Fashion Rules that should be broken

The other day, two friends and I were having a discussion about fashion rules that no longer exist. One of my friends said she was glad it was October because she could finally wear her boots. The other friend asked her why she couldn't wear boots sooner and the first friend replied, "East Coast rule: No boots before October."

I didn't grow up on the East Coast, but have lived here almost 10 years and have never heard that rule before. And I guess half the women in Manhattan haven't heard the rule either, because they've been wearing boots all summer. And I wore boots with a short summer dress in mid-September.

One of things I love about fashion is that the rules that most of us grew up with no longer apply. Here are the top five:

No White After Labor Day: White is a big trend this fall, so clearly, you can wear it after Labor Day. When you wear white in the fall and winter, pair it with a dark top and dark boots. Make sure the material is heavy - white jeans, cords or wool pants - so put away your white linen. And a white coat always makes a great fashion statement.

Your shoes and purse have to match: This is a trend I'm trying to get away from. My shoes and purses don't always match, but they are at least in the same color family. I have a great navy Beirn bag that I carry almost everyday because it works with many of my shoes, but if I'm wearing light-colored shoes, I will change my bag. I need to get more comfortable with stepping outside my shoe/purse box.

Black and brown don't match: But they do! I grew up being told that black matches every color. Brown is a color, so it must match black. There's nothing wrong with pairing a brown top with a black bottom. However, one rule that still stands is you shouldn't wear brown shoes with black pants.

Don't mix prints: This one may take some getting used to, but as long as the colors in your striped blouse match the colors in your argyle skirt, you're good to go.

Plus-sized women shouldn't wear form fitting clothes: They should definitely wear form-fitting clothes, as long as they fit well - and that goes for all women. Your clothes should fit well. I'm one of the most size-conscious people I know. If I gain a little weight and can't fit into my goal size, sometimes I still buy the smaller size hoping I will eventually get into it. I should just suck it up and get the bigger size, but my ego won't let me. Women have curves for a reason - to show them off! We should embrace them and show them off through our clothes.