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Outfits Ensembles Trends Advice

trends, mistakes, etc.

always trying

Veteran

since I have been on this board about a year now, I am learning more about when and what to buy as far as trends go. Am thinking of mistakes prior, and knowing now I will not repeat them, and why. I think all of us know immediately when seeing some new trend that it is love, hate, or hum maybe. It is the ones that immediately say " yeh' that I need to slow down and wait, and analyze how it fits "me" that I am now going to do. Past mistakes include knee high boots a few years back, the white loafers this spring, faux leather moto, and two of those long in back short in front drapy cardis.

1. The knee high boots I bought because everyone was wearing them,but seldom wore mine as I do not really like high boots.

2. although the white loafers are comfy I seldom wear them and I thought I would wear them more, but they somehow just don't work well for me.

3. The faux leather moto I bought because of seeing so many on this board, so I thought I needed one. I am just not loving it, but it does have a place in the wardrobe.

4. Bought the cardis because "everyone was wearing them" they are both purged now. I do however have a peach one that I like enough not to purge yet.

Biggest thing I have learned since being on here is I do not care what "everyone is wearing" and it is fun to be a bit different. It has been a loooong time since I was in high school where we all had to look alike, and in my old age I like having my own style, and wearing things like my Birk look alikes that are not trending in my area.

General

26 replies

Latest reply was from Aida

Thistle

Veteran

The one trend I followed was the peplum top trend. Kari looked so fab in hers, but I always felt way too self concious in the one I bought. I wore it out on date night, and it hasn't seen much wear since!

Gracie

Veteran

One trend I abandoned after a season was bright skinnies/skirts. I bought three skinnies (teal, coral, cobalt), two skirts (red! yellow!), wore for a season and didn't feel like "me." My bottom half felt too loud. All purged, except a pair of cobalt skinnies that for some reason I'm ok with.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Gracie, that is so funny! I was the same, only I didn't last as long with the coloured pants as you did! I sent mine away after a mere try-on session. I do, however, like a bright skirt that I own. Go figure.

I figure I need to make some mistakes in order to figure out what really works for me. And some trends are not "mistakes" for me so much as one-season loves. That's okay, too...not everything has to be forever.

Suja

Veteran

Hmm.. I can't think of any trends that I jumped on that didn't work out. Probably because I am new to trying trends. There are a few that I have to work harder at incorporating and I'm not sure if I will be successful. Mine are denim vests, moto jackets and sandals. I went for these items because they are slightly outside my comfort zone so I am okay with having to work a little harder to incorporate them. It's part of the fun IMO.

deb

Veteran

I bought the military style jacket last year at NAS and I put it on but it just does not feel like me. I get compliments but there is something about it and I cannot put my finger on it. I will try again this f/w and if it just sits there it will go to a home to be better loved.

rachylou

Veteran

I should probably stop buying things in olive green. I blow hot and cold when it comes to olive green.

Susie

Veteran

I have to be more careful with the trends to which my immediate reaction is 'not for me.' I feel like I should be willing to try something new and maybe my eye just needs to adjust, etc but I do better if I listen to my visceral reactions to trends.

Good examples are recent shoe trends- like Birkies and white loafers. My immediate reaction was 'I've never liked Birkenstocks' and 'white loafers are for old guys in Florida.' But I tried both of them and tried to convince myself that I should wear them because they are now in style. But I listened to my initial reaction and passed on both of them. And I'm happy that I did because I know they would have become one of those 'what was I thinking?' items and I probably would have purged them after a couple of wears. I can appreciate these styles on others but I know that they are not really for me.

greenglove

(website)

Veteran

Bright colors,
With the exception of all reds, I cannot seem to do a bright color that doesn't end up purged.
Also, black and white prints- never do they work.
Bright white anything.
Pointy toe shoes, love them but had to get rid of them because of foot issues.

Ledonna N.

Veteran

Pencil skirts for me. So many compliments I get on my figure and wearing them but I HATE them.

shedev

Veteran

All the stuff I buy because it's in style ends up orphaned, then purged. I try to buy for my persona instead of trend.

I've been fairly good at resisting trends that don't work for me. I was looking for a blush top, but lost interest after a while. I decided to pass on the birks trend and found the much better suited to be softwalks.

My issue is lemmingness. When I first joined YLF, I bought the Doc Saras. I rarely have need for a heeled oxford, but I really do like them. It did teach me to really think through these purchases. I bought and returned the SE pythons that so many here were rocking. They were a little too brown for my cool colored wardrobe. Lately, my lemmingness is out of control. Flora mortis top, Miramar sweats, and soon to be Villous jacket. Deciding on the color.

Windchime

Veteran

Like Suja, I'm new enough to buying trends that I hopefully haven't made too many mistakes...yet. I did buy a hi-low hemline pullover from Gap which I'm not sure looks good. My experience is more the opposite--I'm exploring new-to-me styles and trends and finding out some of them look and feel great on me!

Anonymous

I can't think of a trend I tried and didn't like. In fact I often wish I'd jumped on the trend sooner. High-low tops? I hope that they have a long run because they are fab for hiding midriff bulges with their diagonal lines.
I'm not crazy about the pointy toe trend because it's harder to find comfortable footwear, but it is great to have a change. The trend that has not worked all that well for me is leggings. I would only wear them under long tunics or short dresses but then have problems getting the proportions right.

kerry

Veteran

I make tons of buying mistakes but I'm not sure they're always trend related. I guess I should start doing K/Rs here but the lighting at my full-length mirror is awful.

Sal

Veteran

I think we all make mistakes....I makes less than I used to but they still happen.
My two most recent
- long maxi dress ordered online from ASOS in the UK. Very poor quality jersey so it became indecent. Went to the charity shop as I could not be bothered the hassle returning to the UK (lesson here is to be very cautious when ordering online internationally!)
- a hi-lo dress/tunic that I bought locally. Loved the print of a vibrant flower on the front but it did NOTHING for my shape hitting my legs at the wrong point, the neckine was not high enough nor low enough to be flattering, and it made me look larger than I am. I felt under pressure after trying lots of things on by a very helpful shop assistant...I wanted to buy something to help her out (lesson here is NOT to be a people pleaser).
While it is fun to try trends and I do believe in adapting your look it is also good to know when to say no.......

Barbara

Veteran

I think that trial and error is an acceptable approach to fashion! Just last week I bought a pintucked top that I absolutely LOVED in the store, but once I got it home wasn't quite sure. I kept the tags on, held on to the receipt and gave it a rest in my closet for a couple of days. I returned it today, actually. I am very cautious about purchasing trendy fashions and accessories!

Aida

Veteran

The trial and error (well, when we can limit the error) is quite useful in helping us both to hone our styles and to push our styles All the trends you tried, you learned something about your style preferences from. That said, I will comment that for the tall boots, if you like the style you have it may be worth holding onto for a little bit; tall boots are currently a wee bit less favored than ankle boots and booties, but they'll swing around with more prominence again. If you have wet weather they can be a very practical option, or at the least a good change-of-pace option to shorter boots. Of course, you know yourself best! I am curious about the white loafers, though. Your listed style preferences seem like they'd jive nicely with them. What were you finding you didn't like about them?

always trying

Veteran

Aida-I think I just don't like the feel of tall boots, but since I have only the 1 nice pair I am keeping them at least thru the next winter season. Maybe I should have given the white footwear more thought. I had white sandals for a few years and only wore them with my white linen skirt. since it got worn only one or two times a summer, the sandals did not get enough wear. I think I really only like white footwear with white bottoms, and even though I have 2 pairs of white jeans and wear them a lot, I seem to be liking them better with either my nude wedge sandals or the gladiator flat ones so not wearing the white loafers. It is just this current year the nude shoes feel more fashionable to me than the white loafers. I also bought navy loafers and they fit in with my wardrobe better than the white ones.

Gigi

Veteran

I haven't tried too many trends, mostly because I can't find trendy clothes that fit properly. I have to shop petites', and the clothes in petites' are generally pretty classic. I tried to find something in blush but couldn't; I tried to find a high-low top but couldn't; same goes for asymmetrical hems. But looking for these items kind of burned out the trends for me anyway, ha ha. Right now, I am not as attracted to blush or to high-low hems. Those may have been passing fancies. I wouldn't mind an asymmetric hem, though. I am focusing on just developing my own personal style regardless of trends.

I will say that I did buy a few crop tops, and I am enjoying them. That is certainly a trend! But I had wanted crop tops even last summer, and I couldn't find any. So for me, that was something that I was already looking to add to my style.

Karina

Oddly enough I started getting the courage to try more trends during my third pregnancy and then losing that weight. Knowing that I would have to replace the clothing in not too long I was finally able to stop thinking of "timeless." Now that my body size is stable I try to incorporate trends in areas that will need frequent replacement, like the silhouette of a white shirt or an oft-worn shoe style. Alternatively, I will choose a more trendy color in a style that I love and wear often, such as a pencil skirt, clutch or scuba jacket.

M.J.

Member

We all make fashion blunders, I think that is how we grow.

I remember buying a top with ruffles....they always seduced me in the stores as I thought they looked so romantic. While that is just not me! I learned this lesson a long time ago as the "ruffles" just looked pretty in the closet but I never wore the top.
So lesson learned it got passed along; and I may still admire them off and on in the stores, but they won't be coming home with me.

fuzzylogic

Veteran

Yay, AT! Embrace your own style!!
'Mistakes' are just part of experimentation, and we all experiment! I bought an asymmetric, printed top over summer that I still haven't styled to satisfaction....l
Enjoy the discovery!

crutcher

Veteran

I bought a mustard yellow winter coat because "everyone else did"...I have never liked or enjoyed this sweet little coat and am happy going back to my neutrals...Aren't we humans wonderful?...

April

Veteran

Oh, yes -- when I first came to the forum (more than five years ago), I made a ton of mistakes, mainly based on things I admired on others and didn't realize wouldn't work well for me. Bright colors. Cute trends. Lemming purchases made because someone else had talked about what a workhorse an item was for them.

Now I'm slower to adopt, know myself a little better, and make fewer mistakes. I pay attention when something isn't working for me, trying to identify the exact problem (this makes me feel matronly, sloppy, clownlike, little-girlish, whatever) so I can avoid repeating the same errors.

annanza

My budget does not allow for too much trial and error. However the high-low thing lured me in- I had to have it. And then had to purge it. Showcasing one's knees and little else turned out to be a fail. For me.

DonnaF

Veteran

It seems like it's quite a delicate balance between having a signature style/being in a style rut and pushing one's own style envelope/buying an unworn item. Being on trend has never been a priority for me, but through YLF I am at least growing aware of what the trends are!

A couple years ago, I bought a clutch to try out (F21). Well, it looked rather cheap and I never used it so gave it to DD. Then I finally figured out that part of the problem is that with my hands' limited mobility, envelopes are almost impossible to hold tightly, and (ding, ding, ding!) a baguette shape makes much more sense. So now I have a gorgeous blue leather clutch that is fat enough for me to grab, and I have my eyes on another brand that makes clutches that look like rolled magazines.

And always trying, High Five on the tall boot thing!!! I thought I was the only one who doesn't like/doesn't wear tall boots!

Aida

Veteran

All that makes perfect sense to me, AT! Very valuable insight