From The Straits Times    |

Celebrity stylist and fashion designer Rachel Zoe once said “style is a way to say who you are without having to speak,” and we cannot agree more. Your dressing style is an extension of your personality, creating a lasting impression on whoever you meet. After all, every pavement is a runway. 

As women of style, it’s extremely important to be on the lookout for these fashion faux paus. You might not be able to keep up with the latest trends all the time, but there are just something that will always be unacceptable, sometimes even embarrassing. 

Ahead are five common fashion mistakes that many women make. Don’t get caught out there in these style no-nos anymore!


All images: Giphy.com

1. Wearing the wrong type of underwear aka V.P.L 

What’s the point of putting together an impeccable outfit only to ruin it with an exposed panty line? For the love of fashion, if you are wearing butt-hugging or light-coloured bottoms remember to go for a thong or seamless undies. 

Choosing the right underwear definitely isn’t rocket science. Besides, there are just way too many great quality nude seamless underwear and comfortable thongs on the market for this to still be a problem in 2017. 

2. Trend overdose

Sure, we know that larger-than-life earrings, voluminous sleeves, off-shoulder blouses, embroidery and bling-up sneakers are trending right now, but there’s no need to wear them out all at once. 

Being on the pulse of fashion is great, but wearing too much of it in one ensemble makes you look like a fashion victim. It’s best to pair one (at the most two) trendy items with pieces that are classic and timeless to strike a balance. 

3. Confusing oversized with ill-fitting

Yes, oversized sweaters, blouses, and dresses are totally on point right now but there’s a fine line between oversized and overwhelming. Remember to select pieces that don’t swallow you whole. 

Even the baggiest of clothing as can be refined, so if find yourself looking shapeless and sloppy, it is definitely ill-fitting. Try to balance out the oversized fit by pairing it with more figure skimming pieces, or cinching it up with a belt. You may also want to consider adding height with heels. 

4. Desperation shopping 

We believe that this is one mistake that most women have committed at least once in their lives. Scenario: You receive an invitation for a special occasion (it could be for a wedding, a formal work dinner etc) and you procrastinate on the task of getting your outfit sorted out. 

Then at the eleventh hour, you start panicking because it finally dawned on you that you’ve got nothing suitable to wear. You end up settling for something that you don’t feel good in because you were desperate. The outfit then gets banished into dungeon after the event and you feel stupid for spending so much on something you didn’t even like. 

As soon as you receive the invitation, you should already start formulating some outfits in your mind. Identify key styles that you are going for and see how you can style it with the things that you already have in your wardrobe. If you feel like you need to buy certain pieces to jazz the outfit up, keep a constant look out when you hit the malls. 

5. Disorganised wardrobe 

A disorganised wardrobe indicates a life in chaos, and that is not healthy. There is little point in owning the best pair of jeans when they are constantly lost in the sea of clothes when you are trying to get dressed. It’s hard to get dressed, especially more so on hectic mornings. 

A clean, well-organized wardrobe that you can see all at one glance—instead of a confusing, jumbled pile of clothes and accessories— will help you maximize all your purchases, and come up with carefully considered outfits that are absolutely on point.