Fall Fashion season is here!  As the most beloved of fashion seasons, it’s one that women long for. Like the long-awaited PSL, women clamor to pull out their fall clothing at the first sign of a chill in the air.

Now, I am not a stylist that is super trend-driven. In fact, I’m quite the opposite. I believe that women should only add one or two pieces that are trendy to their closet each season. You may wonder why. My belief is that your closet should be very well-rounded with pieces that can last in your closet for years. With most trends, they become dated quickly. This means that your style becomes dated.

So, is it as simple as avoiding all Trends?  If only. Understanding and incorporating a few trends is important to you having a style that feels current. There is an art to determining which ones you should add to your closet and which ones you should pass on.

Here are a few quick tips to get you started:

First, what is your lifestyle like?  A major trend right now is Corp Core. This aesthetic is one that takes those more traditionally formal pieces that are reserved for the office and wearing them for the everyday. Here’s the thing, though: if you are a WFH Mom of littles, this likely wouldn’t be a trend you would want to embrace. However, if you are an Entrepreneur who often is meeting with clients or taking the office to the coffeeshop, this would be a great trend to consider.
Lifestyle always, always, always trumps everything else when it comes to your style. ALWAYS.
Second, what is your style personality? Do you love getting dressed up or showing off your curves? Does a blazer and a button-up blouse make you feel put-together and ready to take on your day?  Do you absolutely have to wear knit bottoms because denim is just too uncomfortable? The styles that you love will help dictate which trends you should add to your closet. When you see an item that is trend-forward in-store, do you SWOON over the thought of wearing it and maybe, just maybe, begin imagining where you will wear the piece of clothing?  If a trend fits your style aesthetic, then by all means, go for it.

Third, not only are trends based upon silhouettes and styles, they can also be about COLOR. Color can make a statement very quickly because color has its own unique personality. Color sends subliminal messages and can convey a mood. For instance, when you wear blue, you appear trustworthy. When you wear purple, you come across as mysterious. Every color has an emotion and a feeling.

Even deeper than this, however, is that the colors you wear should harmonize with YOU and YOUR personal coloring. If you wear certain colors that are natural to your own color characteristics, you appear more approachable. If you are a low contrast person and wear a high contrast color combination, you may come across as abrasive and it will take energy away from you. Knowing your colors is a powerful way to know which color trends you should lean into or away from.

Next, knowing if you should invest in a trend has much to do with the longevity of the trend. Do you remember Patchwork jeans? They look like this:

The Patchwork jean was a trend found on a style of denim. So, while this particular style of jeans is not dated, the Patchwork piece is. Since this was a pretty loud trend, it had a shorter longevity. So, if it was a trend that spoke to you at the time (I had some of these jeans!), it would be good to know that is would be short-lived, so you understand you may not want to spend a lot of money on it. By the way, if you still have these jeans in your closet, for the love … please get rid of them!

You should feel free to invest in a trend that will be long-lasting and spend less on one you love that will not be.

Finally, the last thing that I want you to consider as you think about adding a trend-forward piece into your closet is this: does it go with MULTIPLE pieces that you already have in your closet or are you going to need to buy even more things so that you can find a way to wear it?  That’s a really good measure if the trend will be one that you should spend your hard-earned money on.

Fall Fashion, we’re coming for you….

Does the image above resonate with you?  Do you love it? Does it feel like the perfect Pre-Fall look? The one you would love to pull out just as those temperatures drop?

If so, I hate to tell you, but that is a dated Fall outfit.

I am recording a Fall Fashion Forecast THIS WEEK where I will share all about the Trends that are current for Fall 2024. I will also help you understand which of the trends are worth an investment versus being a flash-in-the-pan trend, what style personalities the trends are for, and the styles that are currently dated and what you could wear instead. My goal is to keep you looking fantastic this Fall season!  The Masterclass is ONLY $25 and you can watch it on your own time (starting this weekend)!! Grab this limited-time Fall Fashion Masterclass recording here!

In Style,

Michelle