Reading Time: 5 minutes
After the many do’s, here are some don’ts. Our Fashionista, Neeti, alerts us about 12 Fashion faux pas. Often we accidentally commit these faux pas. She alerts us about the Fashion Police, adding that though she isn’t one, it’s better to play the game by the rule. And only when we have mastered all the rules, we would be able to bend a few, here and there. Here’s an interesting take on the subject, in her chatty style, in the weekly column, exclusively for Different Truths.
When it comes to our personal style, we often end up doing whatever we want! After all style is nothing but an extension of us, an expression of our taste! But there a few Fashion faux pas (French for mistakes) which just cannot be accepted!
A lot of surveys have been done on faux pas by celebrities – a price they pay for the limelight! They are always under the watchful eye of paparazzi …the media blows everything out of proportion!
Read on to see if you’re accidentally committing one of these faux pas!
1. ‘I only wear designer’ attitude: Aah! So if you are the Diva or Dude, who swears only by ‘Designer wear’, flaunting big brands and labels and look down upon anything non-branded or bought from the flea-market, then it’s time for you to pay attention. Style, as I mentioned, is all about personal expression. One can look amazing even in clothes bought from flea markets or bargain stores.
A necklace may cost just Rs 100 and still add on the glam factor to that plain black designer dress that costs thousands! A simple stole from a weekly flea market may add the accent color to a drab solid shirt! All it needs is a good aesthetic sense and you can look like a million bucks, without getting bankrupt!
2. Misfit clothes: Never ever wear clothes too tight or too loose for you. It makes me cringe to watch guys wear a too tight t-shirt showing each and every muscle (and pot belly) of their body! Also women wearing too tight clothes also…makes the people around them uncomfortable. It’s important to wear well fitted clothes with right amount of ease, especially when it comes to formal clothes, like suits or office wear.
3. Wearing shoes you can’t walk in: Excuse me lady, yes you! Please go and check your shoe rack! How many pairs of heels can you count which you wore maybe just once or never? Yes it looks so attractive in the show window that you had to try it but unfortunately they had a smaller size…Umm admit it you couldn’t resist it! This is one of the most common faux pas by women …Are men more sensible here? (To be investigated further).
Please do yourself a favour and wear the right fitting shoes. Trust me, your feet will thank you in later years and also it avoids lot of posture problems and pain in ankles and calf.
Promise me, now!
4. Mixing too many trends at once: Yes, we all know you are the trendy woman, who is well aware of all latest fads and fashion, but please, for God’s sake, do not, I repeat, do not be a walking-talking trend rack. Mixing many prints with stripes or checks, or too many colors together causes a chaos, a confusion. So be careful and mix prints and colours carefully!
5. Wearing wrinkled clothes: Okay, in your defense you may say I was in a hurry! Slept late, could not iron anything. Seriously, it is totally unacceptable to go to work in wrinkled and crushed clothes. It’s always a good idea to iron your clothes the night before at least, or get the pile ironed on the weekend. Avoid looking shoddy and unprofessional, unless you are going for a pajama party where everything goes or are wearing crushed fabric!
6. Copying someone else’s style: It’s good to have an icon or someone to admire, when it comes to their dressing style, but it’s another thing copying them completely. What looks good on them, may not look good on you. Everyone has different body type, complexion, and personality. So know yourself better and consult a stylist if necessary and create your own style statement!
7. Too much animal print: Unless you represent the zoo, or are campaigning for WWF’s not a good idea to wear tiger stripes, cheetah spots, etc.
8. Visible bra straps and visible panty line: Unless you are deliberately highlighting a contrast color bra, which could be a halter or bikini top, visible straps look tacky! Also a low waist jeans showing your panty line at back is also a look that definitely won’t be labelled classy! Avoid this fad!
9. Accessory overload: I understand you love accessorising and have a huge collection! But wearing your complete collection of rings, earrings, nose-ring, necklaces, bracelets and also scarves… whew! It’s not suggested unless you are out of pocket money and plan to sell them off to the first bidder, and thus acting like a rack!
10. Wearing Socks with open sandals: Sorry, this is a total ‘no, no’ … better wear shoes since you took the humongous effort of wearing socks. Ahem! Ahem! Message loud and clear I hope.
11. Sunglasses at night and indoors: I often wonder why celebrities do this? And now people like you and me too…yes the common people. Unless you have the curious case of conjunctivitis, avoid, avoid and avoid! Trust me they are laughing inside (the one’s having to watch you when you commit this crime).
12. Dropped Pants: Fashion police is observing men’s pants getting lower and lower, showing off their boxers or briefs. Do they really thing its swag? It looks good? I dare to disagree….Guys pants up, show off some brains and brawn power please, no one is interested in how low you can go!
All said and done, I’m not really the fashion police to impose my rules, but trust me I’m no fool! It would be a good idea to take me seriously this time.
On a lighter note, go ahead, feel free to break some rules once in a while when your inner rebel screams! Whatever rule you choose to break, make sure you break it well. And remember, never say never when it comes to style, because you only live once, right?
Reference:
http://www.whowhatwear.com/ebay-study- worst-womens- fashion-faux- pas
http://www.whowhatwear.com/how-to- become-stylish
©Neeti Banga
Pix sourced by author.
