Dos and don'ts, in and out, hot or not...No matter the nomenclature, the way we talk about fashion trends has long been defined by binaries. These opposing categories send a very clear, BS-filled message: Some things are okay to wear; others are very much not. Never mind that these "rules" are constantly in flux, often flip-flopping the same look between cool and uncool from one season to the next. We've already decided that they're bogus, but some have stuck with us, often because of how seemingly arbitrary they are. No white after Labor Day, anyone?

We asked a slew of industry tastemakers to discuss the unsolicited advice they've been given over the years — and how they eschewed absurd style mandates. Ahead, 24 creators we look up to— including Rebecca Minkoff, Norma Kamali, Rachel Antonoff, Denise Bidot, and Kate Foley — each share that one fashion-related "rule" that they realized was, well, crap. (Spoiler alert: "You do you" stands the test of time.)

September is typically a time when fashion publications definitively tell you what’s in, and what’s out. Fuck that. We’re dedicating the next couple of weeks to celebrate all the iconoclasts, independent thinkers, and individuals with unique personal styles who’d rather say Fuck The Fashion Rules than follow them.