Fads are a thing of the past. Styles still go in and out of fashion, but the changes are much less extreme than they used to be. There are definite trends, but these days there are very few styles that are completely off-trend. Fashion is much more inclusive. You can pick and choose where you want to be trendy, and where you don’t.

What does change is the availability of certain styles in stores. Retailers will focus on the most trendy silhouettes. So while you might feel fine wearing a style that is less than trendy, you might struggle to find it at retail.

Which brings me to my point:

Stock up on sartorial favourites when they’re on trend and wear the heck out of them.

Unless you’re a fortunate thrifter or can track down the items on eBay, you can only purchase a sartorial favourite when it’s on trend and available in stores. That’s precisely when you need to snap them up, before they disappear for the next, or several, fashion cycles.

For example, stable and comfortable low block heels are currently on trend which is just what the doctor ordered for my feet and lifestyle. It’s been decades since they were last in fashion and therefore quite the HEWI (Highly Elusive Wardrobe Item.) I’ve been stocking up for the last few years and will continue to do so. 

For you it might be a hard-to-find colour, silhouette of top, style of denim, length of rise, length of top, type of fit or type of pant. There’s no need to worry about the item dating too quickly because as I mentioned up top, items have much more fashionable longevity these days.