One of my favourite moments of autumn and winter, besides the holidays (and being able to binge-watch all the Christmas films I can think of), is shopping for new winter clothes. Searching for a new coat or pair of boots to add to my wardrobe is something I do whenever I start to feel the cold creeping into the London streets. I grab my pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks, head to Oxford Street and want to buy everything that I can put my hands on, especially when I see the mannequins in shop windows wearing the latest autumn/winter trends.
As much as I love shopping for fun and for self-discovery (I definitely learned a lot about myself by exploring my personal style), I’ve been trying to be more conscious about my shopping habits – both to make sure that I’ll actually wear everything that I buy, and for environmental reasons. In the past, I would buy everything that I saw on social media in the “Autumn/Winter Trends” hashtag. This mindless shopping attitude always ended in me having to donate many of my clothes as I realised that I only liked them because they were trendy, and I would quickly lose interest in them once the trend had passed.
So how to identify if a seasonal trend is here to stay? With the aim of making sure that I take full advantage of my wardrobe, consequently making it more sustainable and budget-friendly (as I now don’t feel the need to buy everything that I see on TikTok or Instagram), I’ve abided by one key rule: as soon as I’m interested in buying something that is trending, I think about whether it was also a trend last autumn/winter. If the answer is yes, then it means that the piece is less likely to go out of fashion anytime soon, so I can get more wear out of it. This helps me to identify my wardrobe staples, pieces that I can invest in and be confident that a) they are part of my personal style, and b) I can wear them for several winters without them going out of style.
These are some pieces that I bought in the past few winters that I continue to use to this day, and some I’m planning on buying, because my bet is that they will continue to be fashionable for the next couple of years.
Trench Coat
Now with a maxi version of the trench coat, this is definitely a piece that I’ve seen a lot of brands incorporating into their autumn/winter collection. This is one of my favourite items in my wardrobe, as you can easily wear a more relaxed fit (like joggers and a hoodie) underneath and this coat on top will make it seem like an elevated look.
Knee High Boots
Knee-high boots have only made a comeback in the last one or two years I believe, but the fact that they are still one of the best-selling items in some of the biggest retailers in Europe shows that they’re here to stay.
Leather Jacket
For this one, I don’t think there’s even a need for an explanation. Since the 50s, they have NEVER gone out of style. This is definitely a purchase that is worth it. Period.
Of course, everyone’s style and preferences are different. Even if you don’t like any of the items listed here but you’re thinking about ways to make your wardrobe more functional, maybe try thinking about your own shopping list and see if the items you’re wanting to buy are likely to be more than a quick social media fashion trend.
For me, identifying which items are worth investing in according to my own style helped me to save money (which, if you’re also on a student budget like me, you may find helpful) while also making sure that I actually wear everything that I have in my wardrobe. Even though sometimes I still feel tempted to buy several clothing items that I see on social media or in shops just because I find them cute, I think about the impact that overconsumption has on the environment. There is no doubt that the textile and fast fashion industries are amongst the most polluting industries in the world, so making sure that 1) you’re buying clothes that you like, not just because they are trendy and 2) you’re buying clothes that have more timeless designs, so that you can probably wear them for more than one winter, is a easy trick to ensure that you’re not stuck in the cycle of feeling like you have to completely renew your wardrobe every single year.
More importantly, this process taught me how fashion is meant to be fun! Learning how to navigate through quick fashion trends and really ask myself what I feel comfortable wearing helped me to discover more about my likes/dislikes in fashion, and also made me understand that I don’t need to join every single trend I see in order to feel confident in my sense of style. Becoming aware that “finding your own style” is meant to be a constantly evolving process, and not a finish line, is really key to understanding how to have fun with the ways you can express yourself through clothing.