It’s a truism at this point that real style is all about wearing what you love with confidence. But that wisdom hardly feels helpful when you’re staring into your closet in utter bewilderment or looking in the mirror at an outfit that should sizzle yet somehow feels lacking.
That’s where fashion formulas can come into play. They’re not hard-and-fast rules so much as guidelines that can point you in the right direction when you’re feeling sartorially lost. Some of them codify intuitive or conventional wisdom about dressing, while others provide a framing device for shopping, often with an eye toward preventing overconsumption.
To Hallie Abrams, a personal stylist in Cleveland and creator of the Wardrobe Consultant, the formulas are a tool to help you “find the things where you feel really good,” she says. But don’t let them hold you back. “If it becomes where it’s inhibiting, it’s not great. If it becomes empowering, then it is great.”
We spoke with stylists and fashion experts about some of the most well-known fashion formulas, which ones they found most helpful and what tweaks they might suggest.
The third piece
If you’re already wearing pants and a shirt, you’re technically dressed. But to turn your assemblage of clothes into an outfit, you need a third piece. Think a blazer, sweater, vest or even an accessory like a scarf, belt or jewelry. It’s a little bit like cooking: Once you’ve made your meal, if you take a moment to add finishing salt, a squeeze of lemon juice or garnish, you can take your dinner to the next level.
#styletip the 3rd piece rule! An easy tip to help you get dressed #styletips #styletipsforwomen #styletipsforyou #fashiontipsforwomen #howtostyle #timelessfashion #timelessstyle #capsulewardrobe #capsulewardrobestyle #capsulecloset #everlane #everlanejeans #winterfashion #tiktokfashion
Lani Inlander, a personal stylist with Real Life Style in D.C., says that you can interpret the third piece broadly. When shopping with a “very minimal and chic” client who eschews jewelry, blazers and other typical third pieces, Inlander had the woman try on a brightly colored button down. “I was like, ‘Oh, do you know what? This color for her — the color is the third piece of this outfit.’”
The three-color rule
The three-color rule advises that your outfit should have a maximum of three colors (black and white are not typically included in the tally). The idea is that this will make the outfit look visually pleasing without getting too cluttered. This one is helpful “if you’re mixing patterns, prints and textures with the aim of looking more put together,” says Gemma Dorling, who has blogged about fashion since 2013 on her site Life’s a Catwalk and lives near Cambridge, England.
#threecolorrule #threecolorschallenge #colorcombinations #styletips #fashiontips #dosanddonts
The two-out-of-three rule
As the name suggests, this guideline instructs that two of your three pieces be the same color. Maybe your shirt and bottom are the same color, and your third piece is a different color. Perhaps your bottom and your third piece match instead. Or, your top and third piece could be the ones in cahoots. (Suits, for example, effortlessly follow the two-out-of-three rule.)
Abrams suggests this for people who tend to favor neutrals and are looking to incorporate more color into their looks. “It’s a way to make it feel accessible,” she says. It also works for those who wonder why their parade of colors looks a bit busy. The two-out-of-three rule “creates a throughline of harmony to then add other things on top of.”
The 70/30 rule
This is all about the composition of your closet, which should be about 70 percent timeless basics and 30 percent more eye-catching, stylish or trendy pieces. “It helps with overconsumption because if you’re going out and buying trends continuously, it’s going to look dated very quickly,” Dorling says. “This one is a good way to balance longevity with whatever the current trend is.”
The stylists we spoke with emphasized that the precise ratio might vary based on the person and their needs. “The percentages are a little too strict,” says Dejeuné Harris, a personal stylist in D.C. with Your Style Is Forever. However, “it’s a good idea in theory — don’t chase every trend.” Plus, she adds, different people will have their own definitions of what a timeless basic is.
Seven-point rule
Assign one point to every staple item you’re wearing, such as shoes, jeans or a T-shirt. Anything more fascinating thanks to its color, texture or shape gets two points or even three, depending on which version of this rule you follow. Don’t forget your accessories. Altogether, your outfit should add up to between seven and 10 points, which is the sweet spot for interesting but not excessive.
While this rule made waves on social media, many of our experts were not fans. “This is just so unrealistic and just not practical as far as getting dressed. You have [to have] your calculator out,” Harris says. “Maybe it’ll help someone. This is absolutely not on my list ever, though.”
Inlander agrees: “I personally do not have the brain power to even get started with that.”
Abrams has an idea of who it might benefit: “I think the points are helpful if you have the self-awareness to say, ‘Oh, you know what? I’m a little boring. I want to step it up a little bit. Let me make sure I’m in this safe zone.’ Or, ‘I’m little over the top.’”
3-3-3 rule
By selecting three tops, three bottoms and three pairs of shoes that can all work together, this guideline says, you can build your own capsule wardrobe.
the 333 rule challenge, try it!! so perfect for traveling.
#333travelrule #falloutfitinspo #lessismore
Our sources agreed that the 3-3-3 rule isn’t necessarily realistic for your everyday life — just think about the laundry it would entail! As Abrams notes, you probably want to have more tops than bottoms in your closet because they tend to be more memorable and tougher to repeat.
But Harris says that the 3-3-3 rule is a useful way to think about packing for a trip. “It’s perfect for travel,” she says.
Inlander has her own spin in contrast to the 3-3-3 rule. She has a list of five must-have pieces for clients: an item in their power color, a perfectly tailored trouser, dress shoes they can walk in, a lightweight yet structured tote and a comfortable blazer.
Five outfit rule
Before you purchase something new, the five outfit rule implores you to take a moment and think about five different outfits you already have with which you can wear it.
“How many times do you go out, buy something because you absolutely love it, and then you get home and then you’re like, ‘Oh I need to buy three more items because nothing in my wardrobe matches,’” Dorling says. “It just makes things a bit more intentional, and I like that.”
Harris is similarly a fan of shopping for the long term and with your preexisting clothes in mind. She often encounters clients who “have so many clothes,” she says, but they still need to go shopping because “they don’t have any outfits. They don’t have looks — just pieces. There’s no cohesion.” Employing something like the five outfit rule (or even coming up with at least three) prevents things from getting to that point.
When it comes to formalwear that might only be worn for one evening, Harris suggests clothing rental services. “I don’t believe in just buying something for a one-off,” she says.
Abrams has her own version of the five outfit rule. Before buying something, especially a sale item, think about “three ways you can wear it, three places you can wear it and three things that already exist in your wardrobe that you can wear it with,” she says.
The post How to dress better with the 3-3-3 rule and 6 other numerical guides appeared first on Washington Post.
