Every year in August, we’re bombarded with articles, videos, and content about “What’s trending for fall”, with titles like 5 Key Pieces You Need In Your Fall Wardrobe, The Color Of The Season, The Coat You Need This Fall, and every year I’m just as annoyed at this. I understand that the fashion industry revolves around seasons and trend cycles, and that they need to address the change of seasons in order to sell products. However, what I don’t understand is the rebranding and repackaging of fall every year.
It seems like people get more excited about buying something new when fall rolls around, instead of reaching into their closet for their favorite jacket that they’ve been waiting all year to pull out again. Of course, it’s fun to buy a few new things for the cooler months. But I think it’s more fun and practical to update your wardrobe occasionally, and add things to your closet that you’ll be proud to wear for years to come. If you’re shopping to build your wardrobe for the foreseeable future, then it doesn’t matter what season it is. It’s actually better to buy things off season, because they’ll most likely be on sale!
*A very special handmade leather jacket that I got in Istanbul last winter
My grandmother, who I referenced in my first substack post, always had her own sense of style. She wore the same pieces year after year. She had a beautiful collection of clothes and would mix a jacket she’d had for 30 years with a new purse that she had just bought. She was the master at mixing trends with timeless pieces. She absolutely LOVED shopping, but she always managed to buy lasting items; things she could wear for years to come. If she did buy a trendy bag, she’d pair it with sunglasses from the 70s. She really taught me how to dress and how to look at style as a whole. She’s also the one who told me never to get rid of anything, because everything always comes back. She was right, and I regret selling a lot of my bags in the late 2000s.
Over the last decade, I’ve focused on buying quality items that will last me for years to come. I’ve spent a lot of time building my wardrobe and cultivating my personal style. For me, it’s about quality not quantity.
