About Fashion

Fashion Myths Debunked - 7 False Beliefs About Fashion That Can Cramp Your Style
By Lily McCallister

Somewhere in your developmental fashion years, a parent, schoolteacher, nun, or another member of the fashion police drilled certain rules into your head about what you should or shouldn't wear. And you believed them. But according to fashion design experts, most of these rules are just myths. Not only are they untrue, they can be detrimental to your wardrobe.



Here are some rules you can finally start breaking!

Myth #1: Don't wear white after Labor Day. All right, let's put this one to bed right away. White is not only acceptable, it's actually quite stunning in the fall and winter. Remember that white comes in many shades, some warm and some cool. The warmer whites add drama to a post-Labor Day wardrobe, and when the white comes in a cozy fabric like cashmere, it's definitely a "fashion do."

Myth #2: Horizontal stripes make you look fat. Although people have blindly believed this myth for decades, it's scientifically proven to be wrong. A psychologist at York University recently showed that horizontal lines do not make you look fatter; and if anything, can make you look thinner. He was confirming the findings from a 19th century physicist who first investigated the optical illusion that horizontal lines look taller and narrower than vertical lines.



Myth #3: Don't mix patterns and stripes. Whoever made this up obviously didn't go to fashion school. Mixing patterns and stripes makes for an absolutely fantastic look. Just keep proportions in mind, so if one pattern or stripe is bold, make the other more subdued. The contrast is quite fashionable.



Myth #4: Your shoes should match your bag. Let's face it: if you match your shoes with your handbag, you will look like the Queen dressed you. She probably wants you to wear matching gloves, too. If you have to match your bag with something, it should be your clothes, but even that is not necessary.

Myth #5: Baggy clothes hide the fat. People are not fooled by that muumuu. While baggy clothes may hide the figure, the result is a shapeless silhouette that can actually make you appear larger. Form-fitting clothes that show off the curves without being too tight are actually more flattering.



Myth #6: Black looks good on everyone. Not necessarily. Color experts argue that only one in five people have the cool, pale skin tone that looks good with black. People with warmer skin tones look washed out in black, as the color takes away all the golden tones from their skin.

Myth #7: Men's shoes should match their belts. This one's a toughie, as many men may face resistance from those who swear by this rule. But shoes do not need to match - they should coordinate with the belt. Imagine if you had shoes that were tan or white. It would be difficult finding a tan or white belt that was an exact match. But you would find brown or black belts that coordinated with them.



The only true rule in fashion design, then, is that rules were made to be broken. You'll find that debunking the myths may be the best thing you ever did to your wardrobe.