Are you guilty of the top 10 fashion mistakes?

By Muara Bagdja

JAKARTA (JP): Some of us do not care too much about our dress. We are satisfied as long as what we pull out of the closet is clean, neat and keeps us covered.

Still, there are some no-can-do's that we flout all the same. Here are the 10 biggest mistakes to avoid in deciding on what to put on in the morning.

1. What's the occasion?:

This is the most frequently made mistake: wearing the wrong clothes to the wrong place, without thought for time or occasion.

Our trend to a practical life style is encouraging people to dress as they like, regardless of what they have on is right for the occasion. For instance, more and more women come to their offices in T-shirts, which are suitable for shopping in malls but not appropriate for the workplace.

We also see some women attend wedding parties in black, neat office suits, which seem out of place in a festive gathering. On the other hand, as appearance is considered important in social activities, some people dress over-glamorously for family gatherings on Sundays.

2. Body blunder:

Ignoring your body type and shape can lead to awkward situations. If you are overweight, wearing tight clothes is not a good choice because they will show off fat areas of the body. Bell bottoms accentuate big calves, and fleshy arms are conspicuous in sleeveless dresses.

. Accessory angst:

Most women pay more attention to their outfits than their accessories because they regard the accessories as nonessential decorative items. This can lead to picking accessories which clash with the outfit.

A beautiful evening gown will not look expensive and elegant if it is combined with cheap, flat-heeled shoes. Bad combination of outfits and bags -- despite famous (and big) trademark logos -- end up looking nothing but vulgar.

But the combination is, of course, inseparable from personal taste and perception. However, some people are ignorant of the general standard, dressing up in a poor combination of colors and motifs, or making the wrong choice of blouses and underwear. For instance, some women wear see-through white blouses with black bras to the office. Better save them for more intimate settings.

4. Mix-and-match muddle:

Mixing and matching outfits is a very personal matter, something that has to be done with taste and concept. Unfortunately, even the general standard in mix and match in fashion is still poorly understood, a reason why many still wear the wrong combination of colors, motifs and even blouses and skirts.

Returning to the example above, a woman might look sensual wearing a black lacy bra underneath her white blouse, but the combination is not suitable as she leans over her office computer or asks the office boy to do some photo-copying.

5. Personality disorder:

Choose a dress that matches your personality. A dress will mean nothing, although the design is excellent, if it is worn by the wrong person.

Many people look clumsy or strange simply because their clothes do not match their gait and character.

Many shy women, for instance, wear an open-shouldered dress but then cover themselves up with a shawl as if they are feeling cold. This shawl should actually make them look elegant. So, unless you are confident or believe that the model suits your personality, never wear an open-shouldered dress.

6. Age limit:

Some youngsters intentionally pick clothes they believe will make them look mature. Unfortunately, donning these clothes will probably only make them look matronly.

The opposite is also true, when in an attempt to look younger than their ages, older people choose attire that they would be better giving to their teenage kids.

7. The whole package:

Putting on some make-up and styling your hair neatly whenever you go to work will help you look fresher and show off your more attractive side. But, please, do not choose bright red lipstick or leave your hair flowing over your shoulders as it will make you look unprofessional.

Moreover, when you go out at night to a formal occasion, not putting on a bit of make-up or styling your hair will make you look overly relaxed instead of fancy.

8. Sloppy style:

Many people look less attractive than they could when they ignore the importance of neatness, which is not only about having a well-pressed dress. Your look will be marred if you put on faded clothes, do nothing about buttons that have come off your shirts or if your panty line shows through under your clothes.

You will also look sloppy and less attractive if your gown does not fit you. A man looks like a slob if his trousers are too long, causing the lower part of the trousers to pile up.

9. Bottoms up:

Generally, people pay more attention to the front part of their body when they get dressed in front of the mirror, and fail to consider how they look from the back.

A man might fail to notice that his shirt is coming out of his pants while for a woman failure to tuck in her blouse neatly will make her backside look bigger in a skirt.

10. Dress code violations:

A mistake in dressing may also stem from one's lack of knowledge about fashion etiquette, a set of principles closely associated with social norms.

For instance, many men do not know the lowest button of a vest must be left unfastened when they wear a suit (and that the jacket should be unbuttoned when they sit down). Or that they should not wear suspenders and a belt at the same time since both of them have the same function: to keep the pants in place.

One can also see that some men still use a darker-colored jacket and brighter-toned pants in combination. According to dress code, in a formal situation a jacket and pants should be of the same color and fabric.

Regarding point one, it must be remembered that many guests attending events may look awkward simply because they fail to comply with the dress code mentioned on the invitation cards. So read up, pay attention to those around you and dress right.

Muara Bagdja is a fashion writer based in Jakarta.