Style Buzz: Following Fashion: Lazy or Progressive? + Styling a Floral Blouse

Eugene Stylist
Aug 28
4 min read

Three Ideas to Inspire Your Style This Week

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"I pay attention, but I don't participate in fashion!"

I loved this lady's self-awareness. We often mistake "fashion" for "style", and while the two are intricately connected, it really is possible to have style without following fashion. That's my approach! While I am very aware of fashion's new styles and color palettes, I don't rush out to buy the latest just because it's on trend. If I want to stay current, I simply buy something new - what's in the stores is current fashion. But I will only buy it if it suits me and feels like me. So you only need to do what you are comfortable with, and that, my darling, is the definition of style.

xx rachel

FOLLOWING TRENDS: LAZY OR PROGRESSIVE?

Remember when being trendy was so very important to you? It usually peaks in the teen years as you want to be socially accepted by your peers, incorporating FOMO, an un-formed sense of identity, and peer pressure (and parental budgets!). Once you get into your early 20's, though, those influences drift away (including the other peoples' money) and we're on our own to figure out who we are and who we want to be. Obviously there's no hard stop between those two stages, so frequently we drift from one to the other but maintain some of our habits when it comes to getting dressed.

I remember talking to a lady at a networking event who said she buys the latest trends pretty consistently. Twice a year in March and August, she heads to the shops to buy the new seasonal styles and moves the older ones out of her closet to make room. I asked her what her motivation for this was - was she eager for new experiences, loved trying new styles she'd never considered before, enjoyed being fashion forward and noticeable?

Nope. She did it out of habit and laziness.

The funny thing was that I saw her as progressive! She wore her clothes beautifully and looked very put together in modern cuts and colors, like she'd studied what the runways were showing and incorporated those influences into her wardrobe. But I can fully understand what she meant. Rather than have to think too much each season about what to wear, she let the fashion industry do the decision-making for her. And since this was how she'd always done it, she just kept doing it. Her style was whatever was "in" at that moment, and she'd never really stopped to consider how to step out of the cycle.

I reassured her that she didn't need to if she didn't want to. She'd found a hack to make her life easier, and if it was working for her, great! But if she was interested in slowing down the churn of buying and discarding, that's ok, too. I watched as she had a lightbulb moment. She had a deep sense that if she didn't buy the latest and greatest, people might judge her for being out of touch and frumpy. I assured her it wasn't true - most people are far more worried about their own look than spend time dissecting other people's style. I suggested perhaps she could experiment with keeping a small handful of items from this season, incorporating them into outfits with new pieces next season. This would keep her current and save some money!

We talked some more about what that would look like, and when I showed her a sample lookbook in my digital wardrobe, she could see the possibility. My favorite thing she said, though, was that she was excited to go home and look for pieces to keep, that she would see them - and her own style - differently now.

Do you need a digital wardrobe that streamlines your outfits? Contact me to learn more!

SUMMER SOIREE TRENDS

Happily, Oregon's summer doesn't peter out until the end of September, so we're still in Summer Soiree season! If you've got an upcoming event and want to try some lovely trends, check out this lookbook of ideas and styles. You can click to order any piece in there directly, FYI!

Summer Soiree Lookbook

3 WAYS TO WEAR IT: Olive Floral Blouse

I found this perfect little blouse at Sip & Seams in April and can't tell you how grateful I am that someone decided it wasn't for them any longer. (Definitely keep that in mind when you're clearing out your own closet - knowing the next owner will be delighted with an item takes the sting out of moving pieces along!) It's got a lovely color palette that goes with the rest of my wardrobe, plus it's easy to dress up or down, depending on the occasion. And because it's not bulky, I can add a cardigan or blazer over it as the weather cools down.