or cleavage; and no bare legs. I do tend to stick with the former but my office is casual these days so get away with bare legs in summer.

@LaPufalina

My first boss in 2000 had two rules for office dress; no toes, armpits or cleavage; and no bare legs. I do tend to stick with the former but my office is casual these days so get away with bare legs in summer.

I still can't bring myself to wear sandals for work. My colleagues think I've made it all up.

I had a boss in the late 1990s who really disapproved of women wearing trousers to work. She was in her 40s. It was quite odd.

@Claudethecat

What are the myriad of rules for men ...maybe no brown shoes with blue suits, but apart from that I don't think there are many. Wonder why?

There are a million rules on suits, cuffs, collars, the break in trouser lengths.

Don't make this a sex fight

Wow, I think quite a lot of these "rules" here are ageist/sexist/body shaming. I'm a size 14 and my arms (thanks pilates) are more toned than some of the size 8 ladies out there. The idea that I couldn't wear sleeveless tops in the summer is ludicrous.

Break any rules you like, but with confidence. Confidence is what makes an outfit look good, not matchy handbags or nude tights.
God I hate tights.

But no one is standing up for matching handbags. And clearly anyone can wear whatever they want. Does that even need saying?

@escapeyou

I agree with nude underwear and definitely with white trousers.

No navy and black together. Not nice.

No to sleeveless tops if you are anything bigger than a size 12 or so. Same with cold shoulder tops. Just unflattering.

No to sleeveless tops if you are anything bigger than a size 12 or so

Oh for goodness sake 🙄🙄🙄🙄

Another for skinny jeans! I have tried other styles and they just don’t suit me.

@midsomermurderess sadly it seems that it does need saying

No, it really doesn't. This is a bit of fun, no one is setting down hard and fast rules.

Oh yes, toes uncovered for work does feel wrong, even though I work somewhere far more relaxed than when I started out.

@Pigtailsandall I have pilates arms too. No way in Hell I'm covering them up after I worked this hard on them, even if I am in the latter end of my mid 40s.

I wear leggings with T-shirt's that ends on the waist all the time. Looks much nicer than the loads of fabric hanging on you over the leggings!