Fashion is ever changing. Freshman year style definitely won’t be the same three years later, and most of our high school attire is pretty obsolete at this point. However, no matter how trendy you try to be, remember that there are some lines that shouldn’t be crossed! There are always those rules of fashion that just shouldn’t be broken, no matter what year it is. We talked to image consultant Brian Maynor, who gave us his timeless rules of style.
1. Mix and match trendy and classic pieces. With the pressure to keep up with all of the latest trends, many people are under the assumption that every article of clothing they wear has to be trendy, when that’s really not the case. “It’s good to have one trendy piece if your entire outfit has those classic pieces like straight-leg jeans,” Maynor says.
2. “If you have to put ‘too’ in front of it, then it’s too much,” Maynor stresses. Too baggy, too tight, too short, too long—none of these are good.
3. Chipped nails are always a no-no. Would you go to a job interview with chipped, bright red nail polish? Of course not! So why would you go anywhere else that way? Clean nails always work in your favor, while a neutral polish is always chic. You can even brush on your favorite color as long as your nails look neat and clean. Let’s leave chipped nails in the past.
4. Tousled and unclean are two totally different things.“You can tell when someone puts their hair into a quick, loose bun and when they just throw dirty hair up,” Maynor says. Even when you don’t want to look entirely put together (we all strive for that “I just rolled out of bed, but don’t I look amazing” look, right?), make sure that you don’t look undone: a loose top and boot-cut jeans are fine as long as you don’t pile on a baggy jacket over them. In that circumstance, Maynor advises to keep your jacket fitted.
5. Fresh makeup is always best. We all have those days when we wake up super late after being out all night. Instead of pulling out the makeup remover and reapplying everything, we swipe on some fresh lipstick, grab some mascara, barely wipe off our eye shadow and rush out the door. But we shouldn’t be doing that! Maynor reminds us “you can’t touch up your makeup from the night before and make it look good.” So start from scratch for your best look!
6. Dress for your body. No, that doesn’t mean piling on layers of clothes if you’re heavier, nor does it mean wearing all fitted clothes all the time just because you’re more petite. “A lot of my clients have body image issues and they think camouflaging is covering up, but big and boxy clothes make you look big and boxy,” Maynor says. Find clothes that actually fit your body type so you look fabulous and not frumpy.
7. Always strive for balance. Showing your cleavage, your legs and your stomach is always a fashion don’t. But unless it’s winter, you don’t need to be covered up from head to toe. Try and find a comfortable balance. “If you’re wearing a low neckline, drop the hemline of your skirt,” Maynor advises.
8. Prepare for the day ahead! Remember when you were in elementary school and your mom made you pick out your clothes the night before school? Go back to those days! “Would you rather take 10 minutes at night to pick something out or be fumbling around in the dark, half asleep, trying to pick out your outfit?” Maynor says.
Trends are always changing, and with the fashion-conscious society we live in, it’s hard not to keep up. But just remember that there are always those basic rules of fashion that never go out of style. Although they might be easily forgotten when we wake up too late to do our hair or forget to take off that chipped nail polish (for the second week in a row), try to keep these timeless rules of style in mind.