Kad’s Korner: How to Break the Rules

“No white after Labor Day.” “Don’t wear black and blue.” “Wear silver or gold, not both.” These rules of fashion are likely familiar. If they are, you probably heard them from your mom or even your grandma. I have news. These fashion Don’ts are things of the past. Rules are meant to be broken– when you know how to break them.

White After Labor Day

You can do white after Labor day, but to get around looking too summery, wear cream or off-white. If you follow that rule, then you’ll have no problems looking in season. You can even try a tone-on-tone look. I suggest pairing off-white jeans with a cream sweater. The combination will work as long as neither piece is true white and one piece is a darker cream/off-white than the other.

Black and Blue

Black and blue isn’t as daunting of a combination as one might think. The two compliment each other best when the blue isn’t too dark navy. It’s too dark of a navy when it seems to compete with the black or is dark
enough to be mistaken for black. If you go with a lighter blue, the colors won’t compete as much.

Wearing Silver and Gold

Mixed metal looks have been in style for a couple of years now. The key is to avoid competition between the two. If you decide to wear flashy gold shoes, don’t wear eye-catching silver elsewhere. Instead, try mixing gold and silver bracelets. If you feel like your metals don’t mix well, add in a bronzy color to act as a buffer between the two extremes.

These are the guidelines I use when it comes to breaking the rules but, as always, you are your own fashion police. If you want to wear something that someone might consider breaking the rules, go for it. No one can write your fashion rule book for you.