Clothing is an interesting topic. A person can know all of the “rules,” and follow them to a T, but not necessarily have great style. Immediate trends can be uninspired; the classics can get boring. This column is a salute to throwing out the rules and trying something new.
After a friend recommended it to me, I started following a blog called The Sartorialist. It’s mostly made up of pictures of people with striking fashion that the blogger has found on the street. I check the thing probably five times a day. Anyway, these people in the pictures are constantly breaking norms. Men’s pants for women, women’s scarves for men, grandma skirts, the list goes on.
I remember in high school when people would be teased mercilessly for having “high water” pants, but now, according to The Sartorialist, showing ankle is in. The irony is amazing. The old rules that our parents tried to give us don’t apply anymore. Navy is a neutral and looks beautiful with black! Mixing metals is lovely, and matching your purse with your shoes is just weird.
One of my personal rule-breaking favorites is mixing feminine details with masculine ones, skinny jeans with an old man sweater, or a lacey blouse with men’s dress pants. There is something so empowering about wearing construction-like boots with a skirt.
I read once that the best thing about clothes is that you can change them. This statement revolutionized my life. I don’t know if it will have the same effect on you, but I thought I would share it regardless. It’s possible to be sporty one day and wear a sun dress the next. No one will stop you. You are allowed to completely change your style from one day to the next.
So go ahead and use that skirt as a dress, or wear that men’s fedora. If a magazine tells you not to, but you think it looks great, do it anyway. You will probably end up on a blog. What is “out” now will probably be “in” after a few years anyway. So go for it.
The possibilities are endless! Clothes aren’t meant to drag you down or put you into a box. Fashion is an art form that you can change and play with. Different clothes and fits can completely change how your body looks. Experimenting with fashion is a way to express yourself.
