A Note on Fashion

This is the kind of advice that probably shouldn't be spoken, because it isn't important enough to mention. It's the kind of advice that if people get a hold of, will save them appearance.

First, for the girls:

1. ALWAYS CHECK YOURSELF ON YOUR WAY OUT THE DOOR. This will save you lots of fashion grief. Whether it be from panty lines, an out of place lock of hair, or mascara streaks on your face, you'll only catch it if you do a full 360 in a full length mirror.
   
2. Always check your hair before you walk out the door. If you do your hair directly after coming out of the shower, then you put on your clothes, apply makeup and leave for school/work, you are in danger of walking out the door with tee shirt head. It's not major. And unlike bed-head you're unlikely to draw very many strange looks. Just as long as you don't take any pictures . . .
   
3. Never wear red clothes and pink lip stick. It just clashes. Now a pink gloss is likely to be so neutral it won't really clash at all. What I'm talking about is pink, opaque, lip color with candy apple red clothing. It's gross. Don't do it.
   
4. On a broader note, make sure all your makeup matches your clothes. The best way to do that is to go neutral, but if you have to have color, make sure you're wearing your clothes for the day before you apply your makeup. Stay away from color mines and hard to pull off combinations, like orange eye shadow and green clothing, or tones that are too close like blue and purple. Unless you think you're just the fashionista to pull it all together.
5. Don't wear socks that come too high above your shoes. You probably won't lose friends over this, but it's a big enough deal to make any fashion conscience person cringe. Some people don't like the feeling of their shoes chafing their ankles. That's fine. Ultra-low and no-show socks aren't for everyone (though they are for most). But if you have to wear an outfit (dress, shirt, shorts...) that shows off your ankles, ditch the folded over tubes, and mid-length socks. Ankle socks are tolerable. Knee socks are also a good alternative, but never with shorts, and make sure the skirt they're worn with has volume and length or it may look out of place or sleazy.
   

And for the boys:

1. Cut your hair! Okay, so maybe this one is worth mentioning. It's one of the larger of the minor offenses. Too often when guys get their hair cut short either for summer or for their sports season, they don't keep it up. They let it get shaggy when the season is over and soon it starts looking long and unkempt. Now some guys can pull off the shaggy look. Most should simply cut their hair or find some interim way of keeping it (hats are always good) until it grows out past the ever gag-worthy mullet length.
   
2. Shave your face! Unless you can grow a full beard (and perhaps even if you can), you should spare the world your werewolf mornings and keep your face clean shaven. You aren't a mountain man, and the whole messy, prickly, peach fuzz look isn't attractive. If you must grow facial hair, keep a well trimmed goatee. Soul patches are controversial... And hey, most girls prefer clean faces on younger guys anyway.
   
3. Don't wear socks that come too high above your shoes. Yep, this piece of advice is even more crucial for you than for the girls. Ultra-low and no-show socks aren't for everyone (though they are for most). But again, if you have to wear shorts, at least wear ankle socks, ditch the tubes, and mid-lengths, and make sure they're the right color for goodness sake. Also, knee socks and shorts are a hard look to pull off. Do yourself a favor and save them for the sports arena.
   
4. Once you've committed to a hat, don't take it off. At least, not in front of people. Wait till you can hit the bathroom with a comb. That way you can make smooth transition. Your close friends and family will take you as you are, but the general public isn't so kind, so spare yourself (and everyone else) the hat-head, and just leave it on.
   
5. If you decide to tuck in your shirt, wear a belt. Nice try, but the display of bare belt-loops is enough to squelch any dignity your were trying to achieve by tucking in the tails. So make up your mind, in or out? (And don't waste time trying to negotiate the whole half-tuck/quarter-tuck thing.) But if you decide to go business, please wear a belt.
   
6. Don't wear socks with sandals. It just doesn't work. If you need your foot covered, cover it with a shoe. The purpose of the sock is to be a barrier between your foot and shoe, not to be some kind of woolly accessory to your Birkenstocks.

In conclusion, everything said above is simple. It doesn't take a genius, or a large budget to look that much nicer. Not to mention most of the things on this list are semi-pet peeves of mine ;).
So start now.