6 Outdated Fashion Rules and How to Break Them

You know who stinks the worst?

People who think they can tell others how to decorate their own bodies. This is extra annoying when they do so using outdated rules based on a narrow understanding of aesthetics.

Here's how to prove these losers wrong, topic by topic.

1. Your makeup should balance out your features.

You've seen it a million times: How to make wide set eyes look closer together and how to make close set eyes look farther apart, how to slim a round face and fill out a thin one, how to lighten dark skin and apply self-tanner if you're pale...for decades, the beauty industry has asked us to become as uniform as possible. 

The winds are shifting now, though. Individuality is in. For a striking, modern effect, choose to enhance your unique facial features instead of mellowing them. Sweeten full cheeks with pink blush. Elongate wide set eyes even farther with winged liner. Use a touch of shimmer to highlight a prominent nose. Celebrate your unique beauty - don't tone it down. You'll look regal and confident.

2. If one piece is flowy, the other should be form fitting.

Two voluminous pieces can, in fact, go together - and it can look really flattering. The trick is to define your waist with a wide belt. This will keep you looking ethereal and bohemian, rather than shapeless. 

Incorporating a heel into your outfit can also help with this look. The extra height can make the volume easier to pull off and emphasize the movement and flow of your pieces.

3. Stick with one metal tone - silver, gold, etc.

The mixed metal effect looks so cool that many artists have started using multiple tones in the same piece. This results in jewelry that feels bright, complex, and thoroughly modern.

Using a variety of colors and finishes works especially well with layered jewelry. Mixing tones adds a sense of curation and character to a stack of bangles or a trio of simple necklaces. This can make your whole outfit look more chic and personal - not to mention more expensive.

4. Redheads should not wear red lipstick.

First of all, what kind of a redhead lets anyone tell her what to do with her own face? This sounds like a dare to me - and one you should probably take. 

A bold red lip pops beautifully against the pale, freckled skin that often accompanies ginger locks. More importantly, a red lip works on everyone. It can read as bombshell sexy or pulled together and sophisticated. Consider it a neutral. Wear with confidence.

5. Don't wear white after Labor Day.

Winter whites are striking. Look for thick, plush fabrics to keep your look seasonal. Silver accessories enhance the frosty vibe, while gold ones feel festive for the holidays. Sparkly gems help with either!

For Fall, give the season its due with a plaid top or wooly scarf. Then, freshen your look with bright white denim. You will look classic, modern, and seasonally appropriate all at once!

6. A print should always be balanced with solids and neutrals.

Mixing prints with one another can enhance any vibe, provided it's done with an eye toward cohesion and harmony. A black and white polka dot blouse looks twice as modern with a striped pencil skirt in the same shades. Tiny earth toned florals take on a bohemian flair when mixed with one another. 

I really enjoy mingling prints and colors, and turn to this styling trick often. It gives me great satisfaction to take two boring old pieces and create an outfit with an entirely new sense of character. I wrote a whole separate article about how to do this effectively here.

Diana Vreeland said it best: "Fashion is part of the daily air and it changes all the time, with all the events. You can even see the approaching of a revolution in clothes. You can see and feel everything in clothes." The world is changing. It's time to let your best self shine. 

Wear whatever you want, friends.