Seasonal trends – love them or loathe them?

Spring is in the air and with that comes the regular seasonal trend articles in magazines, newspapers, blogs and more, focussing on all the new fashion trends for the season.

How do you feel about them?

Do you:

• Devour every bit of information you can find?
• Get confused by all the different trends and don’t know where to start?
• Feel fed up and fat, looking at all perfect models who would frankly look good in a bin liner?
• Completely ignore it all?
• Pick out the trends that you’d like to try?
• Follow all the trends religiously, whether they suit you or not?

Let’s be honest, some of the suggested trends just aren’t very practical and don’t translate well to the high street and online shops, while others crop up everywhere in one form or another, and then there are the updated versions of trends that you probably remember from the last time around.

As a midlife woman, how can you stay up to date, without looking like a fashion victim, breaking the bank or filling your wardrobe with clothes you will never wear?

There is a simple formula that will help you, not just with those seasonal trends, but as a general rule of thumb when you’re choosing clothes or accessories to add to your wardrobe.

Know your ideal colour palette

Being aware of the shades that flatter you and building a wardrobe based on those shades, will help you avoid costly mistakes.

For example, this coming season, one of the trends is expected to be bright, bold colours.  This will work well for some, especially if you have a high contrast between your hair colour and skin tone, or perhaps you have very bright, striking eyes.  However, if you have a softness to your natural look, with low contrast, or very light, delicate, features, these bold and bright shades will overpower you, so are best avoided. 

Be aware of your body shape

Understanding your body shape will help you to navigate away from styles and cuts of clothes that will not flatter you.

Take a look at yourself in a mirror, while wearing close-fitting clothes (leggings and a fitting t-shirt will work).  Where is your narrowest point?  What areas do you want to hide?

Being aware of just those 2 pieces of information will start to help you to make better decisions when you are considering investing in a trend.  Does it show off your narrowest areas (whether that be your body, arms or legs)?  Does it hide what you want to hide, without making you look like a blob in a tent?

ALWAYS try before you buy and take a long hard look at yourself in a full-length mirror.  If the trend you are drawn to does you no favours, accept it and move on to something more flattering – you will always be disappointed with how you look if you try to make it work when it really doesn’t.

Be authentically you

Some trends just won’t feel like ‘you’.  If you love dramatic shapes and bold statements, the spring trend for soft, pastel florals probably won’t light you up, whereas those bright colours I mentioned earlier could be just right for you.

Expressing yourself in the way you dress helps others to understand who you are and how to treat you.  Whether you are trying to make an impact in the business world or just want to feel like the real you in your local pub, finding the right trends for you can be a game-changer.

If you’re struggling to work out how to make the new trends work for you, or you’re still reluctant to put away those lockdown leggings, now is a great time to reach out for some help and support.  Drop me a message to arrange a free, no-obligation chat, or take a look at my website for more information.