The Shopping Rule Southern Women Have Been Following for Years

As a Southerner myself, I can confirm that women from this part of the country inherently appreciate a good rule in life, including always sending a handwritten thank-you note and referring to elders as ma'am and sir. But the rules don't stop at just etiquette. There are shopping rules too, which have undoubtedly affected Southern style over the years. I've lived in and visited different parts of the country over the years but have yet to encounter another region in which the sartorial aesthetic is so distinct. So what's the number one shopping rule that plays a hand in a Southern woman's look?

To find out, I consulted Stacy Smallwood, owner of Charleston, South Carolina, mainstay (and one of the best boutiques in the South), Hampden Clothing. Smallwood said, "While white boots are definitely on the top of the editors' trend lists, Southern women tend to stick to the rules their mother taught them. You can't wear white before Labor Day, and you should not wear a trend again if you were wearing it during the original decade." She added, "At Hampden, we work on helping women discover their own style, their own fashion voice, and that often involves breaking many of their mothers' style rules."

Southern women like what they like and, in general, aren't incredibly open to experimentation when it comes to their look. While there's certainly nothing wrong with that, below are a few "rule-breaking" pieces that are still within a Southerner's comfort zone.

Next up, the 20 most searched-for fashion items across the world.