by Kimberley Heit

Created on: November 06, 2008   Last Updated: December 27, 2008

A "fashion victim" is a person who follows trends with blind disregard for what suits them as an individual. We have all been there, we've bought something because it was the "it" purchase only to find out that it didn't do us any justice. Luckily for us ordinary folk, we don't usually end up as fashion fodder for the tabloids. However, with reality shows like "What not to wear" and "Tim Gunn's Guide to Style" there is an increasing number of everyday fashion victims cast into the spotlight.

Today it can be difficult to work out what to wear, there's no strict dress code like in the 1800s when everyone wore the same style of dress. Fashion trends come and go rapidly in the new millennium, making it decidedly difficult to know the boundary between being a slave to fashion and a fashionable dresser. However, there are some quite clear do's and don'ts that can help make sure you don't end up getting a visit from he fashion police.

*Do dress to flatter your body type

You should only ever wear clothing that draws attention to your best assets in a flattering manner. For example, the emo trend has made wearing stovepipe jeans very popular. If you have a curvy set of hips then adopting this look would be letting a trend wear you in an unflattering manner.

*Don't change your entire look each season.

New clothing hits the stores every week. Filling your world with interesting and new things is not necessarily a bad thing, but trying to constantly keep up with fashion trends can be. If you are going into debt to own all the latest fashions, you are definitely a fashion victim. Instead the basis of your wardrobe should be several classically styled pieces that stay in fashion for many years. Take Style icons like Audrey Hepburn and Jackie O, we can look back on there wardrobe even today and find many of their outfits still look modern and wearable. This is because they chose simple understated fashion pieces.

*Do inject a touch of newness into your look regularly

Buying one set of clothes for the next two decades probably isn't the way to go either. Your wardrobe does still benefit from fresh updates. Keep an eye on the trends and follow the ones that suit you in a minor way. For example, if leopard print is all the range a cute leopard clutch bag would hint at the trend whereas a leopard print dress would scream it.

*Don't wear clothing that doesn't fit you well

No one looks good in clothing that is to big or too small. Mary Kate Olsen has been criticized for wearing baggy clothes

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