The Rules

I was thinking this morning when I was getting ready for work about rules. For most parts of my life, I'm a rule follower. I obey speed limits (to the chagrin of my husband). I pay my taxes. I believe firmly in the sanctity of marriage. I try to tell the truth (sometimes too bluntly, I'm told). I'm an engineer for cripes sake!!

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I also used to have clearly defined rules as to what was acceptable fashion-wise. I was thinking about this as I broke SEVERAL fashion 'RULES' this morning.

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#1 - Your belt must match your shoes. I have shoes that match this belt, but I wanted to bring in another color from the scarf, so I dug out these deep teal beauties.

#2 - If your pants have belt loops, you must wear a belt through those loops. Yes, they are there for a reason....to be hidden by my shirt. I did wear a belt, technically....

#3 - You should limit your outfit to two colors. Seriously, where did I come up with these ideas? I shoot for at least 3 lately. Today, I have four.

#4 - Your purse must always match your outfit. I broke this rule when I found my beautiful robin's egg blue Hobo clutch. I take this purse with me everywhere, and don't worry for a second if it matches.

#5 - You should never wear a belt over a shirt. I am so glad I got over that one. When I was an hourglass pre-children, I my waist could talk for itself. Now that I'm an apple, my favorite way to highlight that I still have one is a belt. I wear one almost every day.

#6 - Labels matter. Although I do find some great brand name steals (like my $4 Stuart Weitzman's) but I shop for the look. How does it strike me on the hanger? How does it look on? Then, is it worth the money they are asking? That's really the only time that name brand comes into play for me. Style can be found everywhere, from Target to Nordstrom. Size labels also don't matter. When I shop, I'll grab three sizes of everything and pick the one that looks best on my body, not the one that is 'my size'. This week, I've worn bottoms ranging from 12-18, and shirts ranging from M to XL. To think of what I'd be missing out on!

#7 - Only wear something if you've seen someone else wear it. I am not above getting inspiration from others, or seeking out ideas when trying to re-work a favorite piece or work in a new one, but I pick out things based on how I feel about them. I seek out the unique. Since I started trusting my instincts and shopping and dressing for me, I'm much happier, more confident, and get many more compliments :-)

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Oh, I'm sure there are more. But these are the ones that were jumping out at me while I was trying to tame my bed-head mop into an acceptable configuration.

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Once Husby sends me pics, I'll show the outfit that inspired this post.