Is Your Fashion Fave Trendy or Classic? 4

Strike a Balance Between Trendsetting Fashion and Classic Style

Whether you’re a savvy follower of pop culture or you prefer to stick to tried-and-true looks, adopting a balance between trendy and timelessness is a wise wardrobe strategy. You’ll get more mileage out of your clothes while keeping yourself open to updates to craft fresh, new looks. It’s also a great method to avoid getting bored with your clothes while keeping a friendly eye on your wallet so you don’t blow your budget. Try these tips to stay classy while adopting some fashion-forward sensibilities into your sartorial strategy.

Build Up Your Closet With Investment Pieces

Some essential garments are a great way to build up your closet, as well as expand it later. You’ll probably find a lot of advice on just what those elemental garments should be, and they’ll differ according to your lifestyle. Stay-at-home parents or telecommuting consultants will have diverse wardrobe needs, as opposed to office-bound or blue-collar professionals. While you do have the freedom to work from home in your pajamas, you’ll need some indispensable items.  These can make your clothing dollar go a long way.

Crafting your wardrobe with both casual and dressy fundamentals is a smart start. That ensures that you’re ready for any occasion: meeting with clients, date night, late nights staying up to complete projects, family outings and more. The great fashion blogger Lauren Mulenos of LMents of Style recommends adding investment pieces to your closet to get the most bang for your buck. An excellent-quality handbag, leather shoes and durable denim items, to name a few.  These will last much longer than several cheap knockoffs, affording you years of potential wear. Skip the on-trend versions of these, and opt for classic colors, styles and cuts.

Keep Your Basics Basic

Adding other timeless garments to your closet is a prudent strategy. If your clothing dollars are a bit tight, keep in mind that some of these do not have to be “investment” pieces. For meetings with clients and other situations that require a professional approach, your best bet is to include some solid colored pieces with clean lines.  These can be matched with nearly anything else. For example, business suits and non-pleated trousers in black won’t stand out, but can give a boost when you add colorful blouses and accessories.

Expanding your wardrobe with double-duty garments is also a wonderful way to do more with less. For instance, a little black dress in the right cut and length from a retailer such as tobi.com can easily be dressed up, dressed down and accessorized for nearly any occasion. The Muse contributor Jenny Cao-Wu is a huge fan of the LBD.  She suggests several ways to wear it at the office in a recent blog post. Her strategies include adding some attention-drawing accessories, layering and adding belts to your ensembles.

Shop Strategically for Your Trendy Pieces

If you’ve been in the world for a while, you already know that trends come and go rather quickly. Some that were once hot, such as acid-washed jeans and velour track suits, should never make a comeback. However, being selective with your fashion-forward attire should allow you to stay in style. If history has taught us anything, it’s that items considered trendy now may make a comeback as “retro” fashion in the future.

Fashion writer Lauren Mulenos has even more useful advice for trend-shoppers seeking to boost their sartorial collections. In a May 2016 blog post, she advised readers to purchase higher-quality versions in neutral shades. For instance, the iconic black Converse sneaker has never really seen its popularity fade. These types of fashion have been sported by hip teens in the 60’s, punk tastemakers in the 70’s and 80’s, as well as celebrities in the 90’s and beyond. There is a shortlist of modern wearers.  They include music luminaries Rihanna and Selena Gomez, music producer Pharrell Williams and even former First Lady Michelle Obama.

Take a Targeted Approach to Your Wardrobe

Keeping your wardrobe up-to-date needn’t be a boggling task. Some prudently targeted shopping is your key to ensuring that you always have stylish pieces at your fingertips.  This will help you to craft great-looking ensembles. Adding some high-quality “investment” garments, keeping your wardrobe basics in timeless styles and selecting your trendy pieces carefully will aid you in building the closet you want.  It also makes it that you’ll be ready for any occasion!!

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Disclaimer: I, Jamie Tomkins, own and operate TigerStrypes Blog located at www.tigerstrypes.com. From time to time you’ll hear about my real life experiences with products and/or services from companies and individuals. Let it be known that I have an affiliation with these said companies.  The review that I give regarding the product/service is based off my own personal experience; I do not guarantee that your experience will be the same.