“…not all trends are bad. Some are going to flatter your body shape and make choosing an outfit easier each morning. But tread carefully. They are also meant to separate you from your money.”
Spring dressing has always been a bit of a question mark for me. I have yet to determine the exact reason for my dislike of this particular fashion season: Is it because pastel colors make me look like the bride of Dracula? Or is it because my main source of fashion inspiration, the French, do not have a true spring wardrobe? Instead, slipping almost simultaneously from winter fashion directly into summer, and skipping the bother of a spring wardrobe all together. Or is it because gingham belongs on tables and windows, not on women? I may never know.
Whatever the reason may be, I have never warmed (get it?) to Spring Fashion. For years, I fought the realization by dressing in the predictable floral dresses and pastel, pleated skirts, until I recognized it for what it was: a PsyOp created by the fashion world to get more of my money.
Trends were created to sell clothing, and selling clothing or desiring updated clothing is not inherently bad. I love fashion, and I love discovering new ways of wearing clothing. What I do not love, is a marketing team trying to convince me I am not stylish if I don’t jump on every trend and overhaul my closet with the changing of the seasons. It is unsustainable, and, as I have found over the years, unfulfilling. What really fulfills me is to find pieces I 1), enjoy wearing, 2) will last a long time, 3) look good on me, and 4) make my life a bit simpler or a bit more beautiful.
Trends are not fulfilling and do not fit any of my four requirements for good clothing, and here is why:
Trends further define a fashion era, while fashion movements completely disrupt it.
A trend is a limited, minor change within a greater fashion era. To help better define them, here is an example from recent history: near the end of the 2010’s, the cold shoulder trend (Lord help us) exploded. You could find it everywhere from dresses to sweaters to blouses, starting in luxury houses and on down to the Walmart. It never arose to a true fashion movement, even with its intense popularity, because it did not create lasting change to the defined style of the times; it simply created ripples in the greater river that was 2010-2020 fashion. The way women dressed did not dramatically alter due to the rise in the cold shoulder cut. We still paired it with jeans and boots, like we would any other blouse, which sets it firmly in the “trend” category, regardless of popularity.
"...when Christian Dior created the New Look at the end of WWII, it was not a trend; it was the introduction of a completely different way of dressing."
On the other side of the equation, we have the fashion movement. These are fewer and farther between, and truly upend the way women (and men) choose to dress. A great example can be seen in the transition from the Regency Era of fashion, which borrowed heavily from sleek and minimal Greek and Roman statuary, to the Victorian Era, marked by huge, hooped skirts and corseted waists. The pendulum swung from an appreciation of the natural female form to an exaggerated hourglass shape, a difference you can clearly see in the illustrations below.
Similarly, when Christian Dior created the New Look at the end of WWII, it was not a trend; it was the introduction of a completely different way of dressing. There is a reason 1950’s style is so iconic and why the nipped waist silhouette is instantly recognizable, because it had a long-lasting and dramatic impact on women’s wardrobes. It defined an entire decade of women’s fashion and remains influential to this day.
To understand the true impact of Dior’s creations, we must first understand the history and culture of the times. By the time V-Day came around in the middle of 1945, Western Europe and the United States had been laboring under years of food and clothing rations to fuel the war efforts at home and abroad. There is a reason Rosie the Riveter is wearing a denim jumpsuit, not a silk one. Many women had been drafted into manufacturing, when all the men were sent to fight elsewhere, and fashion began to reflect more utilitarianism than beauty.
Even before the war, the United States had been struggling from the weight of the Great Depression, a time when mothers chose to purchase sacks of flour based on which ones were the prettiest, since they would be turning the sacks into dresses, aprons, and even underwear for their children. Another reminder we are not the first generation to both love and depend on up-cycling fashion. Once Germany was defeated in May of 1945 along with Japan shortly thereafter, the world was pleading for a end to the restrictions of the war and the burden of a world-engulfing conflict. The relief must have been palpable.
As the surviving fighters began to flood back into society, there was an almost overwhelming desire to shed the drab, military fatigues and instead focus on all things entertaining and beautiful. Women left their manufacturing jobs, changed out of their overalls, and discovered their closets needed a serious refresh. In came Dior’s New Look, with airy, impractically large skirts and narrow waists intended to maximize the feminine form.
Perhaps the best examples of this revolutionary fashion shift are the Venus and Junon gown from the 1949 collection. They are two strapless evening gowns, both with a defined waist and dramatic, scalloped skirts, with hand sewn beading to make them look like the seashell from which the goddess Venus arises in Botticelli’s famous “The Birth of Venus” masterpiece. They are extravagant and feminine and perfectly reflect the culture of the post-war Western world. The explosion of the New Look mimicked the similar boom of the birth rate and economic growth in the years following the war.
Circling back to Spring wardrobes, you may be wondering why I took you on this wordy jaunt through fashion history. This grand aside was all to say: it’s okay to miss out on the trends. Just like the cold-shoulder cut, they will come and go, whether you embrace them or not. And again, not all trends are bad. Some are going to flatter your body shape, and make choosing an outfit easier each morning. But tread carefully. They are also meant to separate you from your money. If a new “trend” turns into a fashion movement, you will be able to figure it out after a few seasons. You will not miss out on it completely, I promise.
The key to dressing well without purchasing an entirely new wardrobe each season and without succumbing to every new trend is to only purchase pieces that accomplish all four of the following requirements:
- You enjoy wearing it
- It is of good enough quality to last for at least 3+ years, preferably more
- It compliments your shape (see my blog post “You Should Be Dressing Better Part 2: On How to Begin” for more info on body shapes)
- It makes your life a bit simpler or a bit more beautiful
I will admit, this is going to take you a long time to accomplish. More than one season, possibly more like seven or eight to really lock in the items which check all these boxes. But it is one hundred percent a worthwhile pursuit because you will end up with a closet full of high-quality, trend-insulated pieces that are a joy to put on.
If you are like me, you are thinking, “Mmk, but I really need to buy a few things this Spring, Elise.” I get it, and I am in the same boat.
Here are my tops for how I shop in the Spring to avoid trend traps and build a lasting wardrobe:
- If it has a season, it has a shelf life.
If it only works in Spring, do not buy it. We all have an Easter dress that comes out once a year and only once a year, right when it’s warm enough to forego full pants while still cool enough to require a longer skirt. The rest of the year, the dress takes up closet space. These are the trend traps to avoid whenever possible. Instead, buy items versatile enough to be worn in one, two, even three seasons beyond Spring.
Last Spring, I bought a pair of black wool shorts. They were pleated with a 4” inseam and fully lined, which is all to say, they were a classic cut, a versatile length, and made to last. These shorts look good with a button up and heels or a blazer and loafers. After letting my sister borrow them for her 40th birthday, she told me she paired them with tights and a turtleneck sweater for a Christmas party. Boom. Here we had one short that worked its way through four seasons. The color makes them easy to pair with darker colors in the Fall, or with brighter tops in the Spring and Summer. They have proved to be a truly versatile item, even though I purchased them in the Springtime.
- The quickest way to buy the wrong piece is to ignore the fabric.
In terms of longevity, comfort, wear, and style, you can never over-think fabric composition. When at a loss, go with the most natural fibers you can find, and when looking at the blend, try and pick a blend with the highest concentration of natural fibers. They are versatile, breathable, and tend to look better longer than their synthetic counterparts. They also tend to launder better, when the care instructions are followed.
Here is a list of my favorite natural fibers:
- Wool - a truly seasonless natural fiber; made in differing weights for different seasons and purposes; breathable and holds warmth even when wet
- Silk - another nearly seasonless natural fiber; more difficult to launder, but highly versatile and long-lived, not to mention exceptionally beautiful and temperature regulating
- Cotton - more of a workhorse fiber; can be wonderfully light and soft for the Spring/Summer or made with a higher weight for more structure and warmth in the colder months; launders well
- Linen - while limited to Spring, Summer and early Fall unless blended with wool, linen is the ultimate fiber when it comes to breathability and longevity; it gets stronger with age and the fibers soften over time to give any garment a wonderfully effortless aesthetic
- Cashmere - expensive and beautiful; definitely the rich uncle of wool, but can be wonderfully versatile when made into lightweight tops and shells for the warmer months; breathable and long-lived
- Hemp - an underrated powerhouse for warmer months, this natural fiber is temperature regulating like linen, but even stronger; like linen, it wears over time into a beautifully soft and unique patina; great for more casual looks through the Spring and Summer
- Honorable Mention: Bemberg Cupro - a semi-natural fiber made from regenerated cotton linter, this fiber feels like silk and is breathable, biodegradable, and made in a closed-loop system to reduce production waste; this one is hard to find but such a keeper if you do
Unlike natural fibers, synthetic fibers are not breathable or temperature regulating. This isn’t to say all polyester is short-lived. I have a pair of comparatively expensive, heavyweight polyester slacks I purchased secondhand, which have lasted over five years and are still in great condition. However, they are suffocating once the thermometer reads above 80 degrees Fahrenheit, something I do not experience with natural fibers.
"The goal is not to buy more clothing but better clothing."
3. The right piece in the wrong color, is still the wrong piece.
Perhaps you have found an item fitting all the guidelines: you enjoy wearing it, it is flattering, it is high quality, and it brings beauty into your life. If it is too niche of a Spring color, such as a pastel pink, lavender, butter yellow, or mint green, you will find it more difficult to wear during other seasons. Not impossible, but more difficult, and the goal of this entire endeavor is to make your life easier.
Just as not every fabric is meant to transcend seasons, the same can be said for colors and patterns. Although we no longer subscribe to the “No White Before Memorial Day” fashion rules, there is something about Spring weather and the lengthening of days which makes us want to ditch our dark, winter outfits in exchange for everything bright and cheery. This is only natural. However, this can also lead to the issue I mentioned before where we end up with ten floral items or Springy-y pastel colors which don’t feel right after Mother’s Day.
This is not to say you cannot buy a rainbow of colors for your closet. I love color. I think beige is the devil, sucking our personalities from us, one cardigan at a time. By all means, find colors you love to wear and that flatter you. But do not fall for the idea that you are required to wear mint green because it’s April or buy that lavender sweater for Easter. If you purchase it simply because it’s the thing to wear in Spring, you will end up with what I call a “dead item”: nothing else goes with it in your closet. You won’t reach for it in another season because it’s too hard to style. The color has limited its versatility.
4. The wrong pattern will look dated, quickly
If a pattern needs to look fresh to look good, it will not age well. A great example of this is an oversize, bright floral. It may look bright and fun in Spring, all good things, but it looks a bit twee by Summer, and may look dated by the following year. Look for timeless patterns like Breton stripes, plaids, polka dots, and herringbone. If you’ve seen it over the past fifty years, it’s likely a timeless pattern which should look good for years to come.
Timeless patterns:
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- Stripes, including pinstripe and Breton or mariner stripe
- Polka Dots, as long as they are fairly evenly spaced
- Plaids, like tartan and Glen plaid
- Herringbone and Tweed
- Animal print such as snake and leopard
Patterns that should make you pause:
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- Graphics
- Oversized florals
- Novelty or Holiday-specific prints, like cats or pumpkins, although sometimes these can be fun, and if you really love it, who cares? Just wear it anyway. Life is so short.
Spring fashion will come and go, just as it always has. The colors will shift, the hemlines will rise and fall, and somewhere, someone will try to convince you that you need to start over.
You don’t.
If you choose your pieces carefully by buying for longevity, for versatility, for beauty, and for your own life instead of someone else’s, you will find that your wardrobe begins to transcend the trends. It becomes more consistent, more fulfilling, and quite paradoxically, more interesting over time.
If you follow these guidelines, you will start reaching for the same pieces over and over again because you know they work well, regardless of the season. They work with a blazer, a sweater, tights, a skirt, or pants, and better yet, they make you look good.
The goal is not more clothing but better clothing. It is not to overhaul your closet with each season or trend, but to be prepared for every season with a closet full of versatile and beautiful clothing. Once you have this, Spring becomes less of a reason to shop and more of a reason to get dressed.
Building a closet you adore that lasts for a long time is a labor of love. I hope this article takes you one step closer to creating yours.
Until next time,
Elise
