5 Rules Of Fashion Every Woman Needs To Know

These are the 5 rules of fashion that every woman needs to know. Most of us haven’t been taught fashion tips. It’s often been a process of trial and error. I didn’t grow up in a family where fashion was valued or personal style was a thing. It wasn’t until later in life that I gave myself permission to explore my personal style and enjoy fashion. There are certain rules of fashion that have helped me solidify my style. These tips are simple and basic, but they can completely transform how an outfit looks and feels on your body.

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LOVE YOUR STYLE The Course For Women

When putting outfits together, undergarments make a huge difference in how clothes lay on the body. Whenever possible, choose seamless undergarments because they allow anything worn over them to appear smooth and free of visible lines. Additionally, look for undergarments that closely match your skin tone because this will help them blend seamlessly. This is the first step to creating a look you’ll feel confident in.

2. Tuck In Your Tops

fashion rules, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley — Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

The next tip is to do a French tuck or half tuck with your tops. Even if your bottoms are high-waisted, you should still tuck in your top to accentuate your waist to give your outfit a put-together look. For example, in the above photo, she’s wearing a boxy t-shirt. Without the French tuck, her shape appears more rectangular, with no defined waistline.

In this look, you see Jennifer Lawrence wearing a slightly oversized button-up shirt paired with oversized pants. Since she hasn’t done a French tuck, her shape appears more rectangular, her torso looks longer, and her legs appear shorter.

rules of fashion, Olivia Palermo — Olivia Palermo

In this last comparison, we see Olivia Palermo. Although she’s wearing a fitted top and blazer, the absence of a French tuck elongates her torso and makes her legs appear shorter. If she did a half tuck it would help define her waist and create the illusion of longer legs.

Styling Outfits With A French Tuck

Here are some examples of outfits with a French tuck. In this first one, Meghan Markle has done a French tuck. When practicing your French tuck, remember that it doesn’t need to be perfect or completely smooth. Simply tuck a little bit of fabric behind the waistband.

In the above photo, Jennifer Aniston did a messy French tuck into her jeans to help lengthen her legs and define her waist.

fashion tips, Olivia Palmero — Olivia Palmero

Again, we see Olivia Palmero but this time she’s done a French tuck, which helps define her waist and lengthen her legs. This is one of the simplest style tweaks to create a more elevated look.

Related: “How To Do A French Tuck”

How To Style The Full Tuck

Los Angeles personal stylist, wardrobe coach — Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

You might prefer a full tuck if that aligns more with your personal style. In the above example, Rosie did a full tuck into her jeans and wore a belt which helps define her waist.

rules of fashion, Zoe Saldana — Zoe Saldana

In the second look, we have Zoe Saldana. Her T-shirt is a bit boxy and oversized. However, because she’s done a full tuck into her high-waisted jeans, it defines her waist and creates a more styled, polished look.

fashion tips for women, pop sugar — PopSugar

Lastly, we have Selena Gomez, who has also done a full tuck. If your top is oversized, has an unfinished hemline, or is too long, I always recommend a French tuck to bring in the waist and add definition.

3. Think About Your Proportions

fashion rules, whowhatwear — whowhatwear

The next fashion tip is to pay attention to your proportions. When considering how to wear your clothes, if you have a shorter torso, aim for mid or low-rise bottoms to help lengthen your torso and create a more balanced look. If you have a longer torso, high-waisted bottoms can help elongate the legs and achieve a more proportional appearance. For example, in the above photo of Katie Holmes, who has a longer torso, she’s wearing low-rise jeans, which elongates her already long torso and makes her legs look shorter.

Comparing this photo where Katie Holmes is wearing high-waisted jeans to the one before, they create the illusion of a shorter torso. This is a great styling trick if you have a longer torso and want to appear more proportional.

4. Pay Attention To The Silhouette

The next tip is to pay attention to the silhouette of your outfit. Wearing oversized pieces from head to toe can sometimes overwhelm your frame. For example, in the photo above, Victoria Beckham is wearing an oversized blazer and oversized jeans, creating a boxy silhouette that overwhelms her petite shape.

Victoria Beckham, fashion rules for women — Victoria Beckham

In contrast, the photo here shows her in a more streamlined look, with a fitted, tailored blazer and straight-leg pants that elongate her body.

If an oversized look resonates with your personal style and you feel great in it, then absolutely go for it. But if you’re exploring your style and figuring out which silhouettes you prefer, I recommend avoiding head-to-toe oversized. Instead, if you enjoy oversized pieces, choose either your top or bottom to be oversized and pair it with a more fitted, tailored piece on the other half to create a balanced look.

How To Wear Oversized Pieces

rules of fashion, The Zoe Report — The Zoe Report

Here again, I’m sharing three photos of Victoria Beckham where she’s doing exactly that. In this first photo, she’s wearing a green suit, and you can see the blazer is very tailored and fitted to her body. It looks like she’s wearing a tailored silk shirt underneath and her pants are slightly oversized. This helps to balance the silhouette and the proportion of this outfit.

fashion tips for women, Getty Images — Getty Images

In this second outfit, her pants are slightly wider and a bit oversized. Since she has a fitted top, it balances her proportions and makes the silhouette work in this outfit.

fashion rules, Victoria Beckham — Victoria Beckham

Lastly in this photo, she’s wearing oversized pants, but her waist is defined. Even though it looks like she’s wearing a sweater, it is still tailored. Because she has done a full tuck, it helps draw the sweater in, making it look more tailored to her body.

Start paying attention to the silhouettes you feel best in and replicate those with pieces in your closet.

5. What Colors Do You Feel Good In?

Finally, pay attention to the colors that make you feel good. What are the colors that you feel confident wearing and love how they look on your skin? I’ve never followed color theory because it doesn’t resonate with my personal style. But, if it resonates with yours, you should go with what works. Additionally, if you’re somewhere in the middle or unsure, I always believe wearing colors you feel best in will make you look better because it will boost your confidence. Ultimately, confidence is what will help you look better in your outfits.

Related: “Style Tips For Women”