Never mix black and brown.

One of the supposed fashion golden  rules, the shunned upon mixing of black and brown in an outfit is one that I religiously break. Not only do I pay no attention to this rule, I actually like the look of the combination. And don’t let your mother’s tsk tsking stop you from walking out the door! An all black get-up with brown accessories like boots and a belt is perfection. Truthfully, the combo is not all that strange given the fact that black and brown are both neutrals and since when do neutrals clash with anything? I think the reputation arises when victims wear black and brown together and then subsequently break a whole bunch of other rules at the same time. Black mom jeans and a brown turtleneck? Hm not so much.

Kate Moss, Anne Hathaway, Lauren Conrad, and Kristen Bell mix brown and black in their chic outfits

Don’t wear white after Labor Day.

It’s a tale as old as time. Newsflash: white is fine. White skirts, dresses, and pants should be worn all year round! And now that you’ve decided to break the rule: go crazy. Bust out the Angel costume on Halloween. White (loose) skirt on Thanksgiving. Have a white Christmas. What I mean in my uncaffeinated attempts at humor is that this rule is so dated that it makes absolutely zero sense. So by all means wear your white bottoms to your heart’s content!

Olivia Palermo, Keri Russell, Kirsten Dunst and a Forever 21 model all wear white after Labor Day

Match your purse to your shoes.

I wonder if anyone actually still believes this one. Caring about the matchy-matchy thing is just a waste of time. Spend time picking out beautiful and unique shoes and bags and no one will bother wondering why they don’t match each other. Add interest and contrast like the ladies below.

Rachel Bilson, Leighton Meester, Blake Lively, and Lindsay Lohan don't bother matching their shoes to their purses

Most importantly, never let empty rules or set norms dictate what you wear. It’s fun to follow trends and no one likes to be over or under dressed, but in the grand scheme of things no one cares more about what you wear than you yourself. So you might as well make your biggest critic happy!

Peace,