Forget the Rules: Sweet Sauce Style Commandments

Forget the Out Dated Rules: Here are My Style Commandments

We all know the age-old “rule” about not wearing white between Labor Day and Memorial Day. If you’ve been following me at all, you know I don’t give a Kate Spade’s booty about that rule and others like it. Instead, I’ve created my own list of style commandments I live by. As I work with a wider variety of clients via my personal shopping, there are some rules that always remain the same. There are tricks, equations, and tools that can help elongate, slim, and polish any woman, any shape. In honor of Memorial Day, I present MY fashion rules. They aren’t rules at all, but lanes to drive in so you can focus on expressing yourself instead of remaining frustrated. We’ll work our way from the top to the bottom:

Hair and Makeup

1. Thou shalt look natural. Nothing makes me more upset than a woman who covers up her own natural beauty. There are so many ways to enhance your facial shape and skin tone with skincare, products, and proper placement. I shouldn’t be able to tell you took more than 15 minutes on your face. Save that heavy duty stuff for your wedding day. If you need a makeup tutorial, I know a few gals, just email me!  If you feel like you have to cake on foundation to have smooth skin, you should examine your diet and skincare routine.
2. Thou shalt blend. I’m no makeup expert, but it’s not too difficult to take a closer look at the edges of your face to make sure you blend in your foundation or tinted moisturizer. Blush, eye shadow, eyebrow pencil, and more should also have a few minutes dedicated to blending.
3. Thou shalt have a go-to hair stylist. I can’t make any recommendations on the hairstyle that will be perfect for you. I think developing a relationship with a hairstylist is the best way to discover the perfect cut and color for yourself over time. It’s a constant evolution and having one person take care of your hair is the best way to always look great. If you need a recommendation, check out Shannon.
4. Thou shalt go high or low. This has come up more than I thought in the closets of women I work with. I believe that if you’re going to put your hair up, you should avoid securing it at the back of your head. If you look at yourself straight on, it looks like you don’t have any hair! Go with a high pony or top knot at the crown of your head or a low ponytail to the side. Same goes for double buns and pig tails. I want to see your hair from the front at all costs. It will keep your face and neck slender. Try it in the mirror to see!

Shirts

5. Thou shalt donate that worn out cardigan. If a clothing item has pills, holes, stains, etc., either fix them or get rid of them. You do yourself no favors keeping stuff like that around cluttering up your closet. It makes it harder for you to see and find the things you really want to wear.

6. Thou shalt own several nude bras. It’s a bit a of a French tradition to show a bit of your bra, but unless you’re a skilled French fashionista, forget about it. I’m a big fan of bras that match your skin tone. They’ll always blend in under light shirts and help you focus more on what’s on top a dot what the world sees. The last thing you want is a patterned bra messing up the effect of a perfectly good white button down shirt.

7. Thou shalt know your boobs. There are shirt and dress styles that work for all shapes and sizes. I regularly share body type style guides on Pinterest. No quadraboob and no buttons clinging on for dear life allowed. Get a good bra and do some research about how to accentuate your assets. Here is another great article about big boobs and how to manage them.

Pants

8.  Thou shalt forget the low waist trend. I’m a damn woman. Low waist jeans that were hot in the 90s will never ever look the way they did on my pre-teen body. I have yet to see a grown women who looks good in low waist jeans.  If you have love handles, embrace them, girl! Have your jeans sit above your hips/handles so you don’t create additional curves (read: muffin top). Your pants should hit somewhere between the top of your hip to your belly button. Look for medium to high rise when possible. Don’t be afraid to go a size up to make it work. You want a smooth silhouette that is also comfortable enough to sit in.

9. Thou shalt wear heels with flares. I love a good flared jean. They have the ability to make any woman’s legs an extra 5 inches long. That’s if you pair them with heels or wedges. Pairing them with flats will immediately shorten your legs and entire frame. Try it in the mirror! If you hate heels, then forget the flares. Wear cuffed and cropped jeans instead to show off a bit of ankle. That will keep your legs looking long.

All Around

10. Thou shalt know a good tailor. Your clothes are an investment. Just like your furniture, your car, and your beach house, the things you buy for your body shouldn’t be considered disposable. I hope you are happy with every purchase and they way they fit. If you aren’t, you won’t wear them and you will have wasted your money. If you love the way a pair of trousers fit, but they are too long, get thee to a tailor! If you found the perfect work dress, but you lost a few pounds, take that sucker in! The extra $5-$50 might be worth it to create hundreds of outfits in the future. If you’re clueless about fit and what’s worth the trip, let me know and we’ll set up a styling consultation.

11. Thou shalt try clothes on and read reviews. This goes along with the above. You shouldn’t be wasting your money, ladies. Online shopping is AWESOME. But sometimes you need to get to know a brand before you buy something online. For example, go right a head and buy those Anne Taylor pants if you already have a pair and know how they fit your specific body. Another alternative is to obsessively read reviews online about products. Look for women who post their height and weight and make comments about the fit.

12. Thou shalt have fun. If you aren’t feeling better about yourself after you’ve gotten dressed in the morning, you’re doing it wrong. Fashion should be fun. It should help you feel like a better version of yourself. The older you get, the more experience you have with colors, fit, and fabrics. Some will make you smile when you look in the mirror and other’s won’t. Some trends will work for you for life, but you won’t know if you don’t try them. Thrift shops and bloggers you love are the key to trying out new trends, in my opinion.

Got more styling questions? I’d love to answer them! email me at sweetsauceblog@gmail.com.

Learn more about my personal styling services here.