Fashion Rules To Break This Fall

Bless them; our mothers raised us with a set of fashion rules that “must not ever, ever be disobeyed!” Well, it’s a new century, a brand new season, and we’re now at the point where we need to free ourselves from their strict guidelines. It’s time to rebel.

The following restrictive, rigid dressing commandments are no longer anyone’s friend. So be a teenager of style and slam the door in the face of these fashion rules.

Ever since the pandemic, the idea that special outfits are only appropriate for special occasions has steadily started to wane. In a post-lockdown world, going to the doctor’s or doing your weekly food shopping are occasions enough to deserve your best looks.

Not only that, but by maintaining the mindset that statement pieces are only fitting for special occasions we often end up not wearing our favourite clothes, and instead saving them for “something bigger”.

The ritual of getting ready and dressing up can be both therapeutic and a much-needed creative outlet so, if you want to wear your best outfit to the grocery store we unequivocally encourage you to do it! In the words of stylist Tabitha Sanchez, “every day is a dress-up day,” and we live by that.

To avoid an overly busy outfit, Coco Chanel swore by taking off an accessory before leaving the house. Sorry, Coco, but we beg to differ. More is more. Eclectic and off-beat fashion is becoming more and more mainstream, with clashing prints being one of the breakthrough trends of the past few years. And while mixing prints like a pro is a subtle art, there’s no better way to learn than by doing. Some prints—like leopard, zebra, cheetah, and snakeskin—are now considered well and proper neutrals due to their often muted palettes, which make them versatile and allow them to go undetected when paired with bolder prints.

Miuccia Prada has done it again: since the famed Fall/Winter 2023 Miu Miu show she has had everyone—from influencers to Vogue editors—wearing underwear as outerwear. The “no pants look” might make our mothers raise some eyebrows but, frankly, who are we to argue with La Signora? From bedazzled silk Miu Miu briefs to ultra-trendy bloomers, it’s safe to say that wearing underwear outside is officially a-okay—at least in the fashion space.

And the newfound love for underwear-as-outerwear doesn’t end there: the rise in popularity of mesh and sheer dresses, skirts, and tops has made it so that bras and briefs aren’t just something that you wear out of necessity but an integral part of your outfit—the same way a colour-coordinated pair of socks might be.

Lastly, the Y2K renaissance of the last few years has brought back, along with capris and skirts-over-pants, the infamous whale tail underwear peeking from low-rise bottoms. Whoever tells you that underwear can’t be outerwear is sorely mistaken!

Fashion is becoming more experimental and eclectic, so the old advice to stick to a singular aesthetic or keep a consistent theme for your outfit is so twentieth century. Remixing aesthetics that seemingly sit at opposite ends of the spectrum is the name of the game in current fashion, as exemplified by the Blokette trend from the summer of 2023. Combining coquette ruffles and bows with slim sneakers and football jerseys typical of Blokecore might seem nonsensical to the untrained eye. Still, these opposing looks are often the key to striking a perfect balance.

In another century no woman would be caught dead in a floor-length gown pre-sundown. In 2024, though, rules are off the table. Whether you’re using casual accessories to dress down a luxurious dress or are keeping it comfy-yet-stylish with a loungewear-inspired jersey maxi, long dresses are stylish and effortless options for all day.

What a travesty for pyjama trousers to only be seen by a select few, and let’s not get started on nightgowns. Today’s pyjamas are much more chic than they were previously, with so many sets far cooler than actual clothing. The “pyjama pants to work” trend started a few years ago so it’s safe to say that is very much incorporated into the general lexicon of fashion, especially when it comes to elegant iterations like the brand Sleeper. 2024 saw the rise of another sleepwear trend, where men’s striped boxer shorts—usually associated with pyjamas or underwear—became the must-have bottoms for summer.

Our society’s approach and understanding of gender is continuously evolving, but can the same be said about the way fashion is marketed? While department stores might still be strictly divided between menswear and womenswear, celebrities, stylists, and brands are making a case for genderless or gender-bending fashion. Exploring the other side of the store—the one you’re supposedly not allowed in—can lead to stylish discoveries and a brand new inspiration for fashion. Rejecting arbitrary categories like “for men” and “for women” is the first step to expanding your personal style, wardrobe, and uniqueness.

Correction: it can be tacky. The way to avoid this comes down to the styling. Using velvet accessories like loafers, handbags, or bows for your hair is an easy and low-risk way to incorporate the risqué fabric in everyday looks. Velour tracksuits à la Juicy Couture are also back in fashion, while velvet coats and wide-leg pants are more elegant options for the daytime. Dresses are another great item for travelling, as they have so many uses and can be easily folded to fit into any size bag.

Back in the 1950s women used to invest in matching purse-and-shoes sets, made to last for years and suit all occasions. Now the 50s are long gone, and we’re going to safely assume that no one reading this article is a member of the Royal Family, so bags and shoes no longer need to match in 2024. With current trends and tastes leaning towards eclecticism and irony, pairing a designer purse with sneakers or a nylon bag with high-heeled pumps would be more fitting. And, unless you’re going for a calculated fashion statement, shoes and bags needn’t match even in terms of colour.

Size inclusivity and fatphobia are—regrettably—still hot topics in the fashion industry, which seems to take one step forward and five steps back when it comes to representing and catering to plus and mid-size bodies.

Even though lasting change seems hard to come by at the corporate level, fashion at “street level” is rife with chic, stylish models, editors, and creators of all shapes and sizes who dedicate their platform to sharing their unique sense of style and proving that elegance isn’t synonymous with size 0. Their secret? Choosing pieces that flatter, fit, and frame their shape while also being unequivocally true to themselves, and, most of all, not allowing outdated and arbitrary rules based around fruit and geometric shapes to dictate what they should and shouldn’t wear.

Original text and content: Steph King