Plaid and Ruffles + Why I Don’t Follow “Fashion Rules”

Hello everyone! I’m going to be speaking to you about fashion rules and why I don’t follow them. What “rules” am I referring to? I’m not referring to rules that I believe a Woman (& Men too) should apply such as dressing according to her or his size or dressing in decency. I’m referring to the following rules that you’ve probably heard:

“Tall Women should never wear heels.”
“Never wear white after Labor Day.”
“Your shoes should match your purse or belt.”
“You can’t wear more than one bright color.”
“You have to wear the same shade of color.”
“Never wear two types of prints together.”
“Blue and black don’t go together.”
“Silver and gold jewelry can’t be worn together.”

As a teenager, I liked heels but wouldn’t wear them as a result of already being taller than my classmates (and many of the boys). I loved bright colors, but would at times limit the frequency as a result of being teased for wearing bright colors. I was temporarily discouraged into not dressing according to my own style. However as the years went on, I gained a bit more confidence and started to embrace my style.

Another rule that I’ve noticed is that plaid style clothing is typically reserved until Fall season. As it starts to get cold outside, here comes the flannel and plaid shirts. Well, I won’t be waiting until Fall to wear my plaid style clothing. Today’s look features plaid that works well for the Spring and Summer:

Many of these fashion rules are really myths. They have no substantial meaning behind it, were formed without good intentions, and can also be traditional. Again, I’m not talking about dressing etiquette or abiding by your workplace’s dress code. I’m referring to the myths that we hear, but never know of the origination. These fashion myths are created to limit you.

For example I googled, “Why Can’t You Wear White After Labor Day?” Here’s what I found: “Women who felt ‘in’ during the 1880’s, made up fashion rules (including the rule about wearing white after Labor Day) in order to tell who was acceptable and who was not.” So from what I’ve read here, a bunch of grown women wanted to establish fashion rules to determine who would be in their little society. Yea, I’ll just stick with wearing white all year round.

Let’s get into the details of today’s look. I have on this black and white plaid skirt that I saw and immediately loved. The skirt’s length, ruffle detail, and bow add a feminine touch. To dress up the outfit, I paired it with a white button-up shirt with ruffle sleeves. I’m also looking forward to wearing this skirt with a black shirt. To add a pop of color to my outfit, I wore red mules that I purchased on sale for $17!! I decided to wear bright red earrings that are not the same shade of red on my shoes, yet still look good with the outfit.

Allow me to quickly talk about the day I purchased these heels. God literally blessed me with new wardrobe items for the low!! I know how to look stylish on a budget, okay!! While it was still Winter, I was looking for mules to wear for the Spring and Summer. All the ones that I saw were listed at a higher price than I was willing to spend at the moment. I left my house that day and found two pairs of heels at one store for $17 each. As soon as I entered the second store, I immediately saw these mules. So yes, I completed my shopping that day finding three pairs of heels for $17 each. Talk about the biblical meaning of the number 3, COMPLETION! HONEY!

As you can see, I did not follow many of the fashion rules noted above. In addition to wearing plaid in the Summer: