There are lots of fashion rules out there, but none say you can't wear your skirt backward.
And who better to prove my point than Taylor Swift, street-style icon and music superstar?
While out with Travis Kelce on Sunday night, Swift showed the fun side of her fall wardrobe with a mesh top from Jean Paul Gaultier, a strapless Balenciaga corset underneath, and a leather miniskirt from Khaite.
It was the last piece that caught the attention of Sarah Kucharski, a superfan and fashion blogger who tracks Swift's outfits and shares their details to more than 188,000 followers on Instagram.
In a post on Monday, Kucharski pointed out that Swift seemingly wore the $2,100 garment — which, based on the promotional photos, is clearly meant to have a zipper in the front — backward.
Naturally, many Swifties took this styling choice as a clue. Could Swift be using her skirt as an Easter egg for an upcoming musical project? Possibly.
Others suggested that Swift just likes to wear clothes incorrectly. After all, she has a history of doing just that.
She once styled a turtleneck top backward for a "Midnights" photo shoot; she wore a dress incorrectly in the "Style" music video; and she's flipped various blouses for New York City outings.
Swift has actually worn things backward so many times that her fashion mishaps have become somewhat of an inside joke between the musician and her fans.
She even released a "Reputation"-themed version of one of the tops she wore incorrectly as official merchandise in 2017.
But in this particular case, I don't think Swift's reason for wearing the Khaite miniskirt backward — if there was one — matters all that much.
All I can think about instead is how perfect the piece looks with this outfit when worn incorrectly.
The centerpiece of Swift's fall-ready outfit is her mesh top. It's entirely see-through but also embellished with vibrant green lines and a purple floral pattern. The colorful print is bold and fun enough to catch your eye, but not so strong that you feel overwhelmed when looking at it.
And that's where the skirt comes in. Wearing it backward, in this case, is genius. The unique lines of the garment draw your attention to the shirt, and its solid leather texture keeps the outfit chic.
If there had been a long silver zipper down the middle like intended, this specific outfit could have looked overwhelming and a little outdated.
It's clear Swift has also mastered the art of confidence — both in her styling and otherwise.
Historically, she's won 12 Grammys and dozens of other awards. She's broken various touring records and boosted the US economy on multiple occasions.
And this week alone, Swift broke a box-office record for ticket sales of a concert film and reached 21 billion yearly Spotify streams, the record for any artist in the platform's history.
So even if Swift had worn the piece the wrong way by accident, why wouldn't she confidently step out onto a paparazzi-swarmed street with a backward skirt on her hips and a smile on her face?
If I were her, I know I would.
