New York Fashion Week: 10 Designers Spill Their Style Rules That Should Never Be Broken [PHOTOS]

No white after Labor Day? Never mix navy with black? Always match your shoes with your handbag?

Fashion rules, especially ones you learned from your grandmother, were meant to be broken. But that doesn’t mean that every fashion felony should go unpunished, even if Fashion Week has already moved across the pond.

During the Spring 2014 season of New York Fashion Week, International Business Times consulted fashion’s finest designers -- from the ultimate personal-style guru Stacey Bendet of Alice+Olivia to Ken Kaufman and Isaac Franco of glamazon go-to brand KAUFMANFRANCO -- and they spilled their secret style tips.

We picked up 10 lessons at New York Fashion Week when we directly asked the experts to name one fashion rule that should never be broken and the most important thing to keep in mind as a woman getting dressed.

Some rules, according to these sartorial authorities, are just not meant to be broken.

“Be simple. Be cool.” -Max Azria, BCBGMAXAZRIA and Hervé Léger (Spring 2014 show coverage)

“You do not go to a party in a flat shoe.” -Stacey Bendet, Alice+Olivia (Spring 2014 show coverage)

“Never overwhelm an outfit with too many busy things. Pick one or two items to build your outfit around and stick to that.” -Rebecca Minkoff

“Always stick to your own sensibility and your own personal sense of style. I think that's really important. Everyone has their own sense of style. I think it's something from within. You just know.” -Jill Stuart (Spring 2014 show coverage)

“Check yourself out from the back, too.” -Ken Kaufman, KAUFMANFRANCO (Spring 2014 show coverage)

“Tailor the clothing and really make it work for you. Don’t just put it on and think it’s perfect, because it’s usually not.” -Isaac Franco, KAUFMANFRANCO

“Don’t just follow a trend blindly. You have to be confident enough to wear things that fit your body type and your personality. Never be a fashion victim.” -Zang Toi (Spring 2014 show coverage)

“I think [every woman] should always be true to herself. Only put on something that she feels great about. She looks in the mirror and she knows herself and she's willing to play but staying within her comfort zone so she can always feel confident. Clothing, for me, is about empowering a woman.” -Joanna Mastroianni (Spring 2014 show coverage)

“To over-think her outfit.” -Steven Alan

“Balance. Never break balance. If you overdo it, it's obvious. If you're under-doing it, you're not really having fun.” -Chris Cox, Nautica (Spring 2014 show coverage)