Fashion faux pas... unrealistic?

nyer

Member
Nov 19, 2009
57
0
There are a lot of fashion "faux pas" that I break on a daily basis:
-Not matching my belt with my shoes (black shoes, brown belt)
-Wearing navy, black, AND brown together (actually one of my favorite color schemes!)
-Mixing silver with gold

I do these things because 1) I really don't see what's so bad about it, 2) I am a person with limited means and would like to get the most wear out of my items, and 3) who has the time to deliberately put THAT much thought into what they wear?? Celebrities have personal stylists and models make careers out of the clothes that they put on their bodies, but for those with schoolwork and jobs unrelated to fashion, we shouldn't (and can't) be bogged down with certain details.

Everyone likes to look good but I think you can break these traditional fashion "faux pas" and STILL look good.

With that said, I'd like everyone's opinion on what are the most REALISTIC mistakes that we shouldn't make?
 
I think a bad FIT is the worst possible mistake. Pants that are too tight, dresses that don't fit your body type, wearing things that are several sizes too big in an effort to camoflage problem areas, etc. If someone's clothes are well-fitted and/or tailored, they will look like a million bucks regardless of their body type or whether they are a classic or trendier dresser.

Also, I think that someone commits a faux pas when they are dressed head to toe in every flash-in-the-pan trend that is currently in the magazines. I believe that trends are meant to be worn sparingly, maybe 1 or 2 max at a time, but head to toe...you're really trying too hard.

I think that head-to-toe logos is tacky. I, personally, do not have any clothing or bags with logos on them...I feel more comfortable looking stylish yet anonymous.

As for things like mixing navy and black, mixing metals, not wearing white after a certain date...all of those "rules" have gone out the window and are now considered old-fashioned. Many designers are proponents of mixing colors, textures, and styles, and I think that makes life so much more interesting!!

ETA: visible panty line also drives me nuts. Either wear boy short underwear or a thong! Another thing is leggings as pants, i.e. waist-length top over leggings -- but I see this almost on a daily basis...am I missing something? Are leggings now considered pants??? :confused1:
 
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personally i think the key is to look nice.....i honestly prefer looking sloppy instead of look trying too hard. i was just talking to a friend about fashion bloggers...which everyone can create a blog about their fashion sense....but some really stand out and you can tell those better bloggers don't spend a ton on high end clothes....it's about how to wear not what you wear (to some extend only)...
 
^I agree...the way clothes fit is the most important part! I'd much rather see someone mix black/brown/navy than wear clothes that "match" but aren't flattering. I don't like black/brown, but that's probably just because I don't like brown in general lol.

And no, Kristy, leggings are NOT pants, but many people unfortunately think they are! I basically live in leggings and boots during the winter, but I would never wear a top that didn't cover my butt and crotch. I'll wear them with dresses that would be too short to wear with nothing under them, but definitely not just with a shirt. That trend needs to end ASAP. Plus, covering your butt with a top automatically eliminates VPL, another hugeee faux pas in my book :P
 
yup- i totally agree w/the above. leggings aren't pants!
i see this committed all the time.

i think having a thong peek out is just.. shaking head.. a big no no.

too tight outfits. too big outfits.
 
I think a bad FIT is the worst possible mistake. Pants that are too tight, dresses that don't fit your body type, wearing things that are several sizes too big in an effort to camoflage problem areas, etc. If someone's clothes are well-fitted and/or tailored, they will look like a million bucks regardless of their body type or whether they are a classic or trendier dresser.

ITA! :yes: I HATE it when people don't wear clothes that fit them properly. My best friend is a SERIOUS offender and has always been since high school but no one knows how to bring it up to her except her grandmother. :lol: She's a heavier-set pear shape but she wears really tight, revealing clothes on the regular. It only attracts negative attention towards problem areas than anything else. Tis a very slippery slope with that one!
 
talk about leggings vs pants.
one day i got out of subway and this girl in front of me...oh my...she was wearing a short jacket (at waist length) and her top was 2 inches longer than the jacket..and she's wearing leggings..not opaque...i could see thru...i can see her undies color and shape. i couldn't take my eyes off her. i think she turned all the guys head on the short block. :faint:
 
i totally agree VPL *and* visible underwear are both faux pas that nobody should make! in these cases it's less about "fashion" and more just about respect, both for oneself and for others in one's environment :rolleyes:
 
Yep the realisitic fashion faux pas we shouldn´t make are def. the fit when it´s too small.
Your underwear showing. wrong and trashy.
The leggings as pants, crotch area should covered sorry when you´re wearing something tight...all of these are a matter of decency to me !!

Then the old fashioned rules I learned from GrandMa and I am accepting to break them but still uncomfortable at doing so !
Mixing patterns is still a no no in my book, and easy to avoid.
Mixing gold and silver is still disturbing me.
The rest I don´t care !
 
Mixing silver with gold is not a faux pas IMO! Of course you've to know how to do that. I like to mix silver with gold, I get compliments all the times!

I'm also against visible underwear.
 
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I'm so old that I still believe in the "rule" of no white shoes for work before Easter or after Labor day........sort of. I say sort of because winter white is an exception in my mind and of course white snow suits and snow boots are excepted. Last week I saw a very attractive 20-something woman very nicely dressed in dark leggings (yes her crotch was covered) with a long angorra or mohair turtle and she had on a white summer heeled shoe - it so detracted from her whole look. White summer shoes and winter outfits mix about as well as oil and vinegar!

I also think that it is a real faux pas if you don't check in the mirror how you look from behind. Sometimes women look great when facing them but when you see the back of them, the hair in the back is a rat's nest or messy of has greasy parts and what drives me totally nuts is that they will have a tight rayon or knit top on with back fat exploding out of the top of their bra or underneath. If you have to wear a tight top, try a one piece body suit to hide the bulges.

Older woman wearing fad clothing,especially too much glitz - better to go with something more classic. Your go-go boots, mini-skirt, and plastic hoop earing days are over.

But the biggest faux pas for women of any age is wearing clothing that is too tight or short or that makes them look cheap. I was in Vegas a couple of weeks ago and I couldn't believe the amount of young pretty girls wearing dresses that were so short that their bottoms were practically hanging out. Enhancing your figure with clothes is one thing but looking cheap will ALWAYS be nothing more than just looking cheap.
 
Vegas is one of the places if you want to experiment with dressing overly sexy then do it there, it´s sin city afterall !

I am curious to see how gold and silver can look good together. I am open to be proven wrong. Actually I love it when someone manages to take down one of these "rules" !!
Like the brown with black for instance.
 
In my world, there is a huge difference between leggings and tights, either regular or footless. Regular and footless tights usually come in a package like tights and while they may look opaque on the leg, they have a tendency to become less opaque the further they stretch. They often have a gussted crotch like tights. In my mind, these are to be worn ONLY under a dress or skirt. Leggings, on the other hand, are made from a jersey material, are not see-through under any circumstances (even when stretched) and are much heavier than tights. They can be worn under tunics or under other longer tops. The tops of them should still be covered, but if the top moves a little, nothing will be exposed. They are, essentially, very skinny pants that should have the top covered. They are not the same as footless tights; the two are entirely different in my world!

And the biggest faux-pas I see is women of any age who are slaves to trend. Sometimes some of the trends just look ridiculous on some people. A full-length mirror and/or a very honest friend are the best things a woman can have.
 
i don't mind any of the faux pas you listed- sometimes i think it looks lame when things are too matchy-matchy in an outfit. an intentional looking mix of shoe and belt leathers, or wearing mixed metals, can look great! i wouldn't worry about it at all.
 
In addition to the ones already mentioned I think it is a fashion faux pas when men and women don't remove the stitching on items like skirt slits. In addition not removing the designer label from the sleeve of winter jackets or suit jackets.