Fashion has rules, style doesn't
Fashion is an industry. And it's full of rules. It needs trends, cycles and norms to keep selling you new things.
Hemlines get longer or shorter, colours are so this year or a few seasons ago, and looking appropriate gets a new layer of detail every time.
The rules pile up. You shrink. You conform to the norm. And you disappear.
But style doesn't play by those rules.
Style is yours. It's chaotic, fluid, unpredictable. It isn’t about blending in. It's about being seen. It's an extension of who you are. A way to validate your existence.
That's why the people who have made an impact in fashion are not the ones who follow the rules but those who break them.
Rei Kawakubo from Comme des Garçons said, "For something to be beautiful, it doesn't have to be pretty". So she shredded fabric, deconstructed silhouettes, left the seams unfinished, and turned fashion into art.
Alexander McQueen rejected fashion's obsession with perfection. "Fashion should be a form of escapism, not a form of imprisonment". His work was raw, unsettling, and visionary. And he'll be forever my favourite.
Jean Paul Gaultier declared, "Conformity is the only real fashion crime". He put men in skirts, celebrated all body types, and made gender fluid fashion mainstream before anyone else dared.
Vivienne Westwood took punk from the streets to high fashion, using fashion as a weapon. Against climate destruction, consumerism, and the status quo. "The best way to confront society is to create your own style and let it be loved".
And Rick Owens rejects beauty as a standard. "I'm not here to be aesthetically pleasing, I'm here to be interesting". He keeps pushing the boundaries of what's considered wearable, favouring individuality.
None of them were waiting for permission. They weren't scared of being too much or not enough. They knew that breaking the rules was THE point. And went for it.
If you want to start breaking the rules and dressing like you, here are a few ways to start.
Notice where you are holding back. What do you secretly love but are afraid of wearing? Is it a colour? A shape? A p1. rint? What's stopping you? And what's behind the fear of wearing it?
Question the rules. Who decided what clothes you should or shouldn't wear? Why should you listen to them? Why is their opinion important to you? Why do they get to decide how you show up in the world?
Think about when you felt more like YOU in an outfit. What made it special? What's stopping you from wearing something similar more often? What are you choosing to wear instead, and what effect is it having on you?
Question the rules. Who decided what clothes you should or shouldn't wear? Why should you listen to them? Why is their opinion important to you? Why do they get to decide how you show up in the world?
And if this resonated with you, you'd love my free video course, UNLEARN.
