Sequins and Midriffs and Mini's! Oh My!

Lindsay Lohan, Sienna Miller, and Chloe Sevigny prove that sequins are here to stay.

Ah, here we go again. The incessantly discussed topic of dressing for your age has arisen. This month, MSN.com tries to tackle the topic with let me say nicely...little success. First of all, let me state that I am a believer of dressing your age. I think we can all agree that head-to-toe bubble gum pink and Hello Kitty lunch boxes should not see the light of day past age ten (this being generous). However, I am also a believer that in fashion, there are no rules. There is only taste.

MSN's recent piece on "What Not to Wear Beyond Your Teens" disses sequins, midriff-bearing tops, loud hair accessories, mini-skirts, and oversized handbags (what?!?), to name a few. Before I begin my rant, I will give them this: It is true that these looks can be tricky to pull off and should only be done when done right. Even last night I witnessed a woman out in the West Village attempting to pull off a white and black feathered headband that simply did not work. While this look could have been cute on many a fashionista, set against her jet-black hair it only made her look more like Cruella DeVille. But as I said before, it's all about taste and about knowing what looks good on you, not ruling out entire categories of clothing!

To address the mini-skirt issue, let's make something very clear: A hot-pink pleather mini-skirt worn by Pamela Anderson is NOT OK. A black leather mini-skirt worn by Kate Bosworth? BEAUTIFUL. Know what works for your body type and pair it with the right pieces to look tasteful, but don't rule out the mini-skirt altogether! And oversized handbags?? The person who wrote MSN's article has clearly never heard of the Marc by Marc Jacobs Huge Hillier Hobo. And what about the plethora of items needed by a woman daily, at her side, at all times? Case closed. As for sequins and midriffs, I say with taste, forge ahead! I have provided three examples (above) of sequins done right, and I am actually quite fond of Sienna Miller's midriff-bearing ensemble (below) with which MSN chose to illustrate their disgust. At least I know that what looks great on Sienna will not necessarily look great on me.

Just one more thing. MSN also makes the point that 4+ inch high heels should not be worn past your teens. Yes, insanely high stilettos should be ruled out for health reasons alone, but I feel that there is some mixed messaging going on here. Since when do 13-year-olds strut down their middle school halls and run out to recess in 6-inchers? Unless I grew up in a bubble, I do not recall this being an issue and only remember these types of dangerous footwear being worn by the likes of Posh and Baby Spice. So MSN, I think you need to edit your list a bit. Sequins and oversized handbags are here to stay.