I hate rules for fashion. There are so many diverse styles we never try because we are worried about sticking to criteria we feel we must meet. People feel like they have to wear what other people say makes a good outfit. But like any other art form, why should we let society constrain our creativity?
This year, I want to challenge myself to break some of my habits and join others in refusing to conform to arbitrary fashion standards. I want to set a new precedent for the future of fashion by leaving behind traditional constructs for how we should dress.
Mixing silver and gold jewelry
It seems like the consensus is that there is only one kind of metal that suits someone while the opposite color won’t compliment their features. Color analysis can help people find which colors look best on them. The practice has become popular on social media and perpetuates the idea that people look best in one color pallete.
Fashion influencers continue to find ways to justify keeping gold and silver separate. For example, some people warn that two different metals rubbing together can sometimes cause scratching.
I can never decide whether to wear silver or gold because I don’t think one looks better than the other. I have no problems mixing the two because color analysis fails to consider personal preference or people that don’t have certain features. Color analysis tests have also been criticized for not being inclusive of people of color since the system works within a small range of skin tones. I would love to see more people layering necklaces or wearing rings of multiple colors.
The sandwich method
The viral sandwich method is simple — essentially, it’s an outfit where the top matches the color of the shoes, while the bottoms, a different color, are sandwiched in the middle. This creates a cohesive look head to toe that is also easy to put together.
That simplicity, however, is why I think we should break this trend this year. It is a great starting point but just encourages people to only wear a couple colors at a time. Powerful, high contrast outfits can have a big impact that sometimes monochromatic ones lack.
I personally tend to stay away from very bold colors, especially mixing them. But I want my wardrobe to look less basic and include more imaginative styles that work better for me beyond entry techniques.
As Lizzie McGuire said, “Maybe I’m an outfit repeater, but you’re an outfit rememberer.”
I don’t agree when she says that both are equally pathetic, but it can be embarrassing to be ridiculed for repeating an outfit. Fashion enthusiasts like Lizzie don’t like to be thought of as having bad style.
But being afraid to be seen in the same clothes in the same week, same month or even same school year just promotes the concept of fast fashion.\ To wear new outfits all the time, someone would need a fairly large amount of clothes, and would probably end up with way too many items and nowhere to put them. If you buy something because you like it, you should wear that item every time you want to — even if you’ve worn it several times before.
When I wear something I have worn recently, I want to push myself to think about how I can use it in a new way. With a number of items in my closet going untouched while others are in constant rotation, I’d like to find that middle ground where my staple items are always slightly varied but I am utilizing the full range of what I own.
These are just a few of the outdated fashion rules that we have become conditioned to adhere to. Now, 2025 is the perfect year to make some minor changes in how we dress to find our personal style.
