FashBlog.com

How would you describe your taste in clothing? Do you prefer to stock up on timeless pieces in neutral colors that will never go out of style? Or are you the person that all your friends look to for clothing ideas because you have an assortment of items that reflect all the latest fashion trends? Maybe you have struck a nice balance and have a wardrobe that presents a little bit of both worlds. As for me, I'm sure you've heard the phrase "a day late and a dollar short" before, right? Well, that pretty much sums up my personal relationship with clothes and fashion trends.

I have never been the kind of person who can look at an outfit in a store or a magazine and say, "Wow, this is going to be the hottest trend of the season!" I just don't have an eye for things like that. When I see the new collections that come out every year, I usually wonder who would ever wear those things. Because of my conservative nature, I can't envision making drastic wardrobe changes very often. In fact, I have been dressing in pretty much the same way since my junior year of high school. I still shop at the same stores now that I did back then (mainly the Gap and J. Crew), and I still buy the same classic styles. What's really funny is that in my yearbook picture from junior year, I am wearing a white polo-style shirt, and today, nearly 15 years later, I am wearing a white polo-style shirt! It's not the exact same one, of course, but you get the point. Obviously, I am not what you would call a trend-setter!

It usually takes me a few years to warm to certain new styles and trends. One example of this that I can clearly remember was the whole Doc Martens shoe and boot craze from the late '80s and early '90s. The craze swept my high school during that time, and it seemed that everyone who was "cool" had a pair of Doc Martens. I couldn't understand the fuss. I thought the shoes were kind of ugly with their thick rubber soles and the yellow stitching around the edges. I continued wearing my non-descript loafers and flats, and waited patiently for Doc Martens to go the way of the old British Knights athletic shoes. But Doc's hung around for quite a while, so I finally gave in and ended up buying a pair almost 5 years after they first appeared on the scene at my school.

I guess there is a positive aspect to being so conservative when it comes to clothes: I end up saving a lot of money in the long run. People who buy all the latest styles will eventually have to replace a significant portion of their wardrobe as trends change. For example, women's pants and jeans with flare legs have made a comeback in recent years. It's actually pretty hard to find a nice pair of pants that aren't flared these days. But you've got to think that eventually straight-legs will once again dominate. Then what are you going to do with your flare pants? The thing about classic clothes is that you can wear them despite current trends and no one will notice. I can wear my straight-legged jeans right next to someone with flares, and no one would think twice about it. But if you wear once-trendy stuff after their time has passed, you can sometimes look pretty foolish. Someone wearing flares a few years from now will likely elicit thoughts along the lines of "Those pants are so last year."

It all comes down to a matter of taste. Some people really care about their clothes and take great pride in looking up-to-date and highly fashionable. Other people care more about function than fashion. There's really no shame in filling your closet with a wardrobe that you can rely on for years and years to come. Similarly, there's nothing wrong with trying to keep up with or even trying to anticipate new clothing trends. You just have to be willing and ready to pay accordingly!