You’ve probably heard them all before. Don’t pair brown and black together. Wear something fitted on top with loose on bottom and vice versa. Avoid ankle straps as they’ll cut you off at the ankle. And of course, the list goes on.
Wearing Everlane tie back top; Boden midi skirt; YSL tribute slides; Acne Studios mini musubi bag; & Other Stories sunglasses; Monica Vinader earrings, bracelet and signet ring (20% off with JAMIELEE20); Linjer watch
For many years, I personally relied on style rules to guide the way I put together outfits. Especially during periods where I was trying to dig deeper into my personal style, these simple mantras helped cut the noise; essentially allowing me to get right to the point.
But once you have a handle on your personal style, what was once a boon to putting together outfits can start to feel more like a constraint. You can find yourself in a rut, and no amount of new items added to your closet will pull you out of it.
Celebrating instead how unique our personal style is to us, I thought I’d touch on a few quick reasons why style rules should never be accepted as gospel.
They’re a great as a guide, but won’t solve every style dilemma
As I said earlier, when you’re navigating the ins and outs of your personal style, it can be useful to have a set of guidelines to use when getting dressed. But you’ll find in certain situations, the pairings dictated by style rules feel off. Perhaps it’s a matter of proportions. Or, the outfit falls flat. The balance might be off, from a shape or colour perspective. Safe to say, it can leave you feeling like a certain je nais se quois is missing.
Style rules are specific, and ignore the nuanced details of an outfit
Again, style rules can help break down basic tenets of style. But they don’t go further than that. For example, take what I’m wearing above. One of the most basic style rules – which I’ve leaned on for years – is to pair fitted with loose. But here, I’m wearing a loose fitting top, with a full skirt. The pairing doesn’t quite fit into that basic formula. But the devil is in the details.
For one, I’ve gone monochrome, so the top and skirt almost look like they could pass for a voluminous dress. Peek-a-boo details at the back reveal a little bit of skin. And the length of the dress is short enough to reveal the lower part of my leg and ankle, where I’m wearing a very “dainty” sandal. Which for me counts as a slimmer proportion in this outfit. Hair styles also play a role here; I’ve worn mine pulled back in a bun to compensate for the more voluminous shapes I’m playing with.
So you can see how on paper, this outfit might sound like it wouldn’t work, but that’s before you take into account how it’s styled.
Personal style isn’t “paint by numbers”, while style rules *can* be
Sure, there’s plenty of classic outfit combinations that you can generally rely on when you want to look chic. But, in my opinion it’s when you feel your best in your clothes, that you also look your best. Your inner confidence and sparkle will be reflected in the way you carry and hold yourself. You’ll feel comfortable, strong, and like yourself. Body language is everything.
Straying beyond the boundaries of style rules can be how you come across your favourite outfits, styling tricks and hacks. Experimentation has – at least in my experience – been how I’ve come to really find myself and feel settled in my personal style; something which is ever-evolving, I might add.
You can overlook *fun* styling elements for an outfit that’s nice, but “safe”
An element of personal style that can never be replicated with the use of rules? Personality. In essence, what makes an outfit uniquely you. While there’s practical elements to putting together an outfit, half the fun is in those little styling flairs that you personally bring to the table. And no style rule can teach or emulate that – it’s something you have to discover along the journey.
