Thursday 12 / December / 2024
In the world of fashion where rules change every day, how many of those decade-old conventions are still worth following? This week, we’re busting 10 myths that have been hindering your true fashion potential.
1 No heels for tall girls
Called relatively tall for Asian/Middle Eastern standards, I personally still don’t get why ‘tall’ people shouldn’t wear high heels. If you’re blessed with a good height, there’s no harm in enhancing it (if we can still use that word for height) a little bit more. A few inches aren’t going to make you look like you suffer from gigantism. Heels, all the way; even if you are 6 feet. Think of all the gorgeous models on the Paris catwalk!
2 Maxi dresses aren’t for short girls
And then we have the myth for the shorter ones. If the struggle of trying to match up to their taller friends wasn’t enough, now with this one, they would have to let go of all those lovely flowy gowns too. That would be unfair. But the good news is that they don’t need to follow this myth. Maxi dresses with the right colours can make even shorter girls look just as stunning. Go for single, bold colours in lightweight fabric to create that perfect breezy look.
3 Only dark pants if you’re bottom heavy
We understand the whole notion of darker colours having the slimming effect but honestly, cuts also play a very vital role. A well-fitted pair of pants or a skirt, even if it’s a pure white, can look perfectly elegant on those who are bottom-heavy. We’ll bust another myth while we’re here. Just make sure you’re wearing nude inner wear with your white pants. White doesn’t camouflage white. (We heard that oops!)
4 Match bags, shoes and oh, nail polish too
We won’t say there is anything wrong with perfectly synchronised clothes though. If you have ample time, then by all means, you can go blue from head to toe. But there isn’t a definite need. Mix-and-match is the trend of the century. More than anything, it makes one look effortless; like they didn’t stay up a night before to match every item from their wardrobe. Imagine the pain of having to transfer the contents from one handbag to another every single time.
5 Gold and silver don’t go together
A childhood myth that it’s about time we do away with. Gold and silver (just like black and navy blue) go perfectly well. And do you know what else you could throw in too? Bronze! The shades of three-coloured gold. The only thing to be kept in mind while sporting this fashion is the sheen of the metals. Don’t mix matte gold pieces with shiny silver items. It completely ruins the look.
6 Dressy clutches are meant for the night
Like a long maroon evening gown with dainty little embellished clutch bag, you say? The norm. But how about you bring out a sequined silver clutch and pair it with your stone-washed jeans and a pretty top? We’ll assure you, it looks just as trendy. It’s like a dazzling accessory that deserves to catch the morning sun and adds that ‘bling’ to your daytime outfit.
7 No more than one bright colour
We aren’t saying bring in all the colours of the rainbow in one outfit (let’s draw the line here a little, shall we) but just like the mix-and-match principle, we can bring a great amount of vibrancy in an ensemble by carefully adding multiple bright colours. Colour-blocking is the technique that comes in handy. Bring in a neutral shade in between two strong colours to balance the look. Let’s illustrate better — a bright-coloured top with a pastel skirt and bright shoes. The skirt balances the two strong colours it’s flanked with making the attire bold, yet not too over the top. A simple alternative is to go for multiple accessories in different colours that works as statement pieces while you sport an elegant pastel-shaded or monotone dress.
8 No denim on denim
Busting the myth by saying denim on denim is just classy. It’s casual yet really chic. Just remember one golden rule – don’t wear the exact same shades on top and below. If you fancy darker jeans (they do make legs look slimmer) make sure your denim shirt is significantly lighter. If you’re playing it the other way around with lighter bottoms, make sure the top is at least two shades darker.
9 You are a particular size only
Yes, so maybe it can give you a rough reference but that’s about it. You could be a size L at one store and an S in another and this holds true especially if you’re jumping between fast fashion and designer wear. We need to accept that sizes vary from brand to brand and even country to country. It’s always advisable to ignore that little size tag and actually see what looks good on you. And look at the bright side, you won’t feel guilty picking a size larger, and you’ll actually get the dress that fits you right.
10 No short dresses after you’ve aged
Age is just a number; and as long as your legs don’t give away that number, short dresses shouldn’t be leaving your wardrobe. We’ve seen some of the most glamorous stars from yesteryears still looking elegantly stunning in their little black dresses. The only secret – they keep it simple.
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