This morning, over coffee and the sleepy small talk that alwas accompanies our watching of the Today show, Mike and I were discussing the various fashion rules that have simply disappeared since we were kids. There have always been more rules for women than men, of course, especially when it comes to clothes. But even where men’s fashion is concerned, the rules seem to have relaxed considerably.
Maybe that’s because it’s summer, where pretty much anything goes as long as it keeps you cool. But I think it has more to do with the fact that we’re in the midst of a leftward swing of the historical pendulum. That tends to make everything a little looser than it was previously.
Today’s Five for Friday is devoted to recognizing five fashion rules that have disappeared, for better or worse. In no particular order:
1. No visible bra straps. I spent my entire junior high career (in the 1970’s) trying to make sure no one could catch a glimpse of my bra straps. By the time I went to Lilith Fair in the 1990’s, no one was even trying to keep them in hiding anymore–there were bra straps alongside spaghetti straps as far as the eye could see. I confess that I found this somewhat distasteful. But then, when my daughter was a teenager I told her that a strapless bra would be a better choice to wear with spaghetti straps and she was confused by the suggestion. “Do you think it’s a secret that girls wear bras?” she asked. “Do you actually want people to wonder if I’m wearing one or not?” I had to confess that these were excellent questions. I’ve since made my peace with visible bra straps, although I still do my best to keep my own under cover. Force of habit, I suppose.
2. No mixing patterns. Like the visible bra straps thing, this is another trend I’ll never follow–mostly because it just looks messy to my eye. Still, I’ve seen interesting pairings that led me to wonder How did she even think of putting those things together? And I like the fact that women feel like they can put together whatever they want. Mixing patterns seems to dare someone to make a comment. That’s a kind of bravery I admire.
3. No black and brown. Mike claims there have only ever been two fashion rules for men, and both of them have to do with these two colors. First, your belt and shoes should match–no brown belt with black shoes, or vice versa. Second, you should never wear black shoes with brown pants, or vice versa. These days, of course, belts themselves seem to be optional much of the time. And I’m pretty sure these rules were devised before shoes came in more than two colors.
4. No black and dark blue. This is the female equivalent of the black/brown rule for men, since women have been mixing black and brown clothing for ages. (In fact, we have a whole category called “neutrals” that includes black, brown, gray, and approximately one thousand shades of beige.) When I was growing up, wearing black and dark blue together was basically the same as admitting you were color blind–that you couldn’t see the difference between black and blue. Wearing them together now is a complete non-issue.
5. No white before Memorial Day/after Labor Day. I’m convinced that this rule was created by people who had enough disposable income to afford summer wardrobes that were separate from the clothes they wore at other times of year. Breaking this rule–by wearing what you had available–was a clear marker of social class. So it gives me enormous pleasure to break this rule as often as possible.
Because I’m not the sort of woman who enjoys shopping for clothes (or, truth be told, giving much thought to what I’m wearing beyond Have I worn this already this week?), it makes me really happy that so many of the “rules” are disappearing. Whenever I mention these rules, the first question my daughter asks is “Why?” And more often than not, I can’t answer that question in any meaningful way. I think that tells us everything we need to know about fashion.
There are many important problems for us to solve in this world. How to keep your bra straps from showing isn’t one of them.
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