The Three Rules of Fashion

I haven't done a post about fashion in a long time. It's not that I don't think about it still, I do (and in fact, I do more than I used to). It's that most of those thoughts are fleeting, thoughts better pursued directly on G+.

And that is where this post originated, before I decided to  move it to Blogger. The reason is the topic feels more permanent, less about the fleeting aspects of fashion (shoulder cutouts, I don't understand...) and more about the permanence of style. Fashion is what they create, Style is how you present. If you're interested in the chatter of various fashion choices, let me know and I'll add you to the Fashion and Style Circle on G+.

The Rules of Fashion

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Even if you've never followed them, you probably know that the old rules of what one wears are thoroughly smashed. "No white after Labor Day" has been relaxed to clarify that one shouldn't wear summery fabrics (such as white linen) once the temp drops (which might be November), unless you live in tropical areas (such as Florida), in which case the rules don't apply all. Almost every hard and fast fashion rule has undergone a similar obfuscation so that almost anything goes.

This is lovely from the freedom of expression angle and devastating from the "but how do I know if what I'm wearing is appropriate?" angle. Because the truth of the matter is that while the rules have gone, there is still an expectation of  "appropriate dress", which comes will all the cultural baggage of decades past and none of the rules to help one out.

The New York Times published an article back in October called "How to dress like an adult", in which the author addresses this exact issue. How do you mark that you're an adult now when a hoodie and sneakers is entirely appropriate attire for an adult? The old rules about what teenagers wear vs adults is long gone, with girls wearing high heels long before they turn 16 (or 18, depending on the height of the heel) and industry giants not owning a suit because their industry rejects it's formality. Vanessa Friedman, the author of the NYT piece, has distilled it down to three rules (you can call it guidance is rules makes you twitch):

1. Do not distract.
2. Think of your clothes as costume.
3. Learn to iron (and sew, and fold and invest in some good hangers).

She explains how these three rules cover a multitude of areas. She believes the first to be the most important, and it is invaluable, but the third is my personal favorite. The clothes you wear are far less of a concern than how you wear them. I have a pair of brown heels from Payless that I've owned for probably 10 years. I've replaced the heel tap and the insoles and they are my favorite pair of shoes. My personal philosophy of buy the best you can afford and that you really love, then use it until it falls apart, applies to clothing more than anything (it's where I developed the policy). So even though I now buy shoes that have a higher price tag out the gate, I still treat them the same - replace the parts you can replace until the shoes cannot be fixed, then mourn their death and find new ones.

A crumpled Chanel (which is a sin...) looks messy, where as a jacket from Target that is in good condition, ironed, and tailored will take you far.

Thoughts on these three rules?