If you’re an ardent reader of Svelte Magazine, I bet the title of this content piece must have taken you by surprise. Maybe you even thought to yourself: “Is Victoria sick or something? I thought she’s never a fan of rules? How come she’s giving us some fashion rules to live by? Wouldn’t that be preaching what you don’t practise?”
You’re right, darling. I’m not a fan of rules. And no, I don’t preach what I don’t practise. This is only a counterintuitive post on rules tips that’ll ensure you look stylish every day of your life so long as you follow them.
We can call them the ten commandments of fashion even though doing that will make them seem stringent when the rules are simple to obey. These rules aren’t limiting in any way. Instead, they serve as a guide to ensure you dress with style and make a fashion statement effortlessly with your outfits.
You only have to keep reading, keep these rules at the back of your mind, and resolve never to break them.
But if you do break them, there’ll be a fire waiting to consume you: you’ll never get to enjoy the benefits of looking stylish every day.
Let’s check out the rules already.
Fashion Rules Every Fashionista Must Live By
1. Never Underestimate the Power of Accessories
Ever heard the saying “small but mighty”? I guess you have. Although whoever coined that phrase may not have been referring to fashion accessories, they still apply in this case.
Writing on the power of accessories, Jill Chivers says:
“Accessories extend the life of your clothes and familiar ensembles. With a change of accessories, an outfit you were so familiar with it felt like part of the family can have a new lease of life injected into it, it can become fresh and new (well, new-ish) again, and it can be given a new lease of life and a new place in your wardrobe.
Accessories tie your ensemble together. They create interesting details where clothes are simple or plain. Accessories add personality to your look and give you an opportunity to express your unique personal style.”
Jill Chivers
Your accessories can elevate your entire outfit. They are the little add-ons that magnify your look and speak volumes about your sense of style. If you doubt, try to imagine wearing a dress without a wristwatch, a hat, or your sunglasses? How would you look? Plain, right?
Never underestimate the power of accessories. Instead, try to add at least one to complement your look.
2. Place Your Personal Style Above Trends
Forget what anyone must have told you. Never follow trends blindly. This is one of the important fashion rules to live by.
Never buy an item just because it’s en vogue at the moment. Instead, invest in timeless wardrobe staples that’ll always serve you. Some of them include jeans, T-shirts, white button-ups, a pair of flats, a wristwatch, sneakers, a belt, etc.
And most importantly, ensure these staples suit your personal style. If it’s trending but you would never feel comfortable in it, shun what the trend table says and suit your style.
3. Quality Over Price
Research shows that many consumers rely on prices to determine the value of products. In other words, to them, a high price has a lot to do with high quality. This shouldn’t be so because price never equates to quality.
If it did, then there wouldn’t be any need to learn how to spot fake designers. Most of them come with expensive price tags, you know. So, rather than buy because the price is high, buy when you must have confirmed that it is quality. This way, you get value for your money without nursing regrets.
One way to go about confirming quality is to check fabric quality when shopping and use the shopping hacks we recommend to ensure you look good on a budget.
4. Always Find the Right Combination
Sometimes, the cloth may not be the problem but the way you style it. Try pairing that shirt with a pair of trousers you haven’t combined it with before. Or is it a slip dress? How about you use it to layer a tee?
You don’t have to dump your clothes after wearing them once or twice. Style and restyle your clothes to give you new looks even with the same outfit.
5. Wear Clothes that Fit You
Always dress for your body type. Dress to flaunt your physical assets and relegate the flaws to the background. This will ensure you don’t get lost in a pile of fabrics in the name of clothing.
When you dress according to your body type, everything you wear will fit and suit you and you’ll effortlessly elicit admiration.
6. Be self-confident
You don’t need a soothsayer to tell you this, do you? Always be confident in what you wear. Whether you have an eccentric style or you like to blend in with the crowd, be confident.
Wear what you love and be bold about it without minding what people say. If they don’t understand it, you can do them the mighty favour of giving them an explanation.
But if you don’t have the time for that, leave them to their assumptions and get going. Ensure you create a blend of comfort and style with your outfit so you can always exude confidence wherever you go.
7. Never be Afraid to Wear More Colours
Sometimes, all you need to transform your outfit is a pop of colour. And this is one of the fashion rules to live by. Wear more colours.
You don’t have to go overboard with it. Simply wearing a bright-coloured pair of shoes, sunglasses, or even tying a scarf around your neck are the ways to wear more colours. You can also try mixing prints. That’s like bringing in another level of colour matching.
8. Let Less be More
When it comes to fashion, simplicity is key. For instance, you can rock an all-black outfit and elevate it by pairing it with a colorful accessory.
You wouldn’t even wear much but when you step out, you’d definitely turn heads and accrue stares of admiration to yourself. So, try to keep everything simple even if you intend to make a fashion statement.
9. Respect Dress Code but Make it Suit Your Style
If your workplace has its dress code, whether formal office wear, business casual, smart casual, or anything else you wear to work, respect it but make it suit you.
That is, you don’t have to sacrifice your style to obey your employer. Instead, add a touch of your personality to every outfit required of you to wear to an occasion.
If it’s a wedding and you’ve been given a piece of asoebi whereas you wanted to wear something else, respect the hosts’ dress code but pick a style you’ll be comfortable with.
Always respect the dress code but never do it at the expense of your style otherwise, you wouldn’t be pleased with yourself.
10. Never say never
I have this friend who once swore never to wear g-strings. Well, guess who flaunts her buttcheeks with those panties now? My good friend!
Never say never. Fashion is a dynamic game. You may end up liking tomorrow a particular trend you don’t like today. While you go for what you’re comfortable with at the moment, remember that there’s only one thing constant about life and that’s change.
Just as people change, you do too. You can evolve today and adopt a personal style you never for once imagined yourself rocking. So, keep living and leaving a large space for change in your life.
And that’s a wrap! Now, you’ve learnt about the fashion rules to live by. Don’t thank your stars yet.
Have you forgotten there are some fashion rules to break that are inhibiting you from enjoying the whole art of dressing up?
Read up our guide on breaking fashion rules so you can break the rules that don’t sit well with you, leave your comfort zone, and dress better.
