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 spacodeinana writes "Along with the change of seasons comes a whole new book of fashion rules to decipher. Somewhere between what your mom told you about proper dressing and what fashion cop Joan Rivers barks out are the rules that real people follow.
You've heard them all: Don't mix brown and black. Stockings and sandals do not belong on the same foot. Silver and gold are worn one at a time. White only after Memorial Day. Puh-lease.
The swirl of varying dictates makes it hard to know which clothing mandates are worth following and which are better
tossed to the fashion graveyard to fester among Skids and stirrup pants.
read more....
There are, of course, those people who look good in anything,
no matter how bizarre, and they often set their own style
statutes.
For some, "when it comes to fashion, just about anything
goes," says Sharon Fenno, owner of Circles in Stuyvesant
Plaza. "It's all about trying things and being willing to be
daring or unique."
Ah, but there's a fine line between the "why didn't I think
of that?" and the "what is she (or he) thinking?"
So to save you from stares and smirks from fashion
aficionados who know when to choose Jimmy Choos over Manolo
Blahniks, we asked a handful of fashion experts to assess
some of the most-oft-cited rules of dress.
They didn't always agree, proving that fashion, like other
matters of taste but unlike physics, has few absolutes.
"When you obey too many rules, you lose any sense of style,"
says Sharon Haver, founder and style director of
FocusOnStyle.com, a New York City-based online magazine that
dispenses fashion and style advice. "Fashion isn't about
uniforms, it's about having fun."
Men
Rule: Stripes and patterns clash.
Verdict:: True and false.
Comments: On a 3-year-old it's cute, says author Leslie
Levine. "Otherwise, no -- it's hard to know where to look."
Other experts caution that only the young and thin can pull
it off, or those who are very fashion-forward and daring.
It's not an everyday look.
Rule: Black and navy should not be worn together.
Verdict:: True and false.
Comments: When it comes to a navy blue suit, black shoes are
the way to go in footwear. But pairing a black top with a
navy bottom, or vice versa, is like mixing oil and water --
it doesn't work. (The same goes for combining black and
brown.)
Rule: Do not wear white socks with dark-colored dress shoes.
Verdict:: True.
Comments: White socks are meant for sneakers -- only
sneakers. White socks with dress shoes work for no one.
Rule: Do not wear suspenders and a belt.
Verdict:: True.
Comments: Most experts agree suspenders look good on Larry
King, but just about everyone else comes off looking like
an '80s stockbroker. Men who insist on suspenders must leave
the belt behind.
Rule: Your belt and shoes must match.
Verdict:: True.
Comments: A black shoe should not be paired with a brown belt
and vice versa. It looks careless.
Women
Rule: Do not wear pantyhose with sandals.
Verdict:: True.
Comments: It's odd-looking and downright tacky. Sandals are
for warm weather, so there should be no need to wear
stockings. Woman who say they wear the hose to make their
skin tone appear more even can look toward topical self-
tanning products or toeless pantyhose.
Rule: Silver and gold should not be worn together.
Verdict:: True and false.
Comments: Reactions were mixed, although the consensus was to
wear gold with gold and silver with silver. Mixing metals
often looks like a mistake if it's not done right.
Rule: Stripes and patterns clash.
Verdict:: False.
Comments: Many designers are deliberately pairing mismatched
items. It's more fun and funky, say our experts. Just be
careful.
Rule: Your shoes and handbag should match.
Verdict:: False.
Comments: It's more fun when your shoes and bag don't match.
Insisting on identical colors and fabrics is too rigid.
Rule: Do not wear white before Memorial Day.
Verdict:: True and false.
Comments: Although white should be more weather-specific than
date-related, in the Northeast this rule is mostly accurate
for white cottons or shoes. But white wool suits are good
year-round.
Rule: Never wear a shoe that is a lighter color than your
pants or skirt.
Verdict:: True.
Comments: A lighter shoe ends up drawing attention to your
feet, rather than your face or outfit. (This applies to men
as well as women.) Also, women who are concerned with the
size of their feet should stay away from light-colored shoes,
which accentuate size.
OTHERS (not shown)
Men
Rule: Do not wear a light-colored sports coat at night.
Verdict:: False.
Comments: This rule is dated. It may still hold in a country-
club setting, but otherwise men should feel comfortable
wearing any color sports coat at any time of day.
Women
Rule: Do not wear diamonds in the daytime.
Verdict:: False.
Comments: No, no, no. Sharon Fenno, owner of Circles in
Guilderland, "wears diamonds to bed." And all other experts
agree it's a silly rule that no woman should feel the need to
follow. "Unless it's chandelier earrings, you're fine," Fenno
says.
Rule: Do not wear velvet or satin in the summer.
Verdict:: True.
Comments: Velvet and satin tend to be fall and winter
fabrics. Unless that's what the wedding party is wearing,
these two fabrics should be stored away during the warmer
months.
Rule: Suede and leather are for winter months only.
Verdict:: False.
Comments: Black or other dark-colored animal skins are fall-
and winter-specific. Light colors, especially in suede, work
year-round.
Rule: Wear light nail polish in the summer, dark in the
winter.
Verdict:: False.
Comments: Both colors work all 12 months. Currently, paler
polishes are more popular, but in past years dark colors have
been all the rage -- even in the summer.
Unisex
Rule: Never tuck your sweater into your pants.
Verdict:: True.
Comments: It's bulky and lumpy and can't possibly look good
on anyone. Tucking it in just cuts you in half.
Rule: Linen, seersucker and straw are to be worn in the
summer only.
Verdict:: True.
Comments: These lightweight fabrics look jarring and are
impractical during cooler months.
Fashion experts consulted for this story:
Sharon Haver, founder and style director of FocusOnStyle.com,
a New York City-based online magazine that dispenses fashion
and style advice.
Valerie Steele, director of The Museum at the Fashion
Institute of Technology in New York City.
Leslie Levine, author of "Ice Cream for Breakfast: If You
Follow the Rules You Miss Half the Fun."
Sharon Fenno, owner of Circles, an upscale women's store in
Stuyvesant Plaza, in Guilderland.
Georgia Donovan, fashion consultant who calls herself the
Clothes Doctor. She launched http://www.theclothesdoctor.com
to help women via e-mail and Fashion by Phone, at (215) 794-
From Spaco GSSO class of "97.
Fashion fling
Most edicts get the boot when it comes to today's clothing
scene
By KRISTI L. GUSTAFSON, Staff writer
First published: Saturday, May 3, 2003
http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?
storyID=130977&category=LIFE&newsdate=5/3/2003#
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Posted on Sunday, September 26 @ 12:27:36 MDT by Admin |
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Average Score: 4
Votes: 3
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