First impressions are key. When you first meet someone, you judge them by their appearance, which in today’s society, mostly consists of their clothes. Sometimes that person’s image is dead on with your opinion, and can often lead to a compliment on their outfit. But just as any judgment goes, there’s the other side to that–the whole reason why “don’t judge a book by it’s cover,” ever existed. What if your style gives people the wrong impression?

Prince, someone who is notorious for his outlandish and flamboyant get-ups, was once quoted as saying “The women I date find me very masculine, they see nothing wrong with ruffles or platforms.” Just with anything else in the world, society has rules. If you dress a certain way, you are perceived to be sloppy, professional, kind, abrasive, married, single and even straight or gay.

Sexual orientation has always been a sticky subject, especially with the controversial debates about equal rights and gay marriage. During the late 1990’s and early 2000’s many rappers equated Skinny / “tight” jeans with being a homosexual. Rappers did not think it was normal for males to wear skinny jeans.  They did not think it was normal for males to wear skinny jeans. However as men’s style changed skinny jeans, a trend that became popular in the 1970’s, which helped revolutionize London based “Glam Rock,” has now become a men’s fashion staple.

The androgynous look also breaks some of the rules (many of them antiquated) about women’s fashion. Expected to be “feminine,” typically decked in skirts and floral prints, the women who enjoyed dressing in baggy or what was traditionally seen as “male” clothing, were and still are often pegged as lesbians. Before deconstructionist concepts were introduced, designers like Maison Martin Margiela in the early 1980′s fell into this stereotype. Style’s move towards a more causal look has helped more relaxed expressions of femininity such as “the boyfriend” trend become acceptable. Women are no longer confined to monolithic cookie-cutter conceptions of femininity. This enables the success of designers such as Alexander Wang, who mixed traditionally gender-binding concepts to produce T by Alexander, a great tribute line to traditional men’s concepts made for women. As more people embrace the asexual facet of fashion, personal style can move freely toward highlighting and celebrating difference, while allowing people to be comfortably bold.

Even though America has made great strides in terms of freedom of fashion expression, perception will always exist, as with rules of society. While it is important to recognize, do not get caught up in how the public wants you to dress. These rules are just like any other, some should be followed and offer good guidance for style, and others, were meant to be broken.