My number 1 fashion rule

I hope that you're ready for this? My number one fashion rule is: there are no fashion rules.  Funnily enough, while I was thinking about what to write for this post, several other fashion bloggers came up with a similar theme. 

Fashion is a bit like food in the way that things that are good for you suddenly become bad for you. If you avoid all the "bad" foods, you end up with little or no choice about what to eat. If you discard clothes or accessories once they are deemed to be out of fashion, you may end up with an almost empty wardrobe and little or no choice about what to wear! If you buy only what fashion pundits tell us are essential items ("Your 10 basic wardrobe items" is a popular title) you may have a wardrobe full of clothes that aren't right for you. We are all individuals and what suits me may not suit you, which is why I encourage you to find your own style.

I think I read a long, long time ago that you shouldn't mix patterns, or wear navy with black - but look through the fashion magazines and what do you see now? Exactly. Or how about not wearing jeans over 60, or even over 50? That's one rule I am definitely ignoring at the grand old age of 66, with no plans to retire my faithful denims - ever.

Fashion hit or faux pas?

Double faux pas?

I read a post recently by Janice, one of my favourite bloggers, on The Vivienne Files (click on the link to read it), which really resonated with me. She states that she would never ever tell us that we have to buy anything, but makes a good case for having a core of basic neutral clothes. You can liven up your neutrals with your favourite bright colours if you wish, which is what I tend to do. What do you think?

I have to say that Janice has been a good influence on my wardrobe and I have a lot more neutrals in it than I had a few years ago, which means that I can create far more outfits with my bright, colourful clothes.  On my recent trip to the UK I bought several neutral items: a navy v-necked cashmere jumper when I was in Scotland (what better souvenir of Edinburgh?!); plus a pair of  Clarks black suede brogues and a navy-striped petite jacket while shopping in London. I was bearing my current wardrobe in mind when making these sensible choices, however if I had decided on a bright pink jumper or a pair of red shoes they would also have fitted in. Apparently my new black shoes are trendy, however I bought them because they look smart and are comfortable to wear - so I hope to be wearing them still when they are no longer in fashion.

My "trendy" flatforms from Clarks

Before I bought the jacket shown below I tried on a lovely black one, but decided the navy stripes looked better on me, even though navy striped blazers don't appear on any fashion gurus lists of must-haves. 

This isn't me, in case you're wondering - she's a model!

Here's another interesting article from Already Pretty (a thought-provoking blog that I always enjoy reading) encouraging us to ignore the fashion police, who tell us what to wear as well as what not to wear. I've mentioned in previous posts that the essential little black dress may not be a good choice for many of us over 60s, who would be wise to choose a more flattering colour than black. The dress that I bought to wear for my husband John's 70th birthday celebrations is this deep blue dress from East.

It's as versatile as any LBD would be, but the colour is more flattering for ageing complexions!  It proved suitable for a day-time party in London but can also be dressed up for evening occasions. I received many compliments on the actual dress as well as being told how well I looked and that living in Spain obviously suited me.  I rest my case!