5 Style Mistakes Even Smart Girls Make
We all make mistakes when it comes to fashion – that’s part of how you learn what not to do. That said, whether it’s due to laziness, misinformation, or just habit, there are some style mistakes that even the most fashion-forward girls seem to make at one point or another.
The following bad fashion habits could really be limiting your style. Read up on five of the most common fashion mistakes and learn a few tips on how to correct them below.
1. Waiting until the last minute to try new pieces on with your existing wardrobe.
The scenario: You go out shopping and find a fabulous top you love. Score! When you get home, you hang your new purchase in your closet and forget about it until it’s time to get ready to go somewhere, when you realize you don’t know what to pair it with. After a mad scramble, you give up trying to wear it because you’re already late enough as it is.
Why it’s a mistake: New outfit combinations don’t create themselves. If you want to get the most wardrobe bang for your buck, you have to try new things on with as much of your old stuff as possible!
Next time you go shopping, resist the urge to just hang a new item up in your closet immediately. Instead, take a few minutes to try your new piece on with things you already own. That way, you’ll know what outfits work and which don’t, avoiding the last minute rush to find something to wear.
2. Striving for a clothing color palette to rival a jumbo box of Crayolas.
The scenario: You’re a one-of-those-in-every-color kind of girl. Once you find a top thats flattering and inexpensive, you immediately buy it up in all the shades it comes in. Instead of worrying about which colors are the best for YOU, you simply want to diversify your closet, owning as many colorful options as possible.
Why it’s a mistake: I used to shop like this too, I won’t lie. You think you’re creating a versatile wardrobe when really you’re wasting money on things that don’t suit you.
The truth is, though, owning a top in every color is useless, because NO ONE, not even flawless models can pull off every color in the rainbow! You only need to buy colors that A. look good on you, B. work with the rest of your wardrobe, and C. reflect your personal style. So I know it’s tempting to buy that orange shirt in the off chance someday you’ll need to wear something orange, but here’s a hint: that day is not going to come. Just back away and buy something that works for you.
If you’re not sure what colors work for you, check out my article How to Find Your Perfect Colors.
3. Letting imaginary flaws dictate what you “can” or “can’t” wear.
The scenario: You’re browsing The Fashion Spot when you see an outfit you LOVE on Kate Moss – it’s fun, fresh, unique, and SO your taste. You’d love to rock something similar but then you think to yourself “I could never wear that. My hips/thighs/breasts/ankles/insert-body-parts-here are WAY too large to make it work.” You forget the entire thing and vow to dress the way you want to once you lose 10 lbs.
Why it’s a mistake: While Kate Moss may be genetically superior to us mere mortals, there is no reason we can’t take any look she wears and make it work for us normal-sized ladies. An example of this is the skinny jeans trend. So many women with hips thought they couldn’t wear skinnies, not realizing that pulling them off is all in the cut and wash. All it takes is the time and effort to find that perfect pair, and anyone can pull them off.
So the next time you find yourself saying “I could never wear that”, stop. You can wear whatever you want – you just need to be creative and find a way to interpret that look so it’ll work for you. For more on dressing your body type, see Fashion For Your Body Shape: The Basics.
4. Using color as a crutch.
The scenario: You know what colors work for you, or at least you think you do. You pretty much stick to the same three or four shades to keep things simple. After all, it’s not difficult to make your outfit match when everything you own is red, white, or black.
Why it’s a mistake: Now there’s nothing wrong with owning lots of black for example, but way too many women base their entire wardrobes around it. Even when you’re trying to save money, a basic wardrobe devoid of anything dramatic or interesting is boring!
Don’t be scared of possibly mismatching (rules like “never wear navy and black” are outdated anyway!) – just have fun and add a little more diversity to your wardrobe. After all, it’s better to make mistakes and learn from them than play it so safe that you’re boring. Live a little!
For more information on adding color to your wardrobe, see 10 Easy Ways to Wear Color.
5. Letting yourself get into “uniform mode”.
The scenario: You’re so busy with classes, work and your social life that you pretty much wear the same outfits every day. You have a closet full of stuff but you keep repeating the same clothing combinations over and over. You often find yourself thinking “I have nothing to wear.”
Why it’s a mistake: While everyone does this to some extent (it’s not like we all have hours to spend in our closets), it’s a waste of a perfectly good wardrobe to not mix things up. You have way more options than you think in that closet – all it takes is some time and effort to come up with new looks!
Spend some time with your wardrobe each weekend – try things on, test out new combinations, and find unique ways to wear things you already own. Also, don’t be scared to wear things in unintended ways. A bandeau dress could become a high-waisted skirt, a scarf could become a belt, or a necklace could be worn as a cool headband. There are so many possibilities that there’s no excuse to let yourself get into a rut.
For more tips, see What to Do When You Have Nothing to Wear – 5 Tips to Wake Up Your Wardrobe!
Your Thoughts?
As you can see, most of the above fashion mistakes, while common, are easy to remedy. With a little effort and an open mind, it’s simple to stop making these mistakes for good.
Have you noticed yourself making any of the mistakes I listed? If so, do you have any tips to fix them? Leave a comment and let me know what you think!
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Posted on on July 22, 2009 / Filed Under: Fashion Tips / Tags: Basics, Body Shape, Clothing, Color, How To, Kate Moss, Outfits, Personal Style, Shopping, Skinny Jeans, Tips, Wardrobe
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gilda rêvasseur
hmm… i think i am one of those people who sometime have every single colour of the rainbow on me… not that i buy the same shirts in all colours available though. i just somehow add more colour through accessories etc.
i’m hoping, at least, that it’s working for me! haha!
johnieemma
I don’t usually make these mistakes, but I do make another big one sometimes. I’ll suddenly get this urge to “reinvent” my style, but I go about it all wrong. I’ll just decide that I can pull something off and start buying a bunch of pieces to go with it, but in a month or two I hate these new purchases and can’t match them to the rest of my wardrobe.
I’ve really had to make myself take a step back and only invest in pieces that will last me, or at least compliment my personal style.
D!
i think this is a great post, one of your best so far.
(applause) (applause)
Julie
I’m totally guilty of falling in an uniform, and thinking “I’ll wear that when I’m thinner”. Lately I’ve been wearing whatever I want and I feel better tan ever!
Celeste
#5 is so me :X
Hannah
i don’t think i really do any of these. but i feel like a slave to the sales rack.
i don’t make a lot of money but i love buying new clothes and by the time i’ve paid all my bills and stuff, i have a minimum budget and when i go to my favorite stores, i make a straight beeline to sales rack. i guess my problem is settling for whatever is “leftover.” maybe i should start purusing the entire store first and i might find somethings at a cheaper price than i thought.
great post!
rachelle
i love the one about buying one thing in every color! buy 1 get one half off always kills me! it seems like a great deal, then you end up getting something that you really dont need and probably wont use. i also find that when you are ready to wear that orange version of your favorite shirt, you’re usually out of luck since you wore the black one the day before. great post!
Sid
In dressing up for pretty much anything, I start by thinking of what the people there would likely be wearing and remove that from my choices. Whatever comes out of it does not cause me to just blend in. :)
Mikelle Street
Well I find alot of the girls I hang aroung with have these problems and more. Like my sister for one likes to “reinvent” her style every few months but… she’s a freshman in high school, and the money’s not there. So what we found was that reinventing your style doesn’t have to mean you buy different clothes, you just style them differently.
Also, one of the girls I style has the problem of “never having something to wear.” She has a good amount of stuff but it’s all like multi colored, and she doesn’t have many basics. The thing was though, that she just needed a fresh set of eyes to come in. I saw and still see alot of looks that she’s never put together, but the clothes have been sitting by each other for years. Oh, and organization helps alot!!!!
One of my last things for style… I guess it’s not really a mistake is accessories. Like I know some girls who wear really bold accessories and really bold clothing, and so their clothes are fighting for attention. Because the volume of the entire outfit is so high, they kind of mute each other out and people don’t notice that new scarf, or that amazing ring you have on. I found that picking one or two select items and building an outfit around that item works really well.
Claire
My problem is definitely the one about falling into a rut and having “nothing” to wear – this is part of the reason I ‘m glad I have a fashion blog, to help me keep things fresh!
Jess
I have made mistakes 1 and 5. Yes I am guilty but like you said, mistakes are made so we can learn from them. Trust me I am learning from them.
Luinae
I am SOOOOOO guilty of 5 & 3. There was this point (getting better!) where all I wore was jeans, a shirt, and my trusty jacket over that. No accessories, that was it!! So boring.
Also, I have curvy thighs, and I am really tired of dressing to hide them. That stops NOW
Maria
Oh wow, I pretty much do all the mistakes except for maybe number 2… My mom’s guilty about that. Lol. I usually shop dark-colors for pants,skirt etc and lighter colors for the tops. And I always shop with my mom so the final decision is always in her hands and she keeps on buying similar items (shirts, definitely)… My only time of persuading her to buy something ‘fun’ is on sale season since everything is like half-priced.
What I really want to wear is sunglasses. You know, those big, flashy-colored ones… but i’m blind without my glasses and i hate contact lenses so i’m still thinking on how I can wear one of those,, :)
Little Red
Great post!
I often see a look on a celebrity and think I could never pull it off. Although, I don’t feel that way because of any kind of flaw. A lot of times I just think it would look weird overall.
But I know I often find myself saying that I have nothing to wear. That’s why I’m trying to fix up my wardrobe this summer. Donate what I never wear and find new, classic pieces that I’ll really wear.
lauren @ la petitefashionista
I think this is one of the most helpful articles related to dressing youself that Ive ever read! I think all of us have committed one of these fashion faux pas at one time or another. I think i’m guilty of trying to own too much color! :X
thanks zephyr!
xoxo
Haley
Until a few weeks ago, I was badly guilty of #5. I owned all sorts of cute skirts, but I was self-conscious about my legs and thought it took too much time to find anything to match them, so I stuck to wearing jeans and a t-shirt everyday. I told myself that I just “didn’t care what others think”, but the fact of the matter is I *wanted* to wear cute clothing and just thought I couldn’t pull it off. Now I’m starting to make an effort to put more thought into the clothing I buy and try to wear them, and I’ve found out that it’s actually really easy to look cute! I’ve spent just as much time dressing in some of my cuter stuff as when I did the same boring things every day, and I feel great about myself, too.
Aury
No. 5 is Such an easy mistake to make. Especially since I did have to wear a uniform every day of the week during the school year for 6 Years! Now I’m free to make my own choices but sometimes its just easy to fall into the jeans and top routine as a uniform. But im trying and trying definitely makes me happy!
Dubai Stylista
Thanks for this! I almost felt you invaded my thoughts for 1 and 5! haha. Great post :)
Aury@ An Ordinary Girl's World
I just realised that most of the people that have commented are bloggers themselves. That’s a tribute to you Zephyr, cos u truly are a fashion genius.
Dubai Stylista
Thanks for this! I almost felt you invaded my thoughts exactly for 1 and 5! haha. Great post, super helpful.
Annie Backer
thankyou for thisss
Lulu
Hannah, exact same story here. I’ve just become so accustomed to making a beeline for the Sales section at the back that it’s second nature. In a way, I like it because it inherently limits your options, thus forcing you to only buy things that you like AND are on sale, which I like because I am an incredibly indecisive person when it comes to my clothes. Plus, I find I suffer from ridiculous buyers’ remorse when I buy anything regular-price (that shirt could have been an on-sale shirt plus earrings plus a necklace!).
Something that works for me: looking over the entire store, making note of several items you like, and making regular trips back (e.g. weekly) to see if those items go on sale, or if any similar items go on sale, even at a different store. This only works if you are able to stay unattached from the items you mark out during your regular wanderings, so that if they never go on sale or if you never find a suitable alternative you can avoid sore disappiontment! ^_^
Nana
This post is brilliant especially this line which sounds so familiar to me! “So I know it’s tempting to buy that orange shirt in the off chance someday you’ll need to wear something orange, but here’s a hint: that day is not going to come.”
I often buy clothes in cool colors I adore but I never worn them…
Jessica from Broke for a Month
I am SOOOO guilty of number 5! WOW! I’ll go shopping and then I’ll wear only the clothes I bought that day paired with a few basics I already own until I feel trapped with those clothes, as if they’re the only clothes I own. Then I feel the need to go shopping for more clothes, and the cycle repeats. I’m trying to fix this though. I’m a work in progress:)
Dan Mason
I think the worst fashion mistake is allowing yourself to become part of a fashion trend even if the fashion doesn’t suit you at all. Here in new zealand the empire dress spread like wildfire and it was really bad for a lot of girls. Good article.
Venus
I am so, so guilty of buying things that don’t go with anything. I have a really cute summer dress that I bought out of a catalogue, but as soon as I put it on I realised how…’bridesmaid’ it was, AND that I had no shoes to match it with. So now I’ve had to buy shoes and a studded belt to stop me looking like a little girl at a party. This is not a good way to shop for someone on a tight budget!!
Often the topsI buy only go with black because I don’t have enough basic bottoms, but I always forget and buy pretty colourful tops instead of the basics I need to make my wardrobe more versatile. Then I tell myself I have nothing to wear, and fall into the uniform trap.
And I do the ‘covering up’ things as well, because I’m curvy and often get over conscious of my thighs and hips. Skinny jeans are a nightmare! They’re either comfy round the middle but no longer skinny in the leg, or if I get a smaller size (to make them look how skinny jeans are meant to) then they don’t fasten! Mostly I wear baggy tops or dresses to cover up the ‘difficult’ part of my body.
So yes, I’m so guilty of all these things and more……..but this is great post because it made me realise how true it is!!! The messing around stops now!!!
Reneé
#5 is exactly me ! I stick up to same clothes and wear them for a week or so.. I hate this but I just dont feel like wearing someting else and as you said I end up saying ‘I have nothing to wear !!’ these days I started to think about different outfit ideas, when I really don’t have nothing to do, and it realy helped :)
great observations =)
Jazzy
i’m so guilty of the uniform mode lol
Milana
Very nice article!
Felicity
I totally am no. 5. I try things on from my wardrobe and think ‘That looks way to dressed up’ and just put on the regular jeans and a basic tee. & I’m a sucker for sale items but really, who isn’t?
Katie
I am guilty of #5. I tend to wear jeans a cardigan with a tank underneath almost everyday. But I just love cardigans so much!!! It’s hard to break out, especially when you don’t actually have that many clothes.
aanchal
oh yes,i surely am #1 and #5 :P
i wear shorts with tees almost everyday (except weekends-PARTY TIME)!
lol i need to spend more time examining my wardrobe before i say “i dont have any clothes” for maybe the hundredth time.
Angie
I really think #2 is not a mistake for me. I have clothes in just about every color of the rainbow and they all work for me. The trick is knowing how to style it right. I can pull any color that I want off. =)