Rules Are Made To Be Broken

"If I'd observed all the rules, I'd have never gotten anywhere."
- Marilyn Monroe

When it comes to fashion, I firmly believe that rules are made to be broken. Wear black with brown or deep blue, mix your metals, wear white after Labor Day, and basically rock whatever you can make work. Experimentation is the key to stellar personal style, after all.

Here are a few of my favorite rules to break:

1. Don't mix your metals - I love sparkles in all shapes and forms (so do all the other women in my family - it must be genetic), and I've never been one to stick to just one color palette, even when it comes to my jewelry wardrobe. I've found that as long as the jewels in question have a similar feel and aesthetic, they can play well together. This goes double for hardware on bags, belts, and shoes. I might not break this rule with every ensemble, but I'm definitely flexible when it comes to the bling.

2. Black should never be worn with dark brown or blue - like mixing metals, this is more of a suggestion than a rule. For every frumpy pairing of these shades, there is a stylish outfit that proves black, brown, and/or navy aren't mutually exclusive. Besides, one of my favorite prints (leopard!) is composed of black and various shades of brown.

3. Well-endowed women should not wear turtlenecks - wrong! If the turtleneck is a dark color and/or slightly slouchy, it can actually minimize your upper half (hey, "the girls", to quote Stacy and Clinton, do not need to be the focal point all the time).

4. Don't match your eye makeup to your eye color - while blue eyeshadow is not an every day look for me, a bit of navy eyeliner opens up my eyes like nothing else, and it's a little softer (and therefore more suitable for daytime) than black.

5. Sparkle, shine, and metallics are not appropriate for daytime - this is probably obvious if you follow my blog, but I'm definitely in pro-glitter camp. While a full-on sequined cocktail dress is probably not okay for the office, a metallic bag or a hint of beading makes a subtle but fun statement. Life's too short not to glam it up when you feel the need.


So what rules do you love to break? Do you mix patterns with aplomb or constantly play with proportions? Disagree with me on any of these? Share your thoughts in the comments.