Hi everyone, just in light of my new uniform post yesterday as well as some of the discussions around trends, I've been thinking about my personal process for integrating new trends into my personal style.

To pre-empt any misunderstanding, this is my personal observation of what works for me. I am decidedly *not* saying anyone else should be doing this (or anything for that matter).

• I think some people love adopting lots of new trends and staying uber-current and to me that's inspiring and an opportunity to learn and stay up-to-date in my own style.
• Some people have no interest in trends and that reminds me to stay true to my personal style when a trend doesn't work for me.
• Most people I suspect are somewhere along the spectrum in the middle, and that's what makes style AND fashion interesting and diverse and personal.
• So it's all good!

For my part, I like to incorporate a little bit of what I would call "current-ness" into my style, and I feel a little off when I don't. But it can be super-subtle and only needs to meet my own standards, or perhaps those of a few trusted advisors but that's it (no pleasing everyone anyhow!). And it needs to fit into my personal style, or evolve it in a way that feels authentic to me.

An example - lately I've been working on adopting the newer, wider pants silhouettes into my style, after years of devotion to skinnies. Here is what I've observed about my personal process:

• I am a late adopter. In the case of wide pants, they have gone mainstream in my area/context this fall, and I started playing with wider silhouettes last winter (dipped a toe) and spring, so I was a *little* ahead of the curve in my context, but only a little. This works for me because as a classic dresser I need at least a little proof-of-concept before I try something. I'm not very experimental! Incidentally, I was the same when skinnies first hit the mainstream.
• One thing at a time. I will not be trying super-oversized sweaters, for example, while I play around with baggy or wide pants, at least not right off the bat. In fact I will be leaning hard into my FFB items, such as slim and simple black tops. I mentioned in my OOTD yesterday that I was feeling a really minimal vibe, and I suspect that's because the new pants silhouette is more than enough action for me to contend with at the moment!
• If at first I don't succeed ... don't be so hard on myself or get frustrated. New learning for me! With adopting a new silhouette I might strike out a few times. That's got to be part of the process, so I may as well just accept it and enjoy it! Showing some examples - tucking vs. not, rolling vs. not, dipping a toe into a *slightly* more voluminous top (e.g. lantern sleeves) vs. a slim tee, etc.
• Trust my intuition. Another new one, and the most important to me. At some point I'll hit a refreshed silhouette that feels right to me. Then I'll be whole hog with it - until the silhouette undergoes another sea change in another 10 years time!

Love to hear your musings on your process, if it's of interest! xx

1. Love the wide crops but the tuck is NOT good for my short waist.
2. Untucked but folded under so it's not too long - MUCH better.
3. Thought these straight darker jeans would be a slam dunk but they are my least favourite attempt at the non-skinny look - these might be jean shorts next season ... for some reason they look rather stumpy. Maybe better with a column of dark neutral rather than contrast.
4. Slim cigarette leg - a good transition from strict skinnies, and a safe base if I get the urge to try a trending above-the-waist silhouette like oversized jackets or sweaters.
5. Still bring the skinnies out when I feel like it. Gen Z be damned!!
6. Yesterday's OOTD. This feels like me.
7. Playing with baggy jeans. Rolling them reigns in some of the volume, which feels more comfortable to me.
8. Untucked and full length (I did hack them).
9. Adding a *touch* of volumne on top, with the slim lantern sleeve (a bit puffier looking irl). Getting braver!