Some fashion “rules” are repeated so often they come to be accepted as “fact”. I don’t believe there are any real hard facts about style, but here are a few myths that I’d particularly like to see “busted”…
1. WRAP DRESSES FLATTER EVERYONE
I see this sage piece of advice frequently in fashion magazines and the like, but I’m here to tell you it’s not true: on me, wrap dresses gape horribly and make melook like a badly-wrapped parcel (yes, even the much-vaunted Diane Von Furstenberg versions). In fact, I’d go so far as to say that there’s no such thing as a “universally flattering” piece of clothing, although if you believe you’ve found one, I’d love to hear about it.
2. HORIZONTAL STRIPES MAKE YOU LOOK FAT
Yeah, tell it to all the girls wearing Breton stripes this summer (and last summer, and the summer before, and last winter, and… oh, you get the picture). Do they look “fat” to you? Seriously? Of course they don’t. I’m not saying stripes will flatter EVERY figure (See point one, above), but nor do they look every single person who wears them look fat, either. In fact, there’s a school of thought which says that, actually, vertical stripes are more likely to create the illusion of “fat” than their horizontal sisters. I know it sounds counter-intuitive, but I have to say, my highly un-scientific research convinces me there just might be something in that theory.
3. YOU CAN’T WEAR WHITE AFTER LABOR DAY
Newsflash: yes you can! And I promise nothing bad will happen to you. People will not point and laugh, and you will not have your “fashionista” card revoked. And sure, you’ll want to pay a bit more attention to the weather if you’re planning on white. If it’s wet and muddy outside, you’re not going to want to be trailing the hems of your long white pants along the pavement, and white linen won’t be the most practical choice when the temperature drops. It’s more about fabric than colour, however, and if you happen to look good in white, you won’t suddenly look bad in it the day after Labor day. So relax, and let your white flag fly! (And, if you’re not American, rejoice in the fact that this rule doesn’t apply to you AT ALL…)
(Killer heels, via Spartoo)
4. TALL GIRLS CAN’T WEAR HEELS
Like hell they can’t! Why should short woman get all the best shoes? One of the worst things you can do, style-wise, is to dress apologetically, or avoid wearing the things you love just because of some silly fashion “rule”. Tall women look fantastic in heels. They also look fantastic in flats. And if the heels make you 7″ tall, but you still feel great in them, then more power to your stiletto.
5. SHORT GIRLS CAN’T WEAR MAXI/MIDI DRESSES
It’s true to say that the petite amongst us need to take a little more care when approaching this trend, because long lengths and flowing material can threaten to swamp us. It’s all about proportion, though. Yes, if you’re short you may have to lob a few inches of the bottom of the dress to stop it trailing along the ground behind you, and you may also need to either make alterations to the waisline/bust, or find a petite line that fits you perfectly. If the dress is the right fit, though, it won’t look any different on you than it will on someone taller: trust me on this.
So there you have it. What fashion myths do YOU think need busting?
I thought I was the only person who couldn’t wear a wrap dress. I am 5’9” and 130 and they make my behind look huge. Not sure how that happens but it does.