They're The Rules - I Don't Make Them Up...

I once read something Trinny and Susannah wrote that made me want to spit. It was along the lines of, you should never wear a skirt that falls above the knee if you're over 40. What?? Speaking from experience, some women feel the only asset left to them after 40 is a decent pair of pins, so who are T and S to say they shouldn't be allowed to get them out from time to time?


It got me thinking about other Stupid Fashion Rules I've come across. I'm going to take them in turn and attempt to debunk them.


Horizontal stripes make you look fat.
No they don't. In fact actual academic research at New York University Psychology Department proved that they don't (vertical stripes were more likely to affect people's perception in this way). So wear your breton t shirts with pride!


Wearing black makes you look thin
I think people choose to believe this because it suits them to think it's true. Black absorbs light more than other colours so it has a camouflaging effect, making the wearer blend into the background. In my opinion it makes you look invisible, not thin. That's fine though - we all have days when we'd rather be invisible!


Women over 40 shouldn't have long hair
Er, Goldie Hawn anyone?

I know, I know - we can only aspire to look like her. But she does epitomise why you don't have to follow this rule. Some women's faces just suit longer hair whatever their age. Try not to date yourself with a 'non' style, and go for something that frames and flatters your features. And by the way, a fringe can hide wrinkles a treat!


Never wear black with brown or navy
Why not? They're all neutral colours so you can wear them with anything, including eachother. It's just a matter of mixing them in the right proportions, and using accessories to highlight and accent.

Shoes and bags should always match
I'm not even going there.


Never mix metals in your jewellery
This rule is about not mixing gold and silver together. Well how boring! With so much lovely jewellery out there why limit yourself to certain pieces? I love wearing gold, silver and copper bangles together - they look so much sparklier when worn all at once. Last summer I had some silver gladiator sandals and it never occurred to me not to wear my gold dangly earrings with them. Beware of being 'matchy matchy'!


Blue and Green Should Never Be Seen
Erm, that sentence doesn't make sense - does it mean 'should never be seen together'? Right, well although one of my personal rules is 'never wear a bikini', I do adore the print and colours on this one.

I simply don't understand the logic of this rule - blue and green go together really well - green is partly made of blue! For more flagrant blue/green rule breaching, see our Ruby Rocks Dress .


Don't wear clothes out of season
In the days when I tortured myself with aspirational women's magazines, I was forever reading articles on managing your wardrobe. Apparently we should all be packing up our clothes neatly at the end of each season and unpacking next season's. Well I have neither the time, space nor inclination to do this. In fact I love wearing stuff out of season. It's lovely to brighten things up in Winter with a colourful summery print (I just wear layers over and under them), and quite frankly a cosy knit can be just the job given our Summers. I like contrasting fabrics like wool over silk or cotton, and if like many of our customers you're a Nomads Trousers fan, they're stretchy and wide enough to wear in Winter with tights or leggings underneath.


Don't mix prints
Sometimes florals and stripes can look great together, or graphic prints with polka dots.  Have a play, experiment - you just need to be a bit careful with colours, that's all. For me, and this applies to all the rules not just this one, it's about putting pieces together and coming up with the unexpected and surprising.

Of course, you'll have preferences for one length of skirt over another, or a particular colour of jewellery - it's fine to know what suits you, but don't ever think you can't wear what you want because it's not 'allowed'! It's not about what you should or shouldn't wear, it's about whether you like it. Does it flatter you? Does it make you feel good?


The other day I was buying something in a charity shop, and I remarked to the lady behind the till (and I hear this from many of my customers too) that I wasn't sure whether it mightn't be a bit young for me. 'Just wear it with conviction!' was her reply. Now that's one Fashion Rule I think we should all live by.

The Kids Are Alright

The other day I was wiping knee-high sticky handprints off the jewellery cabinets and it occurred to me how much children add to the vibe in this shop. We get a lot of kids in MAKE. Lots of our customers are very Yummy Mummies (you know who you are!) with babies and toddlers in tow. We get lots of Mums with their kids on the way back from the school run, and we have a distinct young teenage crowd who love our hair accessories and £1.50 bangles.

This means that inevitably some of my working day is spent child minding - I consider it part of my job description. I'll often be found wobbling a buggy or reading a story while a busy Mum takes some well-earned time to try something on. And I love it if the baby wakes up and I get to have a little cuddle (sigh!).

Don't get me wrong, I'm no Julie Andrews and I have to admit I've found one or two kids' behaviour rather 'challenging'. The child who got into the window for instance, and caused the mannequins to topple over one by one like dominoes. Or the one who nonchalently brushed her jammy doughnut through a row of dresses!

But I do know that shopping with children isn't easy. For the first 3 years after my son was born I can remember I wasn't allowed into shops. All would be serene while strolling down the street, but pause inside a shop and merry hell would break out, requiring either a red-faced exit or some form of edible bribe (oh dear, not proud of that...).

So here at MAKE we try to help out when parents want to come in for a browse. We've got a loo kids can use if they're caught short, and of course you can change a nappy if you need to. We've got a comfy chair so you can take time out to feed your baby if the need arises. And then there's our famous  toybox. It's not quite to Hamley's standards but it usually provides enough distraction for a dress or two to be tried on. Many's the time I've nearly hoovered up a forgotten wooden brick or toy car that's slipped under a rail of clothes.

We understand that busy Mums just don't have a lot of time (or let's face it, energy) to browse, so we're happy to help out while you're in the shop -  whether that means singing Baa Baa Black Sheep or recommending something that's good to wear while you're breastfeeding.

It's all just part of the service.