Let's DO Some Fashion Don'ts
The old rules were boring anyway.
Fashion “rules” have always been a little suspicious to us. Half of the things considered chic now were once labeled tacky, off-limits, or “wrong.” Black and navy?White after Labor Day? Sneakers with dresses? Please.
Great style usually happens when someone ignores the rules just enough to make things feel interesting. So today, we’re celebrating a few fashion don’ts that we fully support.
Do: Mix Seasonal Fabrics
There was a time when suede felt strictly fall and linen felt strictly summer. We disagree. A suede loafer with a linen top. A tweed blazer with silk pants. A woven raffia bag next to a chunky cashmere sweater.
The contrast is what makes it feel modern. Style tip: combining these textures makes outfits feel more expensive without trying too hard.
Get the look: We love her linen structured peasant top and found this one that we all want now. We think she took out a chunky cashmere sweater from her Fall/Winter capsule and is wearing it off season (here’s a beautiful one for under $200). And let’s talk about her silk taffeta pants - huge crush on these! We’re seeing this drawstring style in taffeta and dupioni everywhere now, some in patterns like these. What a great summer wardrobe addition. Her bright yellow bag adds a pop of color (someone needs to grab this one), and those animal print calf hair/hide shoes complete the look. Hers look like Alaïa, but these from Boden are remarkably similar and about 85% less expensive. Let’s not forget her red cord necklace - check out this one that you can mix and match.
DO: Mix Your Metals
For years, people treated jewelry like you had to pick a side: gold or silver. Once you committed, you were apparently supposed to stay loyal for life.
Thankfully, fashion got over that.
Mixed metals now feel more modern, more collected, and even more personal. A chunky silver cuff with delicate gold jewelry. Mixed-tone earrings. A gold necklace layered with a vintage silver chain. It adds dimension and keeps jewelry from feeling overly matched or too perfect.
The key is making it feel intentional. Repeating one metal somewhere else in the outfit helps tie everything together, even when the pieces are different.
Stacking gold and silver bangles is a great way to embrace this “don’t” in a way that says, “yes, I mean to do this”. We would stack a few of these classic silver bangles with these gold that come in three widths (or any of these glorious options or this fun gold-plated set if 14K isn’t in your budget), and then add this or this for interest (a girl can dream). We love mixing in pearls and gems with the mixed metal look. And side note: we’ve noticed so many cute, white blouses that are more like a structured peasant style, like the one above, the linen version pictured earlier, and this one.
Do: Dress a Little “Wrong” for the Occasion
Some of the best outfits happen when something feels slightly unexpected.
A barn jacket over a slip dress… at an outdoor dinner party. Utility pants, a tee, blazer and strappy heels… for girls’ night out. Cowboy boots with a polished black dress… at a cocktail party. Evening jewelry with a white tee… while running errands.
A little mismatch makes an outfit feel personal in the best way.
Get the look: (Side note - we love this look because it’s made up entirely of capsule pieces!) Her utility pants are super cool and the buttons add interest, we love this pair that has patch pockets and cool seaming. Her blazer looks chic because it’s slightly oversized and has a beautiful drape - our guess is this is an ALC blazer - which is totally worth the investment. Add a great bargain tee from Uniqlo and the strappy heels remind us of these new ones from Beeks.
Maybe the secret to personal style is knowing which rules are worth breaking. And maybe most of them are.
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