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?

Oh, I love black and navy together!

I'm not sure if these are obsolete or not buy the ones I've absorbed from forever are:

legs or neck, not both. Similarly, eyes or lips, not both (ie heavy make up on eyes = neutral lipstick. Bright red lipstick = more neutral eyes).

I will never wear leggings without a long top or dress. But for me it's a message thing - I know women say it's empowering etc, but when I see 4 year olds at sports groups where the boys are wearing baggie trackies and the girls are wearing leggings and a t-shirt I do wonder why we're teaching girls that default clothing involves being v tight.

Never wear black or white to a wedding. (this one I think is obsolete but I can't do it)

@CeliaCanth

Never wear “black plus a colour” Underwear must not be visible, let alone a “feature” The lower the hemline, the higher the heel (courtesy of the Lucie Clayton School of Tiddling On and Being Ladylike circa 1982. Also taught us how to get out of a sports car without flashing our knickers.)

My whole wardrobe is constructed around black plus a colour! As a gothy person I do either black and black or dark green/red/purple with black. I defend this "style" to the death 😁

I've no problem with bra straps showing but not grubby grey ones or (much worse) clear plastic ones, my pet hate!

Is eyeliner considered old fashioned now?????

Red and green should never be seen

..except on fools...

I was always told 'red and green should never be seen except upon an Irish queen'. There's sense behind it, red and green are complementary colours and so if you have large quantities of both it is very distracting (see also blue and orange, or purple and yellow). However a large quantity of one and a small quantity of its complement look good, so e.g. red poppies in a green field or orange shoes with a blue dress.

Legs or cleavage but never both.
No other jewellery if wearing a statement necklace.

Rules? There are rules? Nobody told us. We wear what the hell we like.

@suckingonchillidogs

I've no problem with bra straps showing but not grubby grey ones or (much worse) clear plastic ones, my pet hate!

clear plastic bra straps have hopefully been consigned to the fiery depths of hell, along with diamanté thongs and low rise jeans. The 00s was a very tacky time really.

Never buy leggings that match your skin tone.

@FlorrieLindley

Your shoes should never be lighter than your legs. So, for example, no dark tights with white shoes. Not exactly fashion, but my stylish mother (born 1918) would sew up pockets on coats and jackets so that you couldn't stick your hands in them. She insisted on "a light swing of your arms" as you walked showed poise, and have hands shoved in pockets was "slovenly".

love it

'remember your light swing of the arms, darling!'

When I was at secondary school late '80s we covered our exercise books with magazine pages. One year my French book was covered in Mizz pages with the headline, "Who said purple and green shouldn't be seen? Not the Mizz fashion department that's for sure!" All these years later that phrase pops into my head if I see purple and green, although I do like it...

@MorrisZapp

Red and green should never be seen

That's why traffic lights have the Amber light between the red and the green lights, and why you never see the red and green lights both on at the same time.

No black tights with white shoes.

I see people wearing black tights with white leather trainers all the time now. I just couldn't.

@MorrisZapp

Red and green should never be seen

I thought it was blue and green should never be seen without a colour inbetween

@PaddleBoardingMomma

Very dated and not very feminist but... if you're going for a low cut too wear a longer length on your legs, and if you're going short on the legs wear a higher neckline... never boobs and legs out together 😂 (I'm just jealous I can't get away with it without looking like "mutton dressed as lamb" horrible phrase but still!)

That reminds me of the sort of advice that used to appear in a regular column in my DM’s Slimming World mags in the 1970s: photos of celebs of the time with a critique of their style, Katie Boyle being a firm favourite for her “timeless style” (if anyone remembers her?). Here are some of the rules I remember: Wear Pearl stud earrings to widen your smile Always wear vertical stripes or you’ll look fat Don’t wear white near your face or your teeth will look yellow as will the whites of your eyes. Don’t wear a polo neck if you’ve got massive tits or you’ll look like a battleship. Don’t wear flats, you’ll look stumpy. Only wear v neck jumpers or you’ll look jowly Have a perm or any style that lifts the hair off your face so you don’t look drab Don’t wear dangly earrings or you will look like you’ve got no neck

Don’t forget fuck’s sake eat anything or you’ll never look like Katie Boyle (they didn’t say that but I think that was the main theme tbh).

Don’t *for fucks sake (not forget!)

I feel a bit reluctant to wear brown shoes with black trousers, but I don't know if that is supposed to be a rule.

Bag must match your shoes

@HarebrightCedarmoon - I will allow leggings abs short ts for exercise/gym. Aren't I kind?

I am a total "black + a colour" wearer but always avoided black + navy until I saw someone at work in a navy jacket and black trousers. She looked super chic so I've been experimenting.

There was an advert from years ago where Anna Friel said something like "brown shoes with blue jeans, never black" and DH and I randomly reference it at times (and obviously adhere to it faithfully.)

No white socks. I don't know why!

I also find the trend of men wearing trousers and loafers with trainer socks so wrong as to be actually upsetting. Warm your fucking ankles, man!

@GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER

“My DM used to tell me that you should never wear heels with trousers. Some fashion editor had apparently decreed this way back, very likely even pre WW2 (she was born 1918) and she believed it to be the eleventh commandment for ever afterwards.”

My father, born in the 30s and not a great reader of fashion magazines once rather shyly said he didn’t like heels with trousers. He must have got the advice in before I wore heels because I never have. There’s a certain logic with full-length trousers. Heels make your calves look slimmer so what is the point if they’re hidden.

Leggings and skinny jeans tuck into a boot, I don't do the leg length above boot with skin showing thing.

I think leggings should cover my arse! But not bothered about others. Especially teens or those with lovely round bums, flaunt it I say!

I don't actually know if this is wildly held as a view, but I don't wear blue or navy with black. So wouldn't wear black with blue denim of any shade. I just don't think it goes.