Style: What Are The Rules Anyways?

I've been getting many questions lately about style. What can you put together? What doesn't go together? How do you know if your outfit works? How do you look "put together"?

The truth is there are no set rules for style. It used to be that you couldn't wear black with brown, but that went out the window long ago. There's that old rule where you are supposed to take off one piece of jewelry before you leave the house so you don't overdo it but then the arm candy took over and stacks of bracelets were the thing. Then there was the whole don't wear white after Labor Day, I don't even know what that is all about.

So I can't really say "THESE ARE THE RULES. FOLLOW THEM OR ELSE!"

But I will give you a few guidelines that might help out a bit. These are just my opinions on what looks good and I hope it might point you in the right direction.

-pick one piece and build your outfit around it. I think this is one of the reasons I have so much jewelry! When I'm in a store and a see a beautiful necklace or stack of bracelets I imagine the outfits I could put together with it. Whenever I don't know what to wear I pick out one piece, a scarf, a new shirt, or a necklace and build the rest of my outfit around it. This will help with the feeling like you have no clothes because you will be able to put together many different looks.

-wear what looks good ON YOU. Don't follow trends. Unless those trends look good on you. Right now overalls are really big. OVERALLS!??? As a 27 year old women I don't think overalls will really work for me. However, when I was in the store the other day with my 16 year old sister she commented how she really liked them. And they would look good on her so she should go for it. I should not. Understand your body and wear what makes you feel good!

-Always add jewelry. I think jewelry pulls an outfit together like nothing else. Add a stack of bracelets, some fun earrings or a statement necklace. Or add it all if it goes together well! Mix gold and silver if you want or wear everything in gold or silver.

-Find a "style icon". Someone who you think always looks good, someone who's fashion you like. For me its Zoe Hart from Hart of Dixie. I LOVE her style. Sure, she is a fictional character and someone styles her wardrobe but who cares, I love it. So I look at what she wears and pick out similar things.

-Pair something more form fitting with something loose.
Skinny jeans on bottom = big chunky sweater on top.
Baggy boyfriend jeans on bottom = closer fit tee on top.
Form fitting pencil skirt on bottom = loose fitting blouse on top.
Head to toe tight is a no go. And all over flowey will just make you look larger then you really are.

-While shopping look for pieces that will fit with what you already have. OR buy pieces that go well together so that you can create more then one outfit with what you get. Often I'll pick out a shirt and then search for a necklace to go with it. That way I have a statement piece (the shirt or necklace) as well as something to go with it AND two new pieces to coordinate with everything else I already have at home.

-Invest in basics. This is still something I'm working on. Those basic pieces that you will wear forever such as, a classic dark wash pair of jeans, a nice watch, a beautiful bag, that little black dress or a gorgeous leather jacket. These things will be pricier then your every day clothes but they are investment pieces in the sense that they will never go out of style and are basic necessary pieces in every wardrobe.

-CLEAN OUT YOUR CLOSET! I'd say every three months or so I go through my closet and get rid of whatever I haven't wore and anything that is looking old or stained. I have a consignment store I bring some things too and other things are just worn out. Many times I get things from places like Forever 21 or Marshalls and since I don't pay much for them I'm not heartbroken to throw out a shirt I payed seven bucks for and wore for three months because it now has a rip in it. Once your closet is rid of the things you don't wear you will be able to see what you do have MUCH better. And then its less overwhelming to create outfits.

-And that's my last tip. Create outfits. Don't just wear clothes. Don't stand in front of your overstuffed closet wondering what to wear. Create that outfit using the tips you just read!

1. Find someones style you love!
2. Clean out your closet.
3. Go shopping and pick up pieces that go together (maybe one invest piece) and look good ON YOU as well as plenty of jewelry.
4. Pick a statement piece.
5. Make sure to balance out form fitting and loose clothes.

And CREATE!