New Fashion Trends: Friend or Foe?

How do you first look at new trends for a season? Do you immediately turn your head to the side, perhaps close one eye, and purse your lips? Are you of the camp that looks at new trends and thinks, “Hell, yeah, I could totally rock that look!” I’m guessing that many of us may view new trends with a sheepish appreciation, and have mounts of trepidation on the notion of trying to “pull off” a new look. My real question is, Do we limit ourselves even before we try to imagine how we could wear new trends? I wonder how many of us look at what’s trending this spring and think, “I can’t wear those colors; I can’t wear that style!”

I was having lunch with a friend and chatting about how lavender is the “it” color for spring. She lamented how she had a lavender winter coat in grade school that she loved…and how she still loved that color. Promptly after taking me skipping down memory lane with her, she shocked me back to her now reality- that she ‘can’t wear lavender; it washes her out’. From a stylist perspective, I believe if you love something, figure out a way to wear it if it makes you feel beautiful. In my friend’s case, she didn’t feel beautiful in lavender because she felt it washed her out. However, I explained to her that while she may feel “washed out” in lavender, it is well within possibility to wear lavender pants, skirt or shoes since she loved the color. This thought hadn’t crossed her mind. My assumption is that it’s easier to deny oneself the opportunity to try something new, because it takes effort to think through the “how” of wearing new trends. I fully realize that models make new trends look very effortless- that is their job. Your job is to at least try new things out and have fun with your wardrobe. We all have a variation of one (or more) of the 5 main body types that we try to work with to achieve a balanced silhouette. How have you decided to wear this seasons new trends? What inspired you?