Defend the Trend: (Fashion) Resolutions

The ubiquity of resolutions posts is daunting, I get it.  But I promise mine doesn’t have anything to do with the gym. The thought of sharing your resolutions with all of the internet makes me feel like I cannot fail at this, thus serving as an odd motivator. Since my column for Giggles is fashion and style related, I thought to share some of my resolutions (in that vein) with you in hopes that perhaps a few resonate.

Say No to the Sale Rack:

The retail industry has us wrapped around its finger; it’s the old Pavlovian trick – you see sale sign, you salivate (and buy). I’m terrible at rationalizing when I stroll into my favourite store and see an entire section devoted to sale items; I can’t help wanting it all. The biggest problem I have in the sale section is determining whether something fits correctly. More often than not, we find the perfect blouse, jeans, shoes that we must-have because of the sale price but realize that the fit is too small/too big. There are so many items in my closet that I’ve purchased solely based on the sale price and talk myself into believing that it will magically look better once I get home – it isn’t true. The item will sit in your closet untouched and each time you look at it (if you do), you’ll huff and puff about the poor fit. Save yourself the space in your closet for pieces that you can wear often and that fit you well! The next thing to consider is why items are on sale. Sometimes it is merely the purging of merchandise at the end of season to make room for the next but be weary of those sales where there is a plethora of one type of product. It usually means that particular piece isn’t performing because of poor fit or an overall disdain by the general public. That isn’t to say your style compliments the particular piece but I suggest trying it to make sure there are no defects before you shell out the cash.

Shop Less, Get Creative:

Every editorial you read about having the right basics is true; as long as you have patience and creativity. It isn’t necessary to be a slave to the trends because they are just that – trends – and they’ll be gone before you know it. Are you really keen on spending a lot of money on something super elaborate only to find yourself looking dated the next season? My closet is full of oxfords, cardigans and jeans but I always re-work different pieces to make it seem like I’ve got more. Buying a few trendy pieces each season is great for incorporating with your timeless pieces. My main problem is that I get bored with mixing and matching and opt out by heading to the mall and buying something new. This year, my intent is to put my Stacy London-ing to the test and style my little heart out.

Wear Athletic Gear in Public:

Image via Style Bistro

Fine, I don’t have a Birkin or Givenchy to make my athletic gear look super luxe but I do have plenty of athletic gear that is super stylish and colourful. My immediate post-gym reaction is to rush home without anyone seeing me – I don’t sweat too much and my après workout glow is quite pretty (without sounding vain), which is why I don’t know why I’ve felt that wearing my Lululemon getup in public was such a faux-pas. Nonetheless, I spend a lot of money on that stuff and it’s comfortable as heck – this year I am going to hang out in my running tights and tank because, they’re loungewear – right?

Use Fashion Bloggers as Inspiration (Instead of Sources of Envy):

Image via Keep Sitting Pretty

I believe I spent much of last year saying, “Ugh.. I hate her!” about many of the fashion bloggers from around the world. Where do they find the time to take photos of themselves everyday? Where do they get all this expensive stuff when they are “students”? Why do they get invited everywhere? Why do they have perfect hair? I think this was mostly because I had aspirations of being a “fashion blogger”. That pond is so concentrated that I don’t think I want to be part of it and if I did, I’d want to take a totally different slant on the term “fashion blogger”. In any case, before I read the newspaper, I have to check all my favourite style bloggers to see what they are wearing. I don’t think I’ll stop that this year, instead, I will use their awesome style skills and apply them to pieces that I already own.

Making resolutions is a wonderful thing – there is never a bad time to evaluate your habits and change them for the better. I hope that if you’ve made resolutions that you give it your best to keep them but if you slip up, know that it is totally okay and there is always time to restart.

Wishing you all the very best for 2013 – thank you for reading!

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