All of us here have experienced it at one time or another: “I like my outfit, but something is missing”. You don’t know what it is, but you know that it takes an extra touch to make your outfit feel complete. And yes, we often reach for a change of bag, add a few accessories or resort to that long list of styling tricks we’ve read about. The wrong shoe theory, the touch of red, the ⅔ rule…there are endless tips that are meant to help us feel put-together, and TikTok has introduced just us to one more: the 7-point rule.
So what exactly is the 7-point rule? It tells us that to achieve a harmonious look, your outfits should add up to between seven and ten points. Now, unlike what you may think, it’s not about the number of garments that make up a styling. But then, how do you get that score? Well, for starters, each garment or accessory is assigned 1 or 2 points:
- Each staple garment, such as a blouse, trousers or shoes, counts as 1 point.
- If it is a piece of clothing that has a point of interest in the form of a texture, print or an eye-catching design, it is worth 2 points.
In other words, the thing is to find the balance between simple and special garments in our closet to create a style that does not go unnoticed but that does not border into fashion victim territory.
If this sounds a little abstract, we’ve got you. Let’s take these two examples from Parisian street style. At first glance, the looks feel similar: trousers, a T-shirt and a blazer. However, they are not the same.
Look #1
Although the 7-point rule is followed, most of the garments only consist of 1 point – the jeans, the trainers, the blazer, the T-shirt, the glasses – but all of them keep that classic look that result in 5 points. Rounding it out with that cow print bag adds up to the remaining 2 points.
Look #2
This look proves that going a little overboard is not a bad thing. The jacket, shirt and simple trousers and plain colours bring us the first 3 points, but her studded ankle boots, the bag in contrasting colour and flower brooches, each of these pieces with their two corresponding points result in 9 total points. The balance between three basic pieces and three special pieces makes the styling work perfectly.