4 Style Mistakes No Woman Should Still Be Making

Everyone’s entitled to a fashion faux pas or two. After all, learning from your mistakes is how you hone and refine your sense of style. However, when occasional blunders turn into habits, that’s when you know you have a problem on your hands. From incorrectly wearing tights to relying too heavily on brand names, here are four style mistakes that no woman should still be making:

Not Knowing How to Wear Tights

Tights are a wardrobe staple that can be found in practically every woman’s closet. That’s why it’s so surprising that so many ladies still don’t know how to wear them well. To help you avoid the same mistakes, read on for some definitive guidelines.

• Don’t scrimp on quality. Buying cheap tights may make you feel like you’re saving money, but they’re usually never worth the price. This is because low-quality tights rip easily and are prone to losing their shape after just a couple of washes. On the other hand, spending a little more on a pair of high-quality opaque tights gives you the best value for your money. Since they’re made of durable materials, you can confidently wear them without worrying that they’ll tear or lose their elasticity.
• Wear tights for their intended purpose. Tights should never be worn in place of leggings or pants, no matter how dense and opaque they are. Additionally, anything you wear on top of your tights should be long enough to cover both your crotch and butt area completely. That said, you can never go wrong with pairing tights with dresses and skirts.
• Cover up the seams. Tights should always be worn with closed-toe shoes to prevent the seam from showing.
• Dress appropriately for the weather. Always make sure to pick tights with a thickness or denier that’s suitable for the current climate. For instance, cooler weather calls for more layers, which means you should go for thicker tights and chunkier shoes.

Buying the Same Size at Every Store

Most women make this mistake because they don’t try on clothes before buying them. Oftentimes, this is because they think that their clothing comes in the same size across all brands and retail outlets. But more often than not, they end up finding that some pieces don’t fit as well as others.

Unfortunately, almost every clothing retailer applies vanity sizing, which is the practice of sizing garments down regardless of their actual measurements. This has a direct impact on customers’ self-esteem, influencing them to pick clothes that are simply several sizes too small. While this psychological effect causes products to move off the racks faster, it essentially renders size labels pointless.

Hence, it’s still best to shop for clothes in person and to try them on before making a purchase. But if you do have to shop online, always consult the brand’s specific size charts. These usually list the actual measurements of the different sizes that they offer. You can eliminate all the sizing guesswork by researching brands that stay true to size.

Not Having Your Clothes Tailored

Unless you have a pile of money lying around, you’re probably getting off-the-rack and ready-to-wear clothes as most other people do. The problem is that mass-produced garments only cater to specific sizes without taking into consideration each individual’s unique body shape. This explains why certain clothes may not fit certain people properly, even if they’re technically in the correct size.

Fortunately, getting around the conundrum is easy: just find yourself a decent tailor. With their skills, they can make quick alterations to your favorite pieces so that they fit your figure perfectly, all for a minimal fee. Not only can they adjust hemlines and seams, but they can also cut sleeves to appropriate lengths, among other things.

Mindlessly Buying Branded Clothes

Patronizing designer brands isn’t a bad thing, per se. In fact, you can expect a certain standard of quality from branded clothes that you may not be able to find with low-priced, fast fashion alternatives.

That being said, there’s a difference between supporting a brand that you love and buying something for the brand name alone. Not only can this be highly impractical, but it can also come off a little tacky, as you could end up looking like a walking billboard. To make things worse, you may even end up paying more for a low-quality piece just because it’s got a brand name label on it.

Thus, it’s a good idea to exercise a bit of restraint when it comes to branded clothing. Before buying any garment, ask yourself if it’s really worth the price you’re paying.

Truly, the dynamic nature of fashion lends itself to a variety of ever-changing interpretations throughout the ages. Certain trends that were once considered popular and chic may now be seen as tasteless and unoriginal. That’s why it can be worthwhile to stick to fashion rules that have withstood the test of time. With that in mind, avoiding these common style mistakes is an easy ticket to effortless, on-point outfits.