Fashion Faux Pas - Part III

Some final "yea" or "nays" from the Divas at Pink Ink.

Click here to see Part 1 of Fashion Faux Pas

Click here to see Part 2 of Fashion Faux Pas

Don't wear more than one bold colour.

Why not?

Of course you can - but be smart about it.  Solid bold colours with bold coloured accessories are always a hot look.  Especially when you choose colours on opposite sides of the colour wheel.

If you wear a bold top and bold shoes, make sure to wear a neutral skirt or land to break up the colour fields.

Always match your shoes with your belt or your purse.

This is an old myth that needs to be put to bed.  Your shoes do not have to match your belt or your purse.  It’s always a classic when the shoes are in the same colour family as the outfit but you do not need an exact match for your shoes and pieces in your outfit. 

Because we love you we went to WikiHow.com and found some really good advice on how to match your shoes to your clothes;

• Choose shoe colours that match your clothes instead of colours that compete with your clothes. 
• Wear simple black heels sans embellishment when wearing a dress with a bright, bold pattern. 

• Consider neutral heels or flats if you have on a sparkly evening top. 
• Add zest to a plain outfit by wearing brighter shoes. Add a pop of colour by pairing a red heel with a black or brown dress. 
• Try a dressy shoe with a funky pattern, like alligator skin, if you have on a simple blouse and neutral trousers or jeans. 
• Hone in on a colour found in your clothing if you’re wearing a multi-coloured outfit. 

For instance, if you have on a blouse with a geometric pattern including the colours purple and pink, consider a deep purple shoe. 

• Avoid strict colour matching. Do not wear one solid colour from head to toe. If you have on a blue blouse and a blue skirt, avoid wearing blue shoes. 

 

 

• Consider different shades. If you have a light pink blouse on, try wearing a rose-colored flat or heel instead of a shoe in the same shade of pink. 
• Select standard colors for professional settings.
• Wear brown and black leather shoes at a conservative office. 

• Incorporate colour only if you have a less strict office with a corporate casual dress code. 

 

For more info on how to pick the right shoes for your outfit please go to WikiHow WEALTH of info!! 

You shouldn't wear white before May long weekend or after Labour Day.

I hate this one.  

I have some cute white pieces that I love to wear and well, I wear them anytime I want – BUT – within reason.  

I did some research to figure out where this fashion faux pas originated and the explanations ranged from very practical to sheer snobbery.  For example, there was an article in Time magazine by Laura Fitzpatrick that provided the simple explanation of wearing white in the summer was simply cooler in the hot sun.  

Another explanation was that the rich wore white in the summer because they were the only ones who could afford a vacation.  Apparently, the rich vacationers would be off “galavanting” while the labourers continued to work and wear “drabby” clothes.  The wearing of white differentiated the rich from the not so rich.  When September rolled around, the rich would return to “normal” society and put away their distinguishing white clothing. 

 Not sure about that one.  

No matter how it started take it from Pink Ink – you can wear whatever you want and look good…  but you have to know your audience and you have to know the nature of the event.  

Want to know more about this?  Come to our Diva on a Dollar workshop being held in various venues throughout Ontario this summer and we will be happy to elaborate! 

You shouldn't leave your bra straps exposed. 

 This is a hard one – kinda.  

Again, you have to know your audience.  Would I wear exposed bra straps doing gardening around the house? – Sure.  

Would I wear exposed bra straps to the office – heck no!  

Good news is that there are so many ways to make your bra straps a decorative part of your outfit;  visit Kristina Bra Bling on Facebook - she has hundreds of ways to decorate your bra straps.  You can also opt to go strapless! 

Visit Jane Collins – the Bra Lady – on Facebook and she can help get you fitted for a proper bra.  

If you want to err on the side of caution and maintain a classy look – don’t expose them.  It’s a fashion faux pas that has yet to be totally admonished. 

If wearing something sheer, you should opt for nude underwear/bra.

Totally depends on the look you are going for AND depends of the colour of the sheer outfit.  

Black sheer – I would wear black underwear.  

Beige or neutral toned sheer – neutral coloured undies.  

Sheer anything is a big fashion trend this season.  

Remember a few simple rules when wearing sheer. 

• Don’t opt for wearing nothing.  Not cool.  The sexiness in wearing sheer is the illusion of nothing underneath.  Don’t break the illusion – I beg of you. 
• Wear presentable undergarments – lacy, sexy pieces are nice.  Nothing too “granny” like boy shorts for panties and nothing too sexy like the thong.  
• Make sure they fit and personally, the classier women I’ve seen wearing sheer actually have clothing on underneath.  Like a slip or sexy tank top. 

 

Not cool.  I would have done a sexy red or even black lacy bra Brittany.  

Venus – sorry, that top was not made for you. However, a black bra would have done you well. 

I would have done a black bra - sorry J-Lo - not cool.

Sandals with socks?

This has become quite popular.  We are going to say don’t do it unless it is a particular fashion statement. 

OMG - Really?

VPL (Visible panty line).

Avoid it if you can.  It's hard sometimes because you may be wearing something fitted and your panty line shows when you move a certain way…

The issue with the panty line is that usually it leads to unflattering bulges in not-so-great places.

Case in point:

So what can you do to fight this?  Thong underwear is a solution.  Spanx is another.  Ensure your clothing fits properly to help avoid lines. 

Exposed thong underwear?

DEFINITE FAUX PAS!!  Don’t do it.  We are not against wearing thongs because it totally helps with the panty line issue HOWEVER, having them exposed is not classy.  

Put on a belt and wear a long top if you are wearing low waisted pants.  

AVOID SHOWING THE THONG. 

Fashion Faux Pas - Part II

As continued from Monday's post, Pink Ink will offer their opinion and suggestions on the accuracy of traditional Fashion Faux Pas;

Tall women shouldn't wear high heels: 

And why not? Tall women need to feel "diva" too!! 
Whether or not you decide to wear heels or not should not depend on your height. Tall women wearing heels is not about trying to be taller;  it’s about elongating the leg, feeling good, adding to your outfit and being confident.  Pink Ink says "yes" to tall women in heels BUT to all women – if the heels make you walk funny, if wearing heels is uncomfortable or you look hunched over from trying to keep your balance while walking – forego the tall heel and go a bit lower!

Nylons with open toe'd shoes? 

I have to admit – I’ve been guilty of this faux pas in the past. Notice, I said past?  It’s actually in trend to wear hosiery with open toe'd shoes. 
Our friends over at Chatelaine magazine wrote: 

“Times have changed, including our hose options and what we can wear them with. So yes, you can wear hosiery with open toed shoes – but only if you choose an appropriate style of footwear, and a certain type of hosiery.” 

Ensure the type of open toed shoe you are wearing has a heel and looks more like a shoe than a sandal. Try to go for the the shoes that have a back and ankle strap. Also, the thicker strapped shoes go better with nylons/tights. But guess what ladies!! They do make toeless nylons so if you really are not comfortable wearing nylons with open toed shoes choose the toeless nylons!! The fashion gods have thought of everything!!

Never mix prints.

In this day and age you can TOTALLY mix prints.  In fact, mixing prints is one of the hottest fashion trends for the season.  This look is not for the faint of heart - you have to be confident and you have to be comfortable.
Here are some hints that can help you be successful at pulling this off: 

1. Animal print is now your neutral – I KNOW – who would have thunked it?
2. Wear a solid coloured shoe to anchor the look.
3. Try to keep a common theme – eg. colour scheme, dainty prints throughout etc.

Sequins and sparkle are for evening wear only.

This is not true! 
I mean, if you decide to wear a full-length sequined dress to the office then you might stand out - and yes, you will look “odd".  However, you can pair your sequins or sparkle with more structured pieces (i.e. sequin skirt and plain colored top or the sequin top with a jacket) – it can work!! 
When breaking this fashion faux pas please remember one of Pink Ink’s rules – if you have to ask, err on the side of caution.  For example, if you have to ask yourself “Is this too much for me to wear to the office?” then it likely is and you need to tone it down.
Honestly, this fashion faux pas is going to depend on you and your comfort level.

Short women shouldn't wear long dresses. 

Not true. 
In order for a petite woman to wear a long dress she just has to have the correct length. If the dress is too long it ends up looking heavy, too short and you can look boxy. The perfect length on a petite woman is between the ankle and the top of the foot. This is for the maxi dress.  For the long pencil skirt – right at or above the ankle or mid calf. The key to remember is that you want the dress to elongate as opposed to overwhelm. So long lines, solid colors, and dainty prints are your best bet. Any long dress with a big pattern will not look right.  Oh, and add a heel for height!!!

This is Part 2 in a series of posts about the truth or myth behind "Fashion Faux Pas".  Check back Friday for the conclusion!

Fashion Faux Pas - Part I

Although there are a number of fashion faux pas that Pink Ink may agree with, there are several that we do not  support.  

Style & Image – it’s all about personal style (and practicality!)  

As Divas we know that rules were meant to be broken!  

Let’s talk about some common ones now:

Never wear navy with black:  

You can totally break this rule BUT you have to be careful with how you do it.  It is not as simple as just putting a black pair of shoes with a navy dress – that looks like a mistake.  As stylist Lyndsey Weiner would state: "if you are going to wear black and navy then make it look deliberate.  Balance the look with accessories like your handbag and jewelry."  This will make it known that you purposely meant to break this fashion myth and rocked it! 

Never wear gold and silver together:  

Huh?  Really?  This is a rule that definitely needs to be broken.  In today’s world it's almost a rule to not wear ONLY gold or ONLY silver!  JOKING – but seriously, it’s stylish to mix it up.  In fact, some of the most beautiful jewelry today is created by combining these two metals together. 

Layering the necklaces, bracelets and rings will make you a fashion queen.  You could add other coloured metals as well - maybe coloured pieces, rose gold or bronze jewelry.   

Never wear blue and green together:  

A friend told me a poem her mother often recited:

"Blue and green should ne'er be seen, unless it is with yellow in between." 

The best colours to wear together are different hues of the same colour or opposite colours on the colour wheel.  The problem with wearing blue and green is that they are very close together on the colour wheel.  Does this mean it can’t be done?  Not at all.   

Pink and red together are tacky:  

Again, like green and blue, this combination together will depend on you being deliberate in your putting pieces together.  Be bold and rock the look you want. 

Horizontal lines will make you look heavy:  

Horizontal lines are not for everyone - it is true.  They can be very unflattering for certain figure types.  For our extra lovely women, it is best to wear stripes that are diagonal and vertical – this keeps the eye from looking from left to right and more up and down.  The latter is more flattering to the eye.  Also, avoid wearing an outfit that is top to bottom stripes.  Try wearing a top with stripes with a solid bottom or vice versa.  Wearing stripes on the bottom and top can be overwhelming.   

This is the first in a series of posts discussing fashion faux pas and whether we feel they are true or outdated.

Please check back Wednesday for part two!