Fashion is about change. That's why we love it, right?
There's something about a new style, shape or colour that sparks joy.
But here's the thing: as fashion is about the new and the exciting, the 'rules' about fashion are always changing too.
Nothing, I repeat NOTHING, is set in stone.
Fashion weaves and winds to reflect the world we live in. It moves with the times. Which means some rules just don't apply any more.
From matching accessories to "classic" pieces, these are the outdated fashion myths that you need to stop buying into.
Watch: 6 expert denim hacks to try ASAP. Post continues below.
Myth 1: The rules of proportions always stay the same.
All those rules about styling so you look taller, shorter, thinner, bigger, or your longer legs look longer? Those theories change! Your sleeve length is supposed to sit at your waist? What outdated planet does this advice come from?
Over the years, fashion evolves and your eye does too. So throw out that idea that a baggy top with baggy pants is not right. Ditch the rule that you always need to wear a tight top with oversized pants. That wearing a certain shoe or style of jeans will make you look taller or cut you in half. I could go on! All of these rules change with the times.
Right now, the silhouette is about loose with loose. It looks modern. It looks cool. It looks farshun.
Fifi in a loose jacket and barrel-leg jeans. Image: Instagram/@shopwithfifi.
If you want my expert fashion opinion, then follow this simple rule:
Baggy + baggy = Chic.Baggy + tight = cool.Tight + tight = wrong.
Myth 2: The only way to look expensive is to buy expensive things.
Toss out the rule on equating cost with looking expensive. Just because something is a bargain doesn't mean it can't look totally chic.
Then again, bright purple, lime green and anything frilly, printed, with studs, cut-outs, rivets or kooky florals (especially all together… eek) will likely never look expensive, no matter what you paid for it.
My advice? Stick to what I call 'expensive' versatile colours. They don't need to cost a fortune but will always be right: think white, camel, grey, brown, black and navy. The cost-per-wear skyrockets too.
Fifi in her go-to neutrals. Image: Instagram/@shopwithfifi.
Remember, if anything is in a cheap fabric then go up a size so it's not tight. Because easy and effortless looks expensive.
Myth 3: Clothes need to be "flattering" to look good.
What's the obsession with things looking flattering? At the end of the day, the word flattering actually just means slimming. And is looking slim the end game? I don't think so!
Personally I want to look modern, effortless and chic. Please don't compromise looking modern by trying to look slim: you'll end up looking neither.
Right now the fashion silhouette is about a looser, more voluminous style. Looking slim is not your first priority. Throw out that idea that something has to be slimming or flattering to be chic.
My advice: own it, wear the damn fashion, and who cares if you look bigger? The end game to me is about looking modern and never dated.
Myth 4: Classics last forever.
Have you ever pulled out your classic pieces, looked in the mirror and suddenly felt like something is wrong?
You can't put your finger on it. You're wearing all the classics you invested in, so what can it be? You try to improve the outfit with accessories but that just makes it worse!
That's because — breaking news — the classics actually date. They don't last forever. In fact, I think classics should have a 'used by' sticker.
I'm talking about pieces like blazers, jeans, white tees, black dresses, trenchcoats and white shirts. The shape, the cut, the shoulder, the waist, the lapel, the sleeve, the armhole and the length all change over the years.
Fifi in a long-line trench-coat with updated basics. Image: Instagram/@shopwithfifi.
From a Chanel jacket to a Burberry trench, a YSL blazer and everything in between, they all date.
When you hear the phrase "it's something you will wear forever," please ignore it.
For example: jeans are now wide-leg, a trench is now really long, blazers now have huge shoulders and that white tee you have? I bet you it's now loose and roomy.
My advice: buy early on in the trend and get years of wear. More on that below.
Myth 5: You need to stick to your colour palette.
It doesn't matter what colour you wear: if the cut, the silhouette and the styling are dated and daggy, you will never look modern, chic nor effortless.
There is a lot of information going around about how to know your colours and your "season". And I get it, painting with a colour-by-numbers kit gives you an accurate picture and make as it easy to put together… but does the final artwork have any originality, spontaneity or style?
I rest my case.
My advice: update your classics first, then invest in expensive colours. You'll see a miracle happen and you'll feel great! It's so much easier. You will not be limited by what "season" you are. I promise.
Stick to 'expensive' colours like rich browns, says Fifi. Image: Instagram/@shopwithfifi.
Myth 6: You can't wear clashing colours.
I never know where these myths originate. I am particularly mystified with the idea that you can't wear certain colours together. Who said you can't do navy and black together? It's totally chic and very French (that has to be good, right?).
I am pretty sure it was Yves Saint Laurent, the man himself, who designed blazers in navy with black, and designed a whole collection around pink and red.
This season it's about mixing unusual colours together. I love an orange tee with a camel skirt, a red top with brown pants, or a chocolate brown pencil skirt with a blue shirt.
My advice: stick to plain block colours, clash in the same tones, and if you want to experiment, use accessories to inject a pop of colour.
Myth 7: Your bag and shoes need to match.
I presumed this was a long-gone belief, but I am often asked about it when doing a personal style session. So listen up: I am here to tell you that your shoes and bag do NOT need to match.
In fact, having different coloured shoes and bags is a great styling trick: it's a sneaky way to mix things up and add a third colour into your look.
Fifi adds a 'third colour' through her two-tone shoes. Image: Instagram/@shopwithfifi.
White shoes look great with a tan bag, and vice versa. A red shoe is great with a camel bag, and a black bag gets a little help with silver shoes.
Sometimes matching bags and shoes works, but my advice? Make a point of NOT matching these accessories and you will double your outfits.
Myth 8: Fashion moves fast.
All we hear every day is that fashion is moving so fast that it's impossible to keep up. But I have a theory that fashion actually moves slowly.
Remember that scene in The Devil Wears Prada about the cerulean belt? That's the way fashion works. It takes time for the trends to make their way through the zeitgeist for them to take hold.
Sure, there are micro trends on TikTok, but in actuality, a new trend and new ways of styling will generally take time for people to adopt — for your eyes to change and get accustomed to a new silhouette.
Style expert Fifi loves incorporating fresh silhouettes into her daily outfits. Image: Instagram/@shopwithfifi.
Case in point? I have been writing about wide-leg jeans and oversized blazers for ten years. Now? I see them every day.
My advice: invest early in the trend and get years of wear. (And don't worry, I will alert you as soon as I sniff them out!)
Myth 9: Confidence is all it takes to look stylish.
One of my pet hates? When a fashion person is asked for advice and they say, "Just be confident".
I honestly think this is inane and unhelpful advice. It means nothing! I am a confident person, but when I am building a house does that help me? No. I get an architect.
It doesn't matter how confident I feel, I need to know that I am on the right track.
I take confident, capable woman shopping all the time. Just because they are not an expert in fashion doesn't mean they are not confident in themselves.
My advice: Get expert help and own your look.
FiFi Milne is a content creator @shopwithfifi and also writes a weekly fashion newsletter, The FiFi Report, on her website.
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Feature image: Supplied.
