Trends: What to Avoid and How to Work Them Into Your Wardrobe

Fashion trends are fun. They're new and different and when we're wearing them, somehow make us feel like we're part of the elite fashion crowd, even if only to ourselves. But the key to building a long-lasting and polished wardrobe that will stand the test of time, guarantee you look stylish for decades, and keep your money safely in the bank, is to not fall for every passing fashion trend. Just because you have the "it bag" does not necessarily make you stylish, even if it may feel quite the opposite.



Too many trends at once ~ Image c/o Asos

Fast fashion is another option that makes it easy for us to spend our savings on feeling fashionable but is it always worth it? Splurging even to buy knockoffs of your coveted brands just to feel "in style" can get expensive too, not to mention wasteful.

The best way to incorporate new trends is to do it sparingly but purposefully. Here are ten tips to keep you looking stylish and modern without falling for every trend that pops up.

• Choose quality over quantity.
• Find out what the Pantone color is of the season {see Fall 2012 Pantone colors here} and find a few accessories in the shade to add to your outfits.
• Opt for vintage! Fashion trends, as with most things in this world come and go in phases and patterns so you know what you're looking for, you're likely to find a vintage version of it at a fraction of the price at your local thrift shop which is also better for the environment, especially if you can wash it at home and hang it to dry.
• DIY it! Many items these days are fairly simple to recreate. Flip through online and print magazines for a feel of what's buzzing and go thrift shopping for your own unique version of it.
• Remember that personal style is always trendy. Be consistently fabulous!
• Dress for your body shape. Always find a way to flaunt your assets and disguise your flaws. No matter how trendy an item is, if it doesn't work with your body shape, then it won't make you feel good anyway.
• Style is not based on trends. It's based on your individuality, how you incorporate and use what's trending in your own way, so get creative and use what may already be in your closet to create something new.
• Just because looking like a stripper is trendy doesn't mean you should dress like one. It's one thing if you're twenty and heading to a club, but otherwise, save it for Halloween where everyone dresses like a stripper ;) * Many new trends are geared for a younger demographic. A good rule to follow is if you wore them the first time around, you may want to avoid them this time. Especially if it's super short, cut off denim shorts. However, finding a similar item or style or accessory even to incorporate with your wardrobe will be what makes your outfit feel fresh and even in style.
• Accessories are really the easiest way to incorporate current trends into your wardrobe without becoming a fashion victim.
• Before you're sure if this newest trend is a fad or forever item, buy a less expensive version of it to make sure it will not only look good on your body but also, stand the test of time.

I have been "collecting" my wardrobe since my late teens and now that I'm in my late thirties and still wearing items I bought 15 years ago, makes me feel more "stylish" than any new trend that appears on the runways. With a collection mentality I also am able to splurge on items I know I'll use twenty years down the line and save on items I know I won't. It also means my closet is full of special items that can be mixed and matched and reworn in new and different ways to create modern looks that still are identified with my very own style and that, I love.

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