Fashion is often cyclical and at some point in our style journey we will start to say things like “I had a top just like that 25 years ago!”. Or, “those trousers are very similar to what I wore back in the ’90s”. Or, “that outfit makes me think of my style in the ’70s”. 

Some people, even some style gurus, say that if you wore a trend the first time round you shouldn’t wear it again when it comes back into fashion. 

I don’t understand this thinking. Why on earth would you not wear something again several years later if you still love the trend?

If you loved a trend way back when, if you like the new interpretation of the trend, and if you feel that it fits your style persona and body type, you certainly have my blessing. Why not? Obviously, if the repeated trend no longer maps back to your style persona or works with your body type, by all means pass on the trend. No one expects you to wear a trend that gives you bad flashbacks. But bring on the good flashbacks! 

As a somewhat nostalgic dresser, I find myself deliberately purchasing trends that I loved to wear back in the day. Just recently, I purchased a roomy white silky pullover in a thick loose gauge knit because it brought back the best memories of 1987. Only this time round I left off the shoulder pads. I purchased a citron blouse with shoulder pads three years ago because I loved wearing shoulder pads in the ’80s. I purchased a plaid shirt last year because I adored wearing them in the early ’90s. I’m all over flat oxfords, pointy toes, and white footwear because I’m an ’80s gal at heart, and that means wearing brights like neon and shocking pink too. 

These are just a few examples, but my wardrobe is full of them. I wear the same trends decades apart in new ways because it’s important to add a current element to your style. But you can bet your bottom dollar that I’ll be wearing trends I loved the second time round. I hope to wear them the third time round too. 

How do you feel about wearing trends the second time round? Yes, no or maybe?

I have been wearing my skirts and dresses more frequently this year, and was going to show you one of those outfits next. But Greg was not on board with this. He wanted to rather do one of the outfits I wore last week, which is one of his favourites and, he says, epitomizes my Spring style. Light, lots of white, modern, simple, relaxed and cozy. 

I am now, more than ever, besotted with white jeans. I have three pairs and wear them at least twice a week, which includes wearing them back in Winter. Most of my Spring and Summer tops and toppers look better with white jeans. More modern, fresh, clean and somehow prettier. And very bright, which is what attracts me to white items in the first place.

My absolutely favourite trend of the year is wearing white on white, which means wearing white or shades of white together in an outfit. I’ve always worn lots of white, but have amped things up in 2013. I love how shades of white look both sterile and soft, and both cool and warm. Shades of white are seasonless and make me feel feminine when I wear them. In my style world, white jeans, and shirts for that matter, possess magical powers and I’m completely under their spell.

None of the items in this outfit are new apart from the patterned pullover which I bought with a store credit at Club Monaco back in January. It’s been frequently worn over the last few months because it’s light in colour, warm, and with a slightly relaxed fit. Wearing relaxed fits, either a little roomy or very roomy, are one of THE most important ways to update your style. And I’m all for it. 

I still pattern mix my outfits, but not nearly as strongly as I did last year. I’m into creating a lower contrast between the patterned items in my outfit at the moment, just to change things up. Belts and footwear are still my favourite ways to pattern mix outfits, so I added a black and bone polka dot belt to the optic white jeans and off-white patterned pullover. It’s faux tucked above the belt because of the welt on the pullover — a look I like more for my style than the semi tuck. I added another pattern by wearing snakeskin booties. Although this outfit includes a bit of black and neon, it’s essentially white from head to toe.

Greg’s favourite part is the way the cream in the booties picks up the cream leather jacket and bookends the ensemble. This jacket is a five year old wardrobe workhorse, which I hope to have for at least another five years. Retro black specs, gold watch, wedding ring and citron daytime clutch finish off the look. I thought about wearing my white clutch to make the outfit even more white. But I can’t resist a little blinding neon on a grey Seattle day because it cheers me up. And that’s that. 

Wearing a virtually all white outfit while I’m on the go in the pouring rain makes me smile. Impractical for some, but feels so right for me. And as long as I don’t spill my tea, I don’t get that dirty. So this is precisely what I wore last Friday while out shopping downtown with a client on a typical wet Seattle Spring day. We were in and out of shops on the street, not a shopping mall, from 10 till 6 with umbrella in hand. We walked at a fast and purposeful pace and had a productive and fabulous time. My client got the white jeans bug that day and came home with two pairs! Go Team White Jeans.

Semi and faux tucking tops into jeans and trousers has revitalized belt sales. As a result, many of my “belt-phobic” clients are now wearing belts with the best of them. Skinny belts have virtually flooded the market, while wider belts are less popular at the moment. Personally, I prefer wider belts and wish there was a larger assortment in dressy styles. Perhaps next season. 

Below is a selection of both wide and skinny belts in neutrals and colours. Be sure to check all the colour options:

• Fossil Rivet Centerbar Belt: A skinny belt with polished bohemian hardware. It’s almost graphic.
• Kate Spade Reversible Printed Trouser Belt: I love patterned belts and this fresh floral screams happy warm weather. It’s fully reversible and made of leather. I’m pondering the pink. 
• Michael Kors 50MM Saffiano Belt: Rein in the volume of a blouse, thin sweater or dress with this retro ’80s style. 
• Michael Kors Logo To Pebble Belt Bag: I keep on wanting to get a belt bag, and this one looks like a little foldover clutch on a belt. So cute! It won’t be super comfortable or conventionally flattering, but it’s creative, fun, hands-free and quite the statement. I need to give this look a bash. 
• Fossil Shotbead Skinny Belt: A dainty sci-fi number with delicate edge beading. 
• Calvin Klein Buckle With Logo Embossed Belt: I frequently wear a white belt similar to this style because it makes my outfit feel crisp and modern. 
• Nike Perforated Golf Belt: The perforation is a nice nod to the sporty trend. 
• Bedstu Costello: And a studded black belt is a great basic for Team Stud.  

I prefer low rise jeans and trousers and therefore wear these belts on my hip bones. This often means sizing up a size on belts that are meant to be worn on the natural waist. 

The baseball cap is another nod to the developing sporty trend. In some instances it’s a fancy cap, made of leather or wool with studs and hardware. Or it’s nothing but mega casual canvas, cotton twill or denim. 

Baseball caps are no longer a fashion faux pas when worn in an intentionally fashion forward manner. That means with trendy, dressy pieces, luxurious fabrications or tailored items. At least one item in the outfit needs to be dressy, even if it’s just the shoes. It’s also got to be the right baseball cap, which means no sports slogans or the like. A fairly haute baseball cap, for lack of a better description. 

The photos below from retailers are not the best representation of how baseball caps are being worn in fashionable ways. So I’ve put together a pinboard of head to toe street style looks that show baseball caps in stylish action. Do look at the outfits on the pinboard before you formulate an opinion on the trend. 

I like the trend because it’s playful and fun. It’s yet another example of an irregular juxtaposition of different items in one outfit, which is all the rage at the moment. The baseball cap successfully dresses down a look and adds a casual element. Unexpected, witty, and eye-catching. 

To my eye, you need at least shoulder length hair sticking out from under the cap to feminize the trendy baseball cap. Long hair also adds an extra textural dimension to the overall look. I don’t see it working as well on someone with short hair, which is often the case with hats. 

Although I have embraced elements of the sporty trend with passion — like wedged Converse, a bomber jacket and sporty clutch handbags — I won’t be wearing this one. I don’t have the hairstyle to pull off the look and the item doesn’t gel with my style persona. That said, I do like the outfits on my pinboard because these ladies have created attractive and interesting outfits that are just cute with a capital C. 

What’s your verdict on trendy baseball caps?