Hi everyone,
I’m sorry I disappeared on you one more time. I have been pretty busy and did not get the chance to take any cute pictures to share. I am stocking up and hopefully, I won’t have to spend weeks (or a full month) without releasing a new blog post. With that said, something special for today. I had a couple of old clothes sizes 8-10-12 (before my weight loss journey and healthy lifestyle) altered and I will be featuring some of them over the blog, starting with this one. I believe that this dress was seen on the blog for the first time on Valentine’s Day 2014 or 2015 (I don’t recall exactly and I am too lazy to go check 😊). So here we are at least 6 years later 😊. I am still making a few more alterations to that dress but I didn’t want to delay my photoshoot session any longer. Anyway, I hope you are doing well and that you missed me the same way I missed you all. Now, for today, I want to go back to the rule of 1 in Fashion.
Fashion rules. Some love them. Some hate them. To me, it doesn’t matter if you follow them or if you don’t. If you’re happy and comfortable with what you’re wearing and how you’re wearing it, that is what matters. But, it can help when some parameters are provided to make it easier to take on something that feels challenging. So, if you like a good rule here or there, this is for you – or if you are simply looking for ways to be more playful when dressing up.
The Rule of 1
One skin rule:
Women of a certain age often question if they’re dressing appropriately. Being selective about the skin that is showing can be the solution. Too much can feel young, maybe even a tad tawdry. And being all covered up might read overly modest. The key is to focus on just one area of the body to be more exposed and allow the rest to stay concealed.
If you are showing up arms and cleavage cover-up at the bottom and vice-versa. Of course, depending on the occasion you can definitely show some cleavage as well as some leg. Just think about the balance. Here’s an example (found another one here) where I decided to show some skin. The idea is to keep it classy and sophisticated, not trashy or tasteless.
One Color Rule:
If you love to wear black (or other neutral colors) all the time just because you are not sure how to wear color. You can add a pop of color by adding just one bright-colored piece of clothing to bring some life to your outfit. For example, you can wear dark denim with a white or nude top, nude shoes with a true red blazer (the same rule goes for prints). Check out this post to visualize the concept.
One FIT Rule:
Balanced Proportions: Only Go Snug (or Loose) in one Area. Wearing tight, bodycon clothing on both the top and bottom can look dated and feel brazen. And conversely, oversized pieces can appear sloppy and add girth if not balanced by a slimmer silhouette. Picking one piece to be close-fitting and the other to billow creates visual equity and harmony. Think skinny jeans with a slouchy top. Or a bodysuit matched with wide-leg trousers. If one part is form-fitted, the other should be less constrained.
One Trend Rule:
I will explain this with an example. Check out 2 of my most recent posts (here, here). Those are pretty much very basic and classic looks elevated by one statement piece, a statement blazer, and a trendy Trench poncho. So for each outfit, I simply went with one statement/trend piece and the outfits became automatically very trendy and stylish.
Outfit details
Dress (super old from Chicwish.com) | Fascinator hat @attitudebyLory (or shop here)|
Shoes @MaisondelaChaussure (similar) | Clutch @lilophia (shop here)|
Sunglasses @glamurboutique (similar)
So the next time you’re looking in the mirror trying to determine what it is that’s making your outfit look off, remember the Rule of One. It might probably help. As usual, don’t forget to leave me your feedback in the comment section below. I would love to know if you knew about those rules or have you used them before.
Thanks for stopping by.
XoXo,
Moumous
Linking up with those wonderful ladies here
Camera @MJPhotography
catherine from France says
I have missed your posts and I am so happy you re back ,tk you also for the rules ,indeed I knew some of them and I try to respect them as much as I can for I know it elevates my outfit even if I forget all about them when indeed I feel at ease with what I wear from time to time.have a nice day
Moumous says
Thank you Catherine. I am back and I am sorry for disappearing. I am still struggling to keep up with the regular schedule but I hope that by July I will be fully back on track :-).
XO,
LifenotesEncouragement says
That dress looks so familiar to me. Love it!
Moumous says
lol – it's an old dress from ChicWish I had resized to my new size 🙂
Mica says
What a cute dress! I haven't heard of the rule of one but I think rules are meant to be broken anyway – better to wear what you love and enjoy no matter the rules!
Hope you are having a good weekend 🙂 Thank you for joining the #WeekdayWearLinkUp!
Away From The Blue
Moumous says
lol- Indeed -they are meant to be broken. But they aren't rule per say they are quick trick you can apply whenever you feel lost about what to wear or how to style a clothing item…
Shelbee on the Edge says
Moumous, I really like your approach to fashion rules as parameters or guidelines to help us along but not has hard and fast rules that we absolutely must follow. These rules of one that you laid out are really helpful! And I love this dress and the fact that you paired that beautiful bright yellow fascinator with it!
Shelbee
http://www.shelbeeontheedge.com
Moumous says
Thank you Shelbee- those quick fashion tips can definitely help save the day. Another old dress that I resize from a size 8 to 0 🙂