The Golden Rules of Fashion

At a local nail salon that my sisters and I frequent, one of the ladies that works there has given us nicknames. Mine is “Fashion.” The reason for that might be clear if you are reading this blog, but most people who know me in real life know that this is because I studied fashion design for a few years. (I want to continue studying fashion design, but I am taking the scenic route right now).

A lot of my friends who know this ask me for my opinion on what they are wearing or what they should wear, but I tend to be much more of, to borrow a linguistic term, a descriptivist when it comes to fashion. I don’t like to tell people what to do. Rules like "Thou shalt never match your bag and shoes!" or "Thou shalt never wear black to a wedding!" are just plain silly. Someone somewhere has broken these rules and has done so beautifully.

I have my personal opinions about some rules like this. For instance, I don’t like to match my eye shadow color to my shirt, but I can respect it when someone else can pull it off. In my world, there are only three simple rules of fashion that must be followed.

Best- and Worst-Dressed: The Academy Awards

Before I start, let me just say that the movies are made of pure magic. I love movies, and I can never get enough of the Oscars. I don’t know what I would be like if I were a sports fan, but I assume I would act like I do when I am watching the Oscars—yelling,  crying and telling the television what's what.

As far as my expectations of the red carpet show, I tend to set the bar pretty high. This show is not like the Grammys in the sense that most people can get away with anything simply based on the virtue that they are a musician or a personality, so I expect people to be wearing things to the Oscars that wow rather than shock. I was pleasantly surprised with the turnout this year.

Let’s start with the ladies…


Jennifer Lawrence is one of the most talented new actresses I have seen in a long time. Not only that, she is funny, down-to-earth, and pretty danged stylish. Also, the inner-feminist in me trying to get out wants to say I love that she tends to be in movies that pass the Bechdel Test and/or have a purposeful female character.

She came pretty close to being one of my best-dressed winners at the Golden Globes and the SAG Awards, but she played it a little too safe for my taste. This Gown by Dior, however, blew me away. It is simple, yet dramatic, and incredibly tasteful. Whether or not it made her fall on her face, it was an awesome dress.

Image courtesy of Style.com

Oh... And if you are wondering why I like her so much, here is a video of her gracefully answering really lame questions about her well-deserved award for Silver Linings Playbook.

Best and Worst Dressed: Grammys 2013

Music is not really my forte. Don’t get me wrong, I like music, but I am more likely to be able to successfully explain the plot and meaning of Inception to someone than something like dub step—whatever that is. Actually, if you knew how many times my friends have had to explain to me what Skrillex and Gangham Style are, you would probably laugh. And I still don’t understand either of those things.

That being said, I don’t really watch the Grammys, but I do love to pay attention to the fashion. This show is a different kind of beast because it is easier to break the rules on what one wears to an awards show. You will see someone dressed up in Dior Haute Couture and next you see someone in jeans and a shredded t-shirt. It is a wonderous thing to behold.

Here are my pick for women’s best-dressed:


Typically, I have more conservative taste when it comes to clothing, but Rihanna’s dress by Alaïa blew me away.

SAG Awards 2013: Best and Worst Dressed

Yep... I know. This blog post is a bit late. Nonetheless, it’s awards season, and I can’t not write about the red carpet. (I’ll spare you by not writing a blog about the Golden Globes; there is nothing exciting to say about it anyways).

Every awards season, there is one show that is just horribly styled—either because the clothing is boring or just plain bad—and I thought that the storm had passed after the Golden Globes, but I was overwhelmingly underwhelmed with the Screen Actor's Guild award show as well. I did find a few gems, though.

First, the ladies best-dressed category:

Marion Cotillard’s style tends to be controversial—i.e. the fish dress she wore to the Oscars in 2007 (which I loved by the way). I can also see how this one by Dior Haute Couture might not be a favorite, but it is a clear winner for me.

Image courtesy of Style.com