MaryElise.com :: Fashion > Trends

Trends :: Good or Evil?
By: Mary Elise Chavez
Posted Thursday, July 13th, 2006

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With Fashion and celebrity-obsessed magazines flooding bookstores, newsstands, and grocery-store shelves, it can be hard to discover your own style. Millions of women and young girls idolize those featured in these magazines and therefore, go out of their way to purchase their clothing and lifestyle accessories; which they hope will help them feel more like their "idols", or give them the exclusivity of a celebrity. Trends enter now.

Living in New York, I see a parade of both men and women donning the latest (mostly) Chanel sunglasses with the signature Louis Vuitton or Marc Jacobs handbag. I also see an equal amount of imitation Chanel, Marc Jacobs, and LV products. If it's not an item with a hefty price tag, it may be the glittering of a metallic gold handbag sitting on the shoulder of a girl with her sequined bolero and cowboy boots. Let's just say it gets a bit monatanous at times.

Individual Style Rocks! While millions of girls and women around the country follow these trends as though they are a religion of sorts, individual style rocks! Rather than overwhelming yourself with every trend out there, why not mix and match. Fashion is most enjoyable when you own it, and make it yours! Are you obsessing over a certain trendy platform pump at the moment? Why not make them work with a classic vintage dress or skirt? Fashion is so much more interesting when it is unexpected and untamed, don't follow the rules of the latest fashion magazine, use you're instinct to find items best for you. I.E. Make sure the items you choose are flattering to your body type and the colors compliment your skin tone.

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Moderation is Key. So many women are lucky a fashion police doesn't actually exist, otherwise, they might have a serious criminal record by now. Stealing a complete look from the Urban Outfitters store window is hardly fashionable. Stop layering trend after trend on top of each other. The cowboy boots, peasant skirt, metallic handbag, rhinestone sunglasses, leggings, imitation balenciaga moto bag, and J'Adore Dior tee DO NOT WORK.

You Need a Diet Darlin'. Here is a challenge: Starve yourself from trend overload for a week. Work on picking one strong piece (a bright shoe, a structured and detailed pencil skirt, an intricate jewelry piece) to anchor your outfit. Let the focus be on that fabulous vintage find you came across at the boutique downtown.

Try it on, and move on. Feeling tempted by all of the fun trends out there? Instead of buying into all of them at once, take a visit to your store of choice with your digital camera in hand. Try on the outfit your obsessing over, and snap a few shots of you in it. This will give you a chance to check yourself out in the outfit, and think it over. Also, this helps to eliminate "pressure buying" that stores like H&M and Forever 21 tend to bring forth. Just because it's cheap, doesn't mean it's fabulous.

Don't blow your money. RESIST! Don’t be a continual rider of the Trend Train, as you will be repeatedly throwing your money away. Try to ‘Invest’ in key items that you can wear for a season or lengths of time, and still look fashion forward! That extra money you will have from not falling into every Trend Trap can go towards more fabulous ‘Investments.’ KEY WORD: ‘Investments.’

True fashion icons aren’t seen in the trendy clothes all the time, don’t look like all the rest, be different, be yourself. Allow yourself to create and discover your own fashion sense.

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