5 Ridiculous Fashion RulesBy Daniel Quinlan [Men's Fashion]
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When it comes to fashion, everyone has their own set of rules, but some of these rules have got to go. Daniel Quinlan writes.  As in any discipline, it is tempting to go about one's business by pointing out what's wrong with the establishment. Rather than being constructive, the tendency is to be critical about what we observe. This sorry state is nowhere more visible than in the hard-boiled world of fashion. A critical approach is reliable because articles based on the "things to avoid" ethic practically write themselves.What is challenging, though, is to redeem aspects of style that have been discarded by popular opinion, spurned on by fashion gurus that, for no apparent reason, are considered bastions of good taste. Well, folks, I've never been one to dignify trendsetters or adhere to the sweeping generalizations that make them authorities...and get their books published. I've also never shied away from honouring alternatives. That being said, let's examine a few of the faux pas that characterize fashion writing for men in our time and the elite few that follow them. The Proper Way to Tie Shoe Laces We must begin with the most ridiculous and unprecedented of fashion rules in order to set the pace for this article. Every one of us knows someone who, at one time or another, has insisted that to cross-lace their shoes is the equivalent of branding an X in the space between their eyes. These same people will insist that the only proper way of lacing is to proceed horizontally, leaving an equidistant space between 'bridges'. Now, surely someone will stand up and say that this only applies to a nice pair of shoes, those meant to give a stylish foundation to a fine suit, and that cross-lacing is perfectly fine for boots, runners, etc. The fact remains, however, that horizontally lacing one's shoes looks so completely alien, so ludicrously ugly, that it's a shame such a rule has been entrenched in the almanac of men's fashion. The fact is, cross-lacing is as good as tradition and any attempt to sway man away from it is an example of the lengths that the Stylish Someone will go to in order to deny whatever is common. To Button or Not to Button There have been many lives and reputations lost at the behest of the age-old debate over which buttons to fasten and which ones to leave undone. In the face of such a two-faced precedent, it is no wonder that so many men are confused, left reeling at the earth-shattering prospect of leaving the wrong button open. Do you leave your bottom button undone or is it the top that should be ignored? The fact is there is no right or wrong way to broach this debate. Unless you're wearing a tie, an opened collar can be flattering, particularly if one is seeking to complement a well-chiseled chest (as in my own case, for instance). The top button can also be overlooked when an undershirt is tossed into the mix. On the other hand, ignoring the bottom button is not going to make or break your wardrobe, especially if you're planning on tucking in the shirt. Here is yet another example of a fashion 'rule' that is so contradictory and problematic that it's laughable from a style perspective. |
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