Go ahead, break some rules
Published: November 13, 2009, 12:30 am
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We match from opposite sides of the color wheel, we don’t wear white after Labor Day (which is a pretty good rule unless you live in Miami) and we don’t mix appliance colors in the kitchen.
But whereas many rules are great for society and most are great rules of thumb, some rules are not so great for self-expression.
Not all rules are made to be broken, but we decided to offer up a few suggestions on the ones in need of revision.
Breaking these rules doesn’t make you a rebel, it just makes you an individual. Try it, you might like it.
Just don’t forget to brush and floss. Rule No.1:The Little Black Dress is best. Black can be wonderful, elegant and forgiving, but it doesn’t have to be the only thing in your special occasion closet. A brilliant monochromatic dress can give you an eye-popping edge. The season of happiness and folly should not be clad exclusively in black. A little jewel-colored dress can be just as versatile. Wear it with minimal or no jewelry for a crisp, effortless chic. Add a wide or skinny belt in a contrasting color, metallic or leopard to mix it up. Add a fitted black blazer and a belt to give it dimension. And you can tone it down with neutrals. A little bright dress should be on reserve for the nights when you want to command some attention in a sea of dark frocks.
Rule No. 2: Nails should be short and shiny.
Matte is the new shine, so hunt up one of those flat grape, green, raspberry and midnight shades to make an impact. It will look oh-so-unexpected with your satin outfits and layers of jewels. You can pair this with rich matte lips and dark eyes. If everything sparkles, then you don’t have any contrast. So don’t be afraid to introduce a little subtlety into your ensemble. If you ever feel like a look is too much, but you can’t figure out why, swap out some shine for some matte.
Rule No. 3: Don’t mix metals.
The best way to make a statement this season is to layer on chunky gold chokers with a couple of slim gunmetal silver chains and perhaps tie them with black ribbon. When it comes to accessories, the only rule is to have fun. For an edgy night look or to jazz up day wear, mix gold and silver, gunmetal and mesh to create sculptural neck looks. Roll them together so they really look jumbled. This inadvertently subverts another rule: Take one thing off before you leave the house. Now’s the time to pile it on. But make sure you have a simple, clean backdrop. If your accessories pop, your outfit should otherwise be tame.
Rule No. 4: You can’t dress up in flats.
The height-challenged among you will scoff and many men will mourn, but this is the season of “black-tie flats.” Vera Wang Lavender Label introduced leather flats embellished with crystals and silver mesh, and Pedro Garcia has a pair that sells at Neiman Marcus adorned in pheasant feathers, grosgrain ribbon and a faux pearl pin. Dressing up is about attitude and posture. If you need heels to remind you not to slouch, then go for a kitten heel variety a la Michelle Obama, but you can rock a fabulous pair of flats for the cocktail hour. Just be mindful of your stance. It doesn’t matter what’s on your feet — if you slouch, you’ll look sloppy. A little extra height is great for the ego, but realistically, we know you’re not really that tall, so during the party-heavy holiday season, you might want a go-to pair of dazzling flats to call on when your arches need a break.
Rule No. 5: Read fashion magazines cover to cover.
This might work for murder mystery novels, but not if you’re having a time crunch and trying to get through a stack of fashion magazines. Start at the back and move forward, trust me, you won’t miss anything. You’ll skim the low rent ad space and then quickly flip to actual editorial content. Some magazines even have a quick and easy feature on the back page, but if you start from the front it could take you 50 pages just to get to the table of contents.
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