(Most of the things I bought weren't polyvore friendly, so excuse the items I subbed in and the awkward model pic)
I think of trend items (or what I consider trend items, don't take my word for it though, I once wore wide-leg overalls with platform sneakers and thought I was cool) a lot like accents (like throw pillows). They're a fun, easy way to update your wardrobe, but they're probably not worth spending a ton of money on. The two items I recently bought are a perfect example of that.
As soon as I saw that jean jackets were "in" again, my inner homeschooler jumped up and down with glee (or at least as much as her floor length denim skirt would allow her). But, I also knew that I didn't really need a jean jacket. My chambray shirts worked just as well and it wasn't worth buying something that I could only wear for the two weeks of spring that we get here in DC. A vest on the other hand was different. Even in the swamp that DC turns into between June and September, a jean vest is still practical. Plus, it's an easy item to layer and is a fun way to dress down an outfit. On our recent trip to Puerto Rico, I actually wore it a ton--throwing it over my summer dresses to dress them down for the day-time or layering it over that shirt dress for the plane--and it helped to cut down on the number of outfits I packed.
The floral skirt was a similar purchase. Florals are everywhere right now and I knew I wanted to incorporate them into my wardrobe. Originally, I thought I'd combine two trends and go for some floral denim. Turns out floral denim on me looks kind of like the slip cover on a couch we had growing up. Also, given that I've now chronicled how many jeans I have on the internet, I felt a little guilty adding another pair to the pile. The pencil skirt was the perfect compromise. It was a way to experiment with the trend (because, let's face it, I prefer to dip my toe in the water before embracing a trend full-on) but in a classic cut and style. I was a little worried about covering my rear-end in flowers, but it all worked out.
If I'm a little cheaper thriftier when it comes to trends, I am willing to spend a little more on basics. Now, as I mentioned, the one thing I did not do was buy basics to fill the most glaring hole in my current wardrobe--work tops. BUT, these are all things that I know I will get a lot of wear out. That said, I did struggle a bit with whether or not to purchase two of the items--the shirtdress and the chambray shirt--because I already own two, very similar pieces. (Both chambray, ironically, which with my new denim vest almost gives me a Canadian tuxedo) I wanted to be sure I wasn't duplicating things that were already in my wardrobe. Ultimately, however, I decided that there's a difference between buying similar items because you know that they're a great cut/fit for you and you'll get a lot of wear out of them and buying things that are duplicates (I'm starting to see how I rationalized 11 pairs of jeans) I literally wore my shirtdress at least once a week, every week last summer and into the fall. Considering the cost, it was a great investment. The same thing with my chambray shirt.
There you go! 600+ words on why I bought 5 items ;)
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