Welcome to my new post series folks. Fashion Anarchy is a place for you to discover your personal style by forgetting the fashion rules that confine you, and let’s face it, make you feel bad. Read more about how the series started here. But first, as we kick off day one of this five-part series {here all week!} I want you to stop hunching your shoulder, give yourself a shake and loosen up a little. We’ve got some heavy lifting to do. Breaking the rules takes work and that’s why there’s a little reward in it for you, read on to the end to find out more! Ready? Let’s roll.
The first step in Fashion Anarchy is forgetting everything that you know or think you know about the rules of fashion. Don’t wear this, wear that, like this, don’t like that and on and on it goes. These rules are created to make personal style foolproof and simple but what they really do is make us feel like we are never quite getting ti right.
Always failing. Always wrong.
Let me tell you a little about how I came to shake off those rules and take my own personal style in my own hands. I’ve always loved fashion and considered myself well dressed but I was constantly bombarded with do this, wear that and absolutely DON’T wear those.
I was even avoiding horizontal stripes. And for those who know me and my personal style NOW that’s a big one. Stripes are like a basic to me now. But I did. I listened to them even though I dreamed of elegant, chic french inspired outfit. But where would I find it? Retailers were offering clothes that fit the rules. I wanted more.
There came a time, after years of conforming to the rules out there for plus-size women that I thought, these people didn’t make these rules for me. They don’t know me, my body shape or build, they just throw them out there into the world like mud that ended up sticking. I know my body. I know what I like. Maybe it was time I started looking with my own eyes to work out what worked for me.
So I started looking.
At the time I found it difficult to purchase clothes from stores anyway, I wore a size 26 or larger and the offerings were far from fashionable. I knew what I wanted but couldn’t find it. I was pointed in the direction of online retailers, our American and UK friends in fashion.
Bit by bit I could add items to my wardrobe as I wanted or needed them. I had jeans for the first time in years! Dresses and tops that were made to fit a body like mine. Retailers who delivered on clothes that were fashionable, current and priced so that I could afford them.
My personal style started to blossom. I’d choose a skirt because I liked it, not because it would balance out my wide shoulders or hide my chunky knees. I wore oversized items and tailored items. I would pick and choose colours and styles that were against the rules JUST to try them out.
Forgetting those fashion rules was the best thing I ever did for my personal style, but most of all for my self-esteem. Consider that as you abide by those rules, as you hide and cover and minimise or maximise your body parts, you make decisions about them being good or bad. Decisions that impact how you feel about your body in general.
After all some of those old rules are pretty specifically associated with bodies of certain types. Heaven forbid you forget for a moment that you are too tall, too short, too fat or thin, too old or young, too tan or pale… They are rules made to remind you to conform to an idea.
But personal style isn’t an idea, a thing that can be broken down into a few set rules that shouldn’t be broken, it’s a personal expression. It’s a creative outlet. A way to express who you are without speaking. A way to live your life out loud.
So it’s time to throw out those old rules. If you can take on board that for the most part they lied to you, that there are exceptions to every rule and rules are made to be broken {you choose} then you can start building a style you love from nothing. Throw off those old rules.
Tomorrow we start to build up a style you love but today make a mental note, an actual list or a Pinterest board that features THREE items you’d love to wear but never did because the rules said it was a no-no. Maybe it’s a mini skirt, horizontal stripes, an oversized t-shirt dress or ankle boots.
Rules are made to be broken Sugers. Let the anarchy begin!
CHALLENGE
Declare those fashion rules over {finished, done!} by sharing what you’re giving up in the comments or on social media using the hashtag #sugersfashionanarchy.
Take on today’s challenge and WIN a copy of the How to Work with Colour & Print by super personal stylist Natalie Tucker of Defined Image and my Budget Fashionista Workbook just by completing the challenge. For your entry to count you MUST comment on this post with the details of the social media share. Entries will close at the end of the week with one person who entered being selected at random. Email addresses WILL be required.
Hi! I’m Melissa Walker Horn. Around here, they call me Suger. I’m the Chief Blogger and doer of all the things here at Suger Coat It. Blogging since 1901; I love a casual ootd, taking photos, and writing about things that irk or inspire me. I love wine and cheese, long days at the beach and spending time with my family. I make stuff for the internet over at Chalkboard Digital. You know, living the sweet life.
I love this #suger’sfashionanarchy
To be honest, I’ve never given up anything. I will wear whatever the hell I want, as long as I like it and I feel good in it…..
1, mismatched socks ( no one will know)
2, mismatched undies ( cringe in an emergency)
3, just going to keep trying and doing new things
Thanks Hun, I like this idea and article
Lets have some fun
Let’s have some fun indeed! Love your emergency comment, I was thinking just the other day as I dragged on some underwear that the elastic was giving a bit that I need to get some more appropriate underwear in case there’s an emergency. Haha.
Yay for fashion anarchy!
I’ve given up a few rules over the past couple of years but I’m in that stage where the doubts have been creeping back in, so this is more of a reaffirmation than a new start, but it’s just as valuable! At least I think so, so there 😀
I am allowed to show off my knees. I like a minidress over leggings (or thick tights – footless tights in summer) and Mr Wright likes me in one as well. So what if my knees are a bit plump and I can’t keep the “mid-to” in “mid-to-late-30s” any more? I can still rock it.
I will consider bodycon, including pencil skirts, even without serious stomach-minimising shapewear. Yeah, I may have a bit of a tum, but I also have amazing boobs and nobody is going to be looking at the tum.
I can’t think of a good #3. Backpacks are OK? I don’t have to cut my hair when I reach 40? I never have to wear jeans again if I don’t want to? Cardigans are brilliant? Scrunchies are also brilliant? It’s OK to wear a jacket open even if I can’t do it up? Back fat is a natural part of life? Socks over tights? Let’s go with the lot – bring it on o/
(3. I will wear more hats.)
YES! Loooooove hats.
Yay indeed! I love this, I love that you went all out. Such excitement, love it. Take it as a reaffirmation of the good work you’ve done so far. These things are like exercise and doing the dishes, you have to do it over and over again. And what the heck, get a back pack! 😉
I have a back pack and I love it! I just have to stop feeling like a dag when I wear it 🙂
Yes and yes!
Hi Suger – I love this throwing out the rule book and making your clothes reflect who you are and not what the ‘fashionistas’ say I should be doing. I just want to be able to wear what makes me feel good, not what’s on trend. Will be following this closely!!
Thanks Marianne! Welcome on board. I absolutely think you should be wearing what makes you happy and if it means one less sale to a woman’s magazine peddling the ‘dress for your shape with a side order of body shame’ thing than so be it. 😉
I own and wear clothes from both sides of the scale 10-26 (mind you the 10 is a loose cardi from Kmart which im certain is not an actual 10!) but on average I’m an apple body shape wearing a 14-16…sometimes 18 up the top. My go to uniform is tight pants (leggings) and a tunic with a cardi over the top to skim over and allude to a thinner interior- in mostly black or if I like to mix it up blue. Certainly not EVER anything tight over my troubled areas.
So, The rules I am giving up are:
1. No Haram Pants or any loose pants really
2. No Body Con Dresses
3. No Tight tops
YES! Yeeeeeeesssss!
While I have a bit of a signature style, a bunch of go-to looks I love, I think it’s important to not only wear the things that you think are hiding ‘flaws’ from the world, it just sends the wrong message in your own head. Skim this, flatter that, hide this just isn’t a great way to start the day in conversation with yourself, right?
Ditch those rules and you and I are going to have some fun! 😉
Hi Sugar! Love this concept so much. As a follow of nat’s I have been learning to break the fashion rules, but you are stepping it up a notch. I love that you connect fashion to self esteem and self worth. Me too!! This is what’s it all about for me. I dress to feel good. I dress up to feel better and it is something that I encourage my readers to do to. I am fully behind you in this project. I tweeted about: https://twitter.com/contentmentnow/status/483402011337969665
And shall do anything else you request. xS
Thank you for sharing and making contact on Twitter. I appreciate your kind words and I’m glad to have found a kindred spirit! I strongly believe that fashion and your feelings are very much attached and that as women too often it becomes a battlefield just getting dressed in the morning. Well poo to that, let’s break ALL the rules. 😉
I gave up ankle boots, horizontal stripes and I never wear a dress.
I am a plus size (20) woman in my 50’s (although I feel much younger) and trying to find a style that is right for me is hard.
My current wardrobe is very meagre. I am on a very tight budget so buying clothes, shoes, etc. (which I love doing) is difficult. I would love for Natalie to style me but quite frankly I can’t afford it!!
I look forward to reading your blog. Keep up the great work
Thank you Rosaly. I think we should be able to get you heading in the right direction towards finding a personal style you love and you never know, play along and you might win Nat in the form of one of her eBooks. Let’s do this thing. 😉
Thanks Melissa for replying!
You’re welcome. Sometimes it takes me a while, but I always get back and reply. 🙂
This is awesome!!! #sugersfashionanarchy is a movement that I am proud to be a part of.
Thank you Natalie. I appreciate your generous donation of the books as prizes. I’m hoping the winner gets just as much out of them as I did. So great.
Im plus size and pregnant I have given up loose empire line maternity wear and am embracing bodycon to show off my back boobs hips and beautiful baby bump. And I love it!
Love it! Perfect Danielle.
Crop tops. Still working my way up to crop tops.
OMG, you and crop tops are made for each other! Get on with it lady.