10 Enduring Fashion Myths You Have to Stop Believing

Toss out those giant waist-cinching belts—that's not the way to accentuate your curves.

1. MYTH: Certain clothes only look good if you are tall and skinny.
REALITY:
 If something doesn't look good on you, 99 times out of 100 it's because the fit is off or because the style simply doesn't suit you. Saying that a certain kind of clothing — be it wide leg pants, crop tops, or shift dresses—only looks good on someone tall and thin is a value judgement and a messed up one at that, since it has absolutely nothing to do with the clothes in question and everything to do with how the person perpetuating this toxic myth feels about their own body and the bodies of those around them.

Look, every body is different, but not so different that a pair of pants doesn't still look like a pair of pants, whether it's being worn by Karlie Kloss or Becky from down the street. That's the truth. Period. End of story.

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(Image credit: Archives)

2. MYTH: Larger prints work for larger women and smaller prints work for smaller women.
REALITY:
 This is really just myth No. 1 all over again, and like myth No. 1,  it's a total crock. A good print is a good print, whether it's in a size 2 or a size 20. And that includes horizontal stripes!

3. MYTH: You get what you pay for.
REALITY:
 Price is not necessarily an indicator of quality. Companies don't charge you what something is actually worth; they charge you what they think you are willing to pay. So, really, it's on you to know the difference between what's worth your money and what isn't. The first step is being able to tell the difference between something that looks cheap and something that looks expensive, be it clothing,  shoesjewelry, or handbags. Next, you have to educate yourself about the differences between high-quality and low-quality materials and constructions. It's not easy, but if you care about getting the biggest bang for your buck, it's well worth your time.

Product, Textile, Bag, Font, Rectangle, Wallet, Leather, Zipper, Shoulder bag, Baggage,

(Image credit: Archives)

4. MYTH: Glasses are not sexy.
REALITY:
 Please! Glasses can be as sexy or unsexy as you want them to be. They're just like any other accessory—it's all in how you wear them.

5. MYTH: You should over-spend on your wedding dress.
REALITY: 
Of course it's a special day and a special dress, so you can and should do what you feel is best, but the idea that a wedding dress is the kind of thing that you should massively over-spend on serves the people selling you your dress a lot more than it serves you.

6. MYTH: You should center your outfit around a single statement piece.
REALITY: 
While it is a good idea to use simple, neutral pieces to balance a bolder, statement piece, you shouldn't feel like you have to limit yourself to only one statement piece at a time. Just make sure you spread them out across your look so they aren't all clustered next to each other. Unless that's what you're going for, in which case, you do you.

7. MYTH: If you want to create a womanly silhouette, you have to cinch in your waist.
REALITY:
 While it is true that wearing waist belts and clothes that nip in around your middle often help accentuate your curves, you don't have to wear something tight or constricting to flatter an hourglass figure or create a womanly look. Instead, you can use color blocking to create the illusion of more dramatic curves or draw attention to your waist with a cropped jacket or top.

Clothing, Product, Sleeve, Shoulder, Textile, Collar, Joint, White, Style, Formal wear,

(Image credit: Archives)

8. MYTH: You should invest in timeless classics, not trends.
REALITY:
 You should spend the most on the pieces you like the most and will wear the most. Besides, "classic" pieces like trench coats, black pumps, and LBDs will always be there — at least if you don't spend a ton of money on them, you won't be devastated when they wear out and have to be replaced.

9. MYTH: You should only show skin on top or bottom. Showing skin in both places looks trashy.
REALITY:
 "Trashiness" has a lot more to do with how you act and style yourself than how much skin you choose to show. Take Rihanna, for instance: Her dress at the 2014 CFDA Awards showed all her skin, and yet, it was probably one of the most elegant and sophisticated outfits she has ever worn and hands down the most gorgeous outfit of the night.

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(Image credit: Archives)

10. MYTH: High heels are more sophisticated than flats.
REALITY: 
Walk into any mall shoe store and you are bound to find plenty of high heels that bust this myth wide open. Can you say covered platform? True, high heels do change the way you carry yourself, but you can alter your posture without raising the height of your shoes. Shoulders back, chin up, chest out—that's all it takes. You can even do it barefoot.

From Cosmopolitan.

Charles Manning

I'm 30 percent bunnies, 40 percent of the time.