Top 10 Common Fashion Mistakes

Your sense of fashion and taste includes everything that is in your appearance, not just how well you put your makeup on and style your hair, and not just how expensive is your bag, but also how well you put all these things together... and it will include things you may not have thought of: Like your glasses shape and colour, whether your 1950s hair style matches your 1980s clothes, and all sorts of little mistakes.

Sometimes a tiny flaw can ruin the carefully concocted look you were trying to create. Here is a handy list of common mistakes you can avoid so you won’t let that happen to you again.

When in doubt just avoid wearing anything Courtney Love would wear.

Fashion Mistake #1. Skirt too skimpy.

The skirt should not rise up to mid-thigh when you sit down (unless you like looking slutty or play tennis). If you have to pull it down constantly then maybe it is too short or too tight. Make it a rule of thumb to keep the skirt for daytime attires maximum 1 inch above the knee.

Fashion Mistake #2. Silly, not cute.

Avoid frilly blouses unless you're going to an art gallery or ballet recital. It’s a popular belief that a frilly blouse will make you look feminine and romantic; instead it makes you look unprofessional and frivolous. Choose a blouse in ivory or white – it goes well with everything.

Fashion Mistake #3. Bare legs in winter.

Leave it to chic New Yorkers in "Sex and The City" to show off bare legs when it’s about to snow. Sheer tights will look stylish and keep your assets warm and healthy. Splurge on Wolford tights for a special occasion.

Fashion Mistake #4. Too many accessories.

Keep accessories to a minimum and avoid anything too clunky.

Button or hoop earrings are acceptable for a daytime look. For an evening, make one piece, e.g. chandelier earrings or embellished purse, a key element and keep the rest of accessories neutral. Hang on to simplicity with your watch: no cartoon characters or day-glo details are appropriate, unless it’s a Swatch.

Fashion Mistake #5. Neon, not neutral makeup.

Be clean and look polished. Make-up is a must in professional world, even if you never wear it. Blusher, mascara and clear powder are minimum. Use the foundation to conceal blemishes. The no-makeup look is fine for college, not for grown-up life. Avoid bright shimmery glosses or eye shadows unless you go out.

Fashion Mistake #6. Showing too much skin.

Especially between the low-rise jeans and top. If you absolutely need to show a bit of your belly make sure it’s tan, slender and has a cute little six-pack of muscle showing. No love handles please!

Fashion Mistake #7. Showing dark roots.

Be honest to yourself: you are no Carrie Bradshaw (who looks like a skinny horse) to look chic with black roots and blonde tips; besides, there was a team of hi-end stylists working on the set of "Sex and The City" for hours to make those outgrown roots look appropriate. In real life, dark roots send a clear signal that you are either out of money or out of style.

Fashion Mistake #8. Revealing plain white (or black) bra straps and thongs

Some underwear just looks better inside. No matter how expensive your plain white sports bra is, keep it concealed. Unless, of course, it’s $150 pink Lejaby bra with straps of Belgian lace or bejeweled triangle at the crossing of the thong. Same applies to transparency level of your clothes: wear white or nude bra with white shirts and black/colored bras with black ones, and not vice versa.

Fashion Mistake #9. Wearing trousers or shorts that are too short.

Same problem with too short skirts.

It makes sense to have several pairs of jeans and pants of different length, ones for low heels and ones for higher heels. Wearing too long jeans with casual flat shoes or Uggs result in stained and worn-out hems, and that’s another huge no-no!

Fashion Mistake #10. Looking too casual.

The inventors of Ugg boots could never imagine that the comfiness and anti-stylishness of these lovely creations will inspire millions of girls to wear them with out-of-shape stained track pants, over-sized sweatshirts and messy ponytails. Uggs and ugg-alikes stand out much better if worn with pristine designer jeans, and track pants are just meant to be worn with equally chic running shoes. If you slouch up your fashion style too much then you’ll look plain ridiculous.