Rules

People who know me know that I like rules. Well, sort of. I like rules when there needs to be order, or when there are changes, and I like to know what they are so I can break them. But seriously, rules make doing things easy, because all you have to is know what they are, and do them. Not much other thinking involved. Yay!

Fashion is full of rules. Unfortunately, some of them are stupid. For example, no white after labor day. Don't wear horizontal stripes, etc. The thing about fashion is that one set of rules for a million types of bodies just doesn't make any sense.

But shopping is HARD. It's work! Even if you have a body designers tend to manufacture clothes for, not all clothes are meant for all people. We all have something that's a little bit different. Maybe we're tall, maybe short, wide hips, small bust, etc. etc. etc. So because of this work and all the options that are available to us, having rules can make shopping a whole lot easier.

But if those general fashion rules don't work, as I mentioned before, then what do we do? We make our OWN rules. Rules that we find work best for us. If we take note of things while we try them on - things we like, things we don't like - we can remember these as we shop in the future, and save ourselves some frustration and time. Allow me to share a few of mine with you.

1. No slinky material.
I don't really know what this material is called, but it stretches a lot, but also goes back to its shape, so it's very clingy. This works great on some shapes, but on me, I just can't stand it. It hugs a lot of curves I don't prefer to accentuate. So whenever I see an article of clothing with this material, I pass immediately.

2. A line, skater, and fit and flare are a go.
My body looks amazing in those more classic cuts - the A-line skirt, the very popular and in skater skirt or dress, and "fit and flare." All of these really accent a higher, natural waste line, hit the hips, and flow out from there. This cut totally accentuates the curves that I love. As long as the clothing isn't that slinky material, and it's the right size, it's almost guaranteed that I'm going to be happy with it. Similarly, there are certain cuts that I don't really like on my body. Even though I wear a larger size, I have a smaller frame than the typical woman who wears the same size. So things like tunics don't look so great on me. They're kind of bulky and are kind of like pretty potato sacks on me. Those shirts that have the elastic at the hip? Same story; very boxy on me since my waist line is lost. Pencil skirts? Oh, as much as I love these, I don't generally like how they look on me. But more about that below...

3. No skulls or hearts
Not much of an explanation needed. I just don't do these.

4. Try it on!!!
Now, I have started doing more online shopping, so this isn't always possible, but if I'm in a brick and mortar store, I go ahead and try something on, even if I'm not sure it's going to work. Clothes are made in a million different ways, and sometimes will fit better or worse than expected. Therefore I don't have to worry about something not fitting me. Let me say that again in a different way - If something doesn't fit you the way you like, it's the garment, not your body. Clothes are mass produced, and in no way are going to fit you 100% of the time. If something doesn't work, oh well! Move on to the next thing. But at least if you tried, you know. Who knows, maybe that pencil skirt I love on the hanger will look great on me!

5. Know your brands
At Target, Xhilaration is a juniors brand, and Merona is a women's brand. They are in the same area of clothes though, so unless you don't know that, you figure they're going to fit about the same. BUT THEY DON'T! Juniors clothes generally don't have a lot of room for curves, and run smaller for not-quite-yet-developed bodies. Womens clothes have more room for curves, knowing that the more mature female's body is going to have a little more shape. So generally, I avoid the Xhilaration brand. I also know that the Worthington brand at JCPenny just doesn't quite fit my broader shoulders/chest area. Old Navy clothes tend to run larger. These are just a few examples, but knowing what brands fit you is a HUGE help. If you see something you really like in one of those brands that generally doesn't work, just go back to rule number 4!

6. Go for those horizontal stripes!
Something I've noticed about horizontal stripes, especially if they're smaller, is that they totally emphasize curves in a wonderful way. I have a really cute peplum top with horizontal stripes. Also an A-line dress with horizontal stripes. Love both of them.

Check it - thin horizontal stripes on an A-line dress
without skulls or hearts made with non-slinky material!
I'm not familiar with the brand, so I think I'll try it on!

These are some of the things I think about when shopping. The only way I learned them, though, was by trial and error; taking a mental note anytime I didn't quite like something, or when something was totally awesome. The cool thing is, since I've started following these rules (and really, they're more of guidelines), I've had more and more times in the dressing room when I've turned something away because I didn't like theway it fit, not because it didn't fit. Or because I've found too many things that worked really well, and I couldn't spend that much money! In the past, there were some very frustrating and disappointing moments, but knowing these things have made shopping a much more enjoyable activity in the long run.

So, what are some of your rules? What sort of things work for you?