Pix-Elated

By "recent" I guess I mean within the past two years. And by "trend" I mean...well, something that maybe makes this list of Angie's. Or others you might know about (and I don't!)

I'm a modern classic dresser who does indeed love to add a bit of "trend" every season. But looking back over my purchases, I can see clear patterns in what portions of my wardrobe lean to "trend" and which lean to more classic items. Of course, this will shift, depending on what the trends are and how much I warm to them. But here, for example, are some of my most "trendy" purchases of late. 

Ripskirt is a wrap skirt. (On Angie's list). 
Fair Isle sweater (winter before last). 
Cropped wide legs (I've been wearing for a few years). 
Belt -- western trend. 
Booties -- ditto. 
Sneakers -- platform sneaker trend. 

I actually have far more footwear and accessories that fit the description "trendy" than I do of clothing. Anything that is clothing, I will wear for years, trendy or no, whereas a shoe I might (and often do) wear out in a season, and a belt or jewellery I will save for another year if I tire of it and it's still in good shape, or I will happily pass along. 

I definitely prefer trendy denim, within certain parameters. I won't wear trends I don't like on myself, unless it's impossible to find anything else. 

How about you? Are there categories of trendier items that tend to find their way into your closet or is it a fairly equal distribution of different categories? 

This Comrags dress is a hand-me-down from a friend. I have no idea how old it is -- probably a decade or so. The style (with the wide V neckline) is not one I ordinarily wear. But the charcoal colour is good for me, it is super-lightweight, it's a modest below-the-knee length, and it does not wrinkle. The fabric is not stretchy at all but it is water repelling and wicking, so some sort of woven "tech." I find it surprisingly useful as a casual summer dress. And it definitely testifies to the longevity of tech and its non-fading properties. This is a true charcoal and does not fade. 

Apologies for photo quality -- still don't have a proper mirror set up for selfies! 

ETA: I just checked the fabric composition at Lyn's request -- it is a huge surprise to me, and may rule it out of the "tech" department, although it sure feels and acts like a fast-drying tech fabric. Anyway -- it is 64% linen, 18% viscose, and 18% polyester. What make you all of that? 

On the neckline -- thank you all for your kind thoughts. I should clarify -- I adore V necks but usually aim for a narrower and shallower V for figure flattery reasons. I can't "fill out" most wide Vs. And even if I (almost) do (as here) I need to address proportional issues, i.e. show equal skin elsewhere or it looks disproportional on me.

Brooklyn gets it. I do sometimes wear a necklace with this to fill it in a bit, or a scarf. 

I have two outfits with high happiness. Neither is news to anyone here, but both show evidence of Angie's influence on my wardrobe. 

Outfit 1: The first photo of Angie I saw featured her fab pixie and a denim jacket worn with a fancy skirt or dress. I had worn my own hair short for most of my life, but I'd never owned a denim jacket. Instantly, I could see its possibilities, and this was one of my first purchases when I joined YLF. I've been wearing this exact jacket ever since. :)

I biked to my friend's place in white sneakers. Culottes. And the blooms on my top make me very happy. 

Outfit 2: You've all seen before. Dress was an Angie recommendation. Red is my colour of the year. MOVE was my word of the year. This dress encapsulates both. 

Thank you, Angie, for general inspiration, specific recommendations, and most of all for your joyful, practical, positive, inclusive attitude towards personal style and community-building. You are one in a million. Here's hoping the next 50 years are as golden as those fields in your photo! 

And I've ordered some sun up for this afternoon. Here's hoping! :)