BREAK THE RULES!!!

The 2 Rules I Was Taught To Follow

Since I was a kid I've always loved rules and patterns, so when I learned to get dressed I naturally gravitated towards rules that made things easier.

Specifically, these two became core rules of mine.

1) Ties must match the dress shirt's secondary color(s).

Picking a tie can a be a stressful thing, and this rule helped me so much at first.

Having a clear formula allowed me to not have to spend as much time worrying about the "prettiest" combination and instead mathematically find the "correct" answer.

But this has created problems because over the years I've wanted to branch out and try something different.

2) Print can never be worn with print.

As a kid I learned when I wore more than one print at a time it was "wrong" because it didn't "match."

The reason for this probably has to do with balance: a fundamental principal in visual composition.

Having too many prints inhibits balance by creating visual chaos that can be hard to sort.

But I've always wanted to try breaking this rule because I felt like I had something to say.

How It Impacted Me

Allowing myself to break the rules changed the way I get dressed by forcing me to challenge my assumptions and be comfortable being uncomfortable. 

The rule that I said about my ties always having to match I think is incorrect. 

I think there's something visually compelling about placing a tie that doesn't match with an outfit. 

For example, usually I would've worn this shirt with an aquamarine or dark orange tie to match the secondary colors of this shirt.

This dusty rose pink tie doesn't really match the shirt I wore it with, but that's what I love about it.

It says that something being theoretically wrong doesn't make it practically wrong. 

And I'm glad that a couple of people on TikTok got this too. 

It's uncomfortable at first, but that's what makes it worth doing. 

I also felt this when wearing print on print for the first time. 

Print on print is loud and when done incorrectly it can make you look like a failed Disney star.

However, print on print is a helpful tool that has turned a nerve-wracking day into an exciting one. 

A couple of weeks ago I wore print-on-print for my Q4 performance review at work. 

I was super nervous heading into this meeting and I found that wearing print on print gave me the confidence to know that I was worth seeing. 

If I was brave enough to say something with what I was wearing, I shouldn't be afraid to speak at work either. 

This outfit is one of my all-time favorites, and I'm excited for you to try something similar too. 

Conclusion

I believe the world would be a better place if more people were free to express their authentic selves with confidence and enthusiasm, and allowing yourself to break the rules is a great place to start. 

There's so much beauty in the people we are meant to be, and I don't want any dumb rule to hold you back. 

You deserve to be seen and loved for who you authentically are. 

Any rule or person telling you otherwise is not worth your energy. 

2025 is about embracing cringe and becoming the person you were meant to be, unapologetically. 

So, if you want to help me in my mission of helping others dress in style with confidence and enthusiasm, you can help me by subscribing to my email list below to stay in the know on everything Joshua Miller Clothing. 

I have a couple of projects I want to work on this year, and my email subscribers are going to be the first to know about this. 

As I always say, thank you for your support and for taking the time to read this. 

I really really appreciate it. 

See you next week!

-JM

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