Recently, the fashion consulting firm I work for has been peppered with requests from web journalists and clients alike regarding the so-called fashion rules. As we all ramp up for the fall fashion season and hopefully, a better economic forecast ahead, women are wondering: are there still fashion rules that I need to follow?

Think about it, in this day where the average person changes careers or companies maybe 7 to 10 times, women become moms well after 40 and you can instantly find out what your best friend in Iceland is up to in 140 characters or less (tweet!) are there really any rules left? Here is a small list we have shared for how to not follow the rules:

1. The old rules, i.e., no white after Labor Day, match your shoes and bags, no jeans at the office, no long hair after 45, designers will dictate the hemline of your skirt, are about as relevant as a typewriter.

2. Don’t wear one designer head to toe; it makes you look like an ad, not a person (unless of course you are getting paid to do so).

3. Mix high and low, this highlights your taste– not your bank account.

4. Dress for your body, lifestyle and taste; don’t just be ruled by your age.

5. Business casual at work gives you a lot of choice, however some suggestions might include: don’t show cleavage, don’t look sloppy, take as much care with your clothes as you do with your work.

6. Stylish women don’t dress for men or other women. They dress to please themselves.

7. Accessories are an instant update. For example, if you take your classic pencil skirt and pair it with tights and a pair of platforms, studded heels or booties for fall, you will look fresh and up to date.

8. Make the trends follow you instead of the other way around. Not sure this whole ’80’s revival is for you? Just take the bit that suits you best. Love strong colors? Use just a pop of neon with a belt, scarf or heel. Love a sharply cut suit? Choose one with strong but not exaggerated shoulders.

9. Put a little color in your life. Yes, black is safe, chic and slimming, but there is more to life. Any dark color can be used to create a long line, slimming line. Step out with deep purple, dusky blue or charcoal gray, always favorites for fall. If you must do black, vary your textures, mix cashmere with leather, lace with wool.

10. For heaven’s sake, have some fun. That is what fashion is for!

Yes, I know it is still August, but come on, let’s stick a toe (literally) into fall fashion.

When items appearing in both the high and low(er) versions catch my eye, I know it’s going to be a trend. Of course there are tons of trends coming on for fall, but I wanted to get you all in early on this one: rain boots. No, not the little red ones you splashed through puddles with as a five-year-old (although puddle splashing is still allowed), no these are the Hunter version.

Founded in Scotland by American Henry Norris, this company has been supplying traditional British style Wellington boots to the public, not to mention the English Royal family, since 1856. This year, you can also find Hunter Wellies at J. Crew in not only the more traditional shades of black, navy and classic green, but in a shiny peony pink shade as well. Priced a reasonable $115.00 and mixed with Crew’s favorite cords, layered T’s and a trench, they will be a great purchase for the upcoming fall weather.

If you want to go high end, you may now pre-order the croc print version Hunter has made for Jimmy Choo from Saks. This version is priced at a more investment-level $395, but as a classic look paired with your skinny jean and a cashmere sweater, you are ready to go for years to come.

Or maybe branch out? Have you seen that now iconic pic of Kate Moss pairing her muddy Wellies with short shorts (or is it a mini) at the Glastonbury music festival? Better yet, do that even more English eccentric thing and pair your Wellie boots with an evening gown. Here in sunny California, this will be one way for us to cope with that El Nino winter they say were going to have.

I myself am going looking for some puddles this year. Hey, it’s free.

Photo info: boots from www.jcrew.com and www.saks.com. 

In fact, Beyonce made a little confession on the Tyra Banks show a while back when she said that she thinks she has big ears. She said to compensate, she always wears huge earrings. You know what, it totally works.  You wouldn’t be able to notice her ears if you tried.

Sunglasses are another in-style accessory that you can use to your benefit in creating an illusion. Lauren Conrad, among countless other fashionistas, is always seen rocking the oversized, bug-eyed sunglasses.

This illusion definitely works. With huge sunglasses as big as those, how can your face not seem smaller?

The last sure-fire trick to make your overall appearance more petite is the popular hair tease/pomp. Big hair was in style in the 80’s but we’ve come far from that, thank god. Slightly pomped hair gives a classy, modern look and best of all, it makes the rest of you look smaller–especially in an updo.
Emmanuelle Chriqui, better known as Sloan from Entourage, always gives her hair a little tease and she looks so petite, all the time.

Disclaimer: I do not support wearing all of the above at once–one word: overkill. If you walked outside with a huge bag, flashy earrings, big pomp, and oversized sunglasses–you might appear to be a midget. So, just pick one.

Image Source: celebrity-sunglasses-finder.com, askmen.com, fashionfeen.wordpress.com

Readers, pictured is Ms. Dita Von Teese, world-renowned burlesque queen and style idol.  Don’t take my word for it; ask Marc Jacobs, Christian Louboutin or the many other designers who look to Ms. Von Teese for inspiration.  I just adore her look for the following reasons:  first, in LaLa Land, home of the blond Stepford star, she is her own woman; second she knows who she is and makes an art out of showing it; finally, she allows her style to evolve and change.

When I first started reading about Dita, her style was strictly vintage from the top of her Toy Hat to the antique corsets she wore under everything.  While I so admire her total commitment to her own take on style, I more admire that as her world, and no doubt her resources have grown, so has her look.  As you can see, everything about this outfit owes something to a retro look, but I would bet nothing she has on is actually vintage except her jewelry and possibly the glasses.  She is now a picture of high-end elegance and old Hollywood glamour.

The moral of the story?  Commit to your style, but let it grow and change with you.  Love a sophisticated, polished look, but suddenly find yourself at the playground with your kids more days than not?  Loose the flip flops and floppy khakis (I beg of you) and substitute cigarette pants and ballet flats with a tee and big glasses.  Live for parties, sequins and shine, but work in an old-school office environment?  Wear a Tom Binns necklace with your suit (the fist lady does!).  Own it, work it, love it!

Find at Smarter.com:  Shop for vintage style women’s clothing.

Clearly, when one is deciding what to wear to a wedding, there are plenty of considerations, rules, and traditions.  One, don’t wear white.  Nobody wears white except the bride and the cute as a button flower girl (aka me, a decade ago).  Two, you don’t want to upstage the wedding party.  This is a rule I hadn’t even considered (probably, more so due to my budget than anything else) before a friend warned me about it (apparently, much to my chagrin, I have a habit of dressing up, much farther up, than the others around me.  I take that, on a usual day, as a compliment).  Since I am not part of the wedding party or related to the bride or groom, and not even being on the guest list but merely a “plus one”, I’m as low on the totem pole of wedding hierarchy as one can get, and this leaves me with a mixed feeling of humility and freedom.  Being so low on the totem pole, nobody really cares what you wear–but then again, people will care if you’re dressed a bit too promiscuously/more well-dressed than half the wedding party.

With all these complexities in mind, here are some of my top choices for summer wedding attire.

The Lilly: Best default dress store, by far.  Why?  The hemlines and cuts will never make you seem promiscuous or on the prowl, and the colors are perfect for a summer wedding.  You will, undoubtedly, probably end up wearing the same dress as another “plus one” at the wedding, or encounter several snoopy grandmothers who know exactly how much your dress cost.  Just remember, that’s who your company is if you wear Lilly.  A double-edged fashion sword that’s a little too safe for my taste.

Lilly Pulitzer Sunny Shift Cotton Poplin: $198.00

The Standout:  If you want to be a little cutting edge and have some sass, I recommend Pixie Market for any of your fantasy fashion needs.  So hip, so cutting edge, the styles are endlessly architectural and impressive.  While you may appreciate the detailed hemming and hand printed fabric, the wedding party may pass judgment on your “barbaric” or “untraditional” tastes.  It’s your reputation to uphold, decide how to dress it.  Three cheers for the girl with the guts to strut this as a wedding (will it be me?)

Pink One Shoulder Dress:: $98.00

Simple Sally:  Probably the most straight forward and appropriate dress I’ve found, this simple sleeveless pink dream is a beauty.  With very straightforward and structured detailing, this dress will look absolutely stunning and flattering.  The simple design has one of those perfect silhouettes that draws all the attention to your body as a whole, not the dress itself.  Modcloth has done it again!

Modcloth Daiquiri Dress: $177.99

Find at Smarter.com:  Shop for more wedding attire.
Discounts on women’s dresses.

Another perfect use for light summer scarves is to wear one as a head wrap at the beach.  Not only does it keep the hair out of your face, but it is a total style throwback from the beach days of the 60’s and 70’s.  Think of Jennifer Lopez, (I don’t really like using her as an example, but today I will…)  She wraps up her hair in what is probably a $5,000 Hermes scarf or something like it, adds hoop earrings and big sunglasses, and she looks fabulous…not only that but the really chic way of going about it is to match the scarf to the dress like she did, they are the same pattern..

It’s a total lazy way of looking chic, basically by showing that you don’t really want to style your hair, so instead will wrap this pretty scarf around it ever so perfectly, add sunglasses, maybe a little lip gloss, and you’re done.  These Gap scarves would be good for this, the tricky part is learning how to do the scarf head wrap (in this specific style) and getting it to actually stay in your hair.  If you take the scarf, and wrap it around the front of your forehead, then pull it back with the rest of your hair (hair should be down for this trick) and start twisting both hair and scarf into a big bun that will either end up sitting to the side of your head or to the back, you have it.   It may need some adjusting with bobby pins and the like, I always have to adjust when done, but the purpose is to have minimal hair exposed, only on the sides by your ears and these should only be little wisps.

Lightweight Floral Scarf $24.50

Lightweight Painterly Scarf $24.50

Lightweight Ikat Scarf $17.99

Image Source: dailymail.co.uk

Find at Smarter.com:  Shop for more women’s scarves.

I vote the coolest way to beat the heat this summer is the new fashion main-stay: the maxi dress.  This summer, the most comfortable way to look stylish while doing everything from a beach trip to drinks out to running your Saturday errands, is the maxi.  Here are my tips on choosing the one that works best for you.

How to Pick a Peach

Since the maxi is the hot thing, that means there are almost too many choices to choose from.  To help you narrow it down a bit, look for these three keys to fitting a maxi: top shape, color and length.  First, let’s talk tops.  The top shapes of these dresses come in everything from totally strapless to a wide strap, perfect for a bit of camouflage.  Those of you summertime gals who are of a dainty build on top, pick a spaghetti strap, smocked, or strapless option to accentuate your curves.  For those who are more blessed up top, a plunging neckline with thicker straps will give you maximum impact, as well as maximum comfort.

The high empire waist that is a feature of many maxis is flattering on almost everyone, hitting as it does at one of the smallest points on most figures.  The trick however, is to look carefully for the amount of gathering right under this band, as it will affect the amount of “billow” you will get right above the stomach and hips.  Many gathers or pleats will give more flow, which can be very forgiving to those who like to keep the emphasis off the lower half of their figures.

Print Out

One other fun aspect of the maxi dress is the wide variety of options you have with a dress that is essentially nothing more than souped-up nightgown.  A choice of solid color will emphasize the elegance of the long silhouette.  Solid black, purple, teal or white will allow you to wear the dress poolside with flip-flops, or out for cocktails with a jeweled sandal or flat.  A bright print or color blocked stripes give a fun “let’s go surfing later” vibe and might be further funked up with a straw fedora and dark gladiator sandal.

So Long

The last element to examine when choosing a maxi is length.  But wait, it’s supposed to be long, right?  Unfortunately, there is a bit more to long than just… long.  Petite women should look for a length that hits just below the ankle and is narrow in shape to keep from being overwhelmed by the look.  Taller women can take the length as far as is practical, even down to the instep, to prevent that outgrown look.  Use caution however, as the just above the ankle length in a print or tiers can shoot off a 70’s pot-luck vibe.  Unless of course, that’s what you’re shooting for…

Once you have a length and shape that works for your figure, you can add and subtract accessories at will.  Perhaps you would like to work an updated boho feel with an armload of sparkly Indian bangles and gold hoops.  Or, how about a hyper-feminine version with a long necklace of charms and some delicate but casual flats.

One dress, many moods; perfect for sunny weather and a cloudy economy.

Photo info:
Black maxi dress by Nicole Miller $330.00, found on www.thefind.com
Embroidered maxi dress by Juicy Couture $398.00

Gap White Ankle Jeans: $59.50

They are nice and skinny, with just a touch of stretch and the cropped hemline allows you to show off your shoes appropriately.

Brewed Bean Shell: $58

Next, add a floaty top like the one above from Anthropologie.  This appropriately colored red flounced top adds a little party flare while keeping you cool and giving some coverage.  So far we have red and white checked off the list.

Next: accessories.  Luckily, with the gladiator sandals popular for a second summer in a row, maybe you have a little strappy sandal already lurking in your closet.  Now how about a star necklace in honor of the occasion?

This beautiful necklace, found on MadisonLosAngeles.com, incorporates a vintage charm and is on a long chain that will float beautifully against your flounced top.  As an alternative, might you consider some gold or silver chandelier earrings to reflect nicely off the fireworks?

Now you are dressed to stay cool, not dig holes in your neighbor’s lawn and look reasonably festive. Party on Wayne.

Find at Smarter.com:  Shop for more white jeans and red women’s tops.

Everyone out there who adores fashion but feels overwhelmed trying to sort through the blogs, shopping sights, online mags, print mags and books that chronicle planet fashion, please raise your hand.  Mmmhmm, I thought so.  Me, too.  So last week, I took an idea from one of my fashion icons, the great Dianna Vreeland, and started an inspiration board.  Gimme a sec, I am going somewhere with this.

It’s not just the time it takes to blast through all that fashion dicta that is a problem, it’s trying to make sense of what might work for you and what should just be left to recycle bin.  Physically sitting down, tearing out and pinning to a cork board any print image and that truly elicits a response is not only fun, but it illustrates what you might have been craving without realizing it.  (Note for iphone/laptop diehards: you could also do a computer version with downloaded pics, but the physical cut and pin is more decorative and more tactile, if less portable.)

Here’s what I found.  After sorting through images from four recent magazines and three catalogs, I narrowed it down to the usual eye candy I enjoy:  a heart charm from Roger Vivier, a cake with such outrageous flowers it looks like an Ungaro print, glittery Louboutins, a vintage-y swallow pin from Sonia Rykiel, inspirational pics of Michelle Obama and Dara Torres (that 6 pack!).  I also found a new trend… I love the new thick strapped/shoe bootie heels. What??

Rosebud Slingbacks:  $278.00

Friends, I am a true blue pointed toe, stiletto heeled, delicate Manolo/Prada/Gucci girl, so how did this chunky, strappy cone-heeled shoe sneak onto my radar?  No idea, but I love it with a floaty dress, tailored shorts and jackets, soft bubble hemmed skirts.  Thanks to my low tech inspiration board, I am clear on what trends make sense for summer and what is just white noise.

Guess I have some shopping to do.

Fabulous Sylvia Weinstock’s book on cakes, the flowers just kill me–found on Amazon.com.

Over the top Glitter Sling Back Heel Louboutins: $775

Save the Green

Well recessionistas, not too many of us are looking to spend like its 1989 these days.  So how do you cut a corner or two without loosing your fashion tiara?  Just put your money where you will get the most bang for the buck.  A brilliant pair of fresh Prada platforms or always chic Tod’s mocs?  Either will raise the level of those basic, dark wash jeans, especially the $40 ones you scored at Marshalls.  Pick your favorite piece and spotlight it, that’s the trick.

Find the Fun

Putting together an outfit is a chance to be creative on a day to day basis.  It’s more than covering up, it’s showing the world who you are in shorthand.  A mix and match takes more time, but is more satisfying than a one note look.  In fact, I don’t think the fashion bibles have spent a single issue highlighting a top to toe look since conspicuous consumption went belly up along with the stock market.  Look for a similarity in weight of material, or color family, or feeling.  Other than that, mix it up!

Down to You

The beauty of mixing the high/low is that it can help you stay away from the “I’m a Dolce ad” look you get when you put the dress, with the shoes, with the bag, with the glasses from the same source.  Not all trends will work for you and mixing designers, retailers and even seasons will help you stay focused on what looks great on you, not on what the D&G boys have out right this second.

Take a look at these pics. I picked skinny jeans from Gap.com, a 60’s vintage halter from Rustyzipper.com, a bag from Jcrew.com and Costume National flats from Saks.com.  The jeans and halter are quite inexpensive and are made even more fabulous by the sharp but not over the top “Editor” bag from J. Crew and finished with the crazy fun flats.  With a mix like this you will look cute, chic and most importantly, like you.  And isn’t that what fashion is for?

Editor Tote: $395.00

Slightly Faded Straight Leg Jeans: $69.50

 1960’s Women’s Halter Shirt: $29.50

Costume National Slingbak Flats: $560

Find at Smarter.com:  Shop for more slingback flats and women’s halter tops.

Discounts on women’s straight leg jeans and handbags.