Fashion is all about having fun, and expressing yourself. So why do we place so many limitations on what we should or should not do when dressing ourselves? Clothing is your way of showing the world who you are and what you love, without having to say a word. Holding yourself back from dressing how you want, just because it doesn’t follow convention, is a form of self-censorship.
Let me preface this by saying that if you feel self conscious in a certain type of clothing, don’t wear it! The purpose of this article is not to force you outside your comfort zone. The goal is to encourage you to not allow yourself to be held back by arbitrary restrictions if they’re the sole reason that you aren’t wearing something which you would otherwise love. The bottom line is this; if you don’t like something, don’t wear it, but if your reason for not wearing it is because you’re not “supposed” to, then I’m here to encourage you to throw caution to the wind and rock it anyway.
One of the most persistent unspoken rules seems to be that after you hit a certain age, it’s time to put away your “fun” clothes and resign yourself to a life of frumpy dressing. Now, I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with conservative clothing. If that’s what you prefer to wear, more power to you! But if you’ve only retired your favourite bold lipstick and statement pieces because you’re worried of what people might think, I would strongly encourage you to pull them out again. Style itself is ageless, and there’s no reason you can’t be too. Take the iconic Iris Apfel. At ninety-five, her wardrobe is a bold, creative, and fearless representation of who she is. She is surely not a woman who wakes up in the morning and thinks “Maybe I should tone it down a bit.”
Don’t be afraid to experiment with fashion faux pas. How many times have you been told not to wear socks with high heels? And yet on many runways over the last couple of seasons, models have been wearing exactly this. A pair of socks with a bold print or a touch of glitter instantly adds interest to your black stilettos, and can be the pop of colour needed to tie your accessories together. Mixing prints, when done well, is another great way to make your outfit stand out. After all, it’s so much more fun to be a trend setter than a trend follower.
It’s time to stop stifling our self expression. Wear what you love, and love what you wear. Be fearless. Embrace the things you’ve been told you should hate. After all, in the words of Iris Apfel, “If you put something together and it doesn’t look so good, the fashion police are not going to come a take you away. And if they do, you might have some fun in jail.”
Emma Newton
Patryka Designs
http://www.patrykadesigns.com/
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