7 Fashion Rules You Should Try Breaking

In fashion, rules are meant to be broken. While not all daring fashion rule-breakers are heralded as trendsetters, the people who go against the grain help fashion evolve. More often than not, these fashion changes reflected the social developments of their times, such as how women started wearing pants for work to take over the jobs left vacant by men in World War II. In the current era, there are fewer restrictions on who can wear what types of clothes in the United States, though these limitations still exist in many places around the world. 

When you go outside of your home these days, it’s easy to see the wide variety of clothing ensembles that people put on. This just goes to show how easy it is for people these days to get in on the latest fashion trends or dress according to their preferences and niche interests, for example. However, it can still be pretty intimidating to try on new clothes or break fashion rules that you’ve practically grown up with. These rules, after all, have influenced your aesthetic taste and what you deem to be appropriate or beautiful. Because of this, it can be a challenge to see yourself in clothes that break established style rules, much less put yourself out there and make yourself seen by others. 

If you still have misgivings about breaking bigger fashion rules and expressing yourself more through your clothes, why not try starting small first? Here are some of the rules you should try breaking as you begin using fashion as a form of self-expression:

Athleisure Clothes Should Only Be Worn in the Gym

While cotton leggings and fitted clothes are often seen worn in the gym, there’s no reason to keep them there. The era of athleisure has left its mark on the current generation, and part of this is the wide acceptance of what were then deemed as gym or exercise clothes in other establishments. Today, it’s perfectly fine to wear leggings to work, provided that the rest of your outfit can still be deemed workplace-appropriate and your office has a casual attitude when it comes to fashion. Full-on athleisure clothes are also mainstays in malls and grocery stores, casual cafes and restaurants, and other places that people go to every day. If you want to stay comfy no matter where you are and what you plan to do for the day, try wearing athleisure. For one, buying cotton leggings and matching the pair with your clothes can help you simplify the clothing decisions you have to make in the mornings, which is always a win. 

Don’t Mix Prints, Metals, or Bright Colors

Style guides have always warned people against mixing prints with other prints or dressing up in an all-metallic outfit. Some say that doing so can draw too much attention to your person or distort your proportions. Feel free to leave that rule in the past and embrace the maximalist in you. Maximalism is a style wherein you mix curated pieces that feature eye-catching patterns and excessive design. Strongly opposing the minimalist style, maximalists find joy in bigger, brighter, and busier looks. If you have a lot of statement clothing pieces that you’re itching to show the world, then don’t be afraid to pair prints and metallic clothes with each other. 

Keep Floral Clothes for Spring

Floral is always “in” in the spring. The season, after all, celebrates life and the return of colors. If you want to bring color with you wherever you go and no matter what the season may be, then feel free to don your floral clothes all year round. In the colder seasons, you can dress in darker shades of floral to help a bit with the heat retention, and make sure to wear longer dresses for the same reason. 

Wearing Leather in Summer Is a No-No

Leather jackets offer excellent protection against the cold, so it can be difficult to find them comfortable during the warmer months. One way to go about this would be to wear lighter pieces of clothing during spring or summer and complement the look with a leather jacket, which can be treated like a cardigan. In this case, the lightness of your main outfit can help balance the weight and texture offered by the leather, thus preventing you from looking or feeling too hot during spring or summer.

Black Ensembles Should Only Be Worn in Winter

While black is most commonly seen in the streets in winter, that doesn’t mean that the color is out of style during the other months. You can wear black all you want as long as the fabric is fit for the weather and will not leave you more vulnerable to heat exhaustion. In spring, layer your black clothes so you can easily adjust to the fluctuating temperature. In summer, wear light fabrics in dark colors to maintain a sophisticated look without a lot of effort.

Shorter Women Should Avoid Wearing Long Skirts

Women with shorter heights are often warned against wearing longer dresses as doing so can supposedly make them look shorter. However, you don’t have to suppress your love of maxi skirts if you’re not as tall as you want to be. The truth is that well-tailored maxi dresses can complement your height and look good on you. Just find a good tailor and have your long dresses custom-fitted so you can wear them without diminishing your height. 

Elegant Clothes Should be Paired with High Heels

Award shows on TV often show women that pair elegant clothes with high heels. This is a standard look for formal affairs, but it doesn’t mean that you should also spend your swanky nights out while suffering from foot pain. If you want to wear statement clothes without heels, then do so. There’s such a thing called an evening flat that features all the bells and whistles that you’ll find in a pair of elegant shoes, but without the painful high heels. These sophisticated flats can look great with most evening ensembles. 

Trying out new clothing combinations can be a liberating feeling, and it can also help you find the styles that best suit you. Which of these fashion rules are you going to try to break soon?