Most style rules are simply sets of guidelines addressing the connotations of femaleness. The shorter the hemline, the lower the heel; the bolder the lipstick, the more natural the eyes; the tighter the pants, the baggier the top; the more eccentric the dress, the more conventional the accessories; counter statement necklaces with minimalist earrings; daring nail polishes beg for short nails. All of these “rules “ presented in fashion magazines and style articles without explanation, because womanhood expects you to inherently understand why one should not pair a miniskirt with stilettos or a heavy smoky eye with plum lipstick. A few of these rules make visual sense; a statement necklace and a gorgeous pair of dangling earrings will compete with each for attention. However, other guidelines make visual sense only because our society has adopted a collective understanding that codes particular combinations and rates their level of acceptableness. A woman with wild colored streaks, exposed tattoos, and a tattered leather jacket reads as "troubled." Drop crotch jeans and a baggy hoodie equals "dyke."A micro-mini with five-inch heels synonymous with slut. Regardless of if the wearer’s intention is to lengthen her legs, her best friend who dons an equally short skirt with a pair of ballet flats will not collect a percentage, if any at all, of her pal's sneers. The first woman failed to properly maintain the stigma of womanhood and ignored the ever-present determinant of so-called “good taste”: balance. For of all the stigma attached to womanhood, nothing is so heavily regulated, conflicted, and perpetually on the edge of inequity as female sexuality.
For your enjoyment I've attached this magnificent picture of one of my personal favorite sources of stylistic inspiration. Photograph courtesy of JustJared.
I don't think Taylor Momsen has ever followed a fashion rule in her life. She just rocks the edgy punk sea monster that is herself.
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