This has always been my favourite time of year.
Seeing the yellow school buses rolling getting fuelled and the mechanics OK for the inevitable return of school.
Fall fashions owning the news, storefronts, magazine pages and our list of Must Haves on our mind.
There is no need for me to say that things are different, We are all only too aware, they are.
Buses are out there getting ready for their task of safely getting students to school this year with more than mechanical and behavioural worries to consider.
This is usually the time of year when I would be sharing top fall fashion trends to be thinking about and maybe even guiding you on what you might need to add to your wardrobe, in person, playing with clothes, together, in your home. That is not the case.
Being honest here, trends really aren’t as relevant these days for any of us in this time of uncertainty.
But hang on… I’m not looking at this as a glass half empty scenario. I think good things are coming out of these forced adjustments and you will be the one to benefit. I also think that I could be of some assistance here in navigating you through the seismic fashion shift that is going to be ongoing. Why?
This is what I do. I have been researching the new direction the fashion business is headed. And, as has been the case for many years in the past, I’ve been here doing videos, hosting workshops and sharing information with you, steering you to wise decisions when it comes to making sense of fashion.
Quite frankly we were seeing many changes in the fashion world before the pandemic hit.
While they’re in flux, I know and I want you to know, that there are ways you can be confident about your fashion choices during this time.
Because one thing we don’t want to do is become indifferent about how we present ourselves.
Retail stores that were closed for months are now open, of course, with precautions to make employees and consumers comfortable enough to venture out. As people take personal responsibility for their health and the health of others by wearing masks and practising physical distancing, more and more openings will happen. It’s my hope that that normal will return, but when it does, nothing will be quite the same.
This is not to say that some of these changes are not for the better. The fashion industry has been operating a break next speed, putting out more and more collections each year. We’ve come to expect to walk into a store or shop online and see new merchandise appearing every few days. Especially in online shopping, there seems to be a big sale going on all of the time
20% off, 40% off, 15% off total purchase when you sign up for their in-store credit card. It is enough to make anyone dizzy. AND. And this is a big and coming from someone whose living is tied in with the fashion industry however, it actually creates a false sense of urgency that you need more and more and more.
I am finding this is not the case with most of my clients, and most of the people I know. Not at all. And I’m kind of liking it.
The truth is, do we need to be funnelling through new fashion at that curious rate?
Change is a foot, and the fashion industry is already giving us a peek at what we could expect.
And I am sharing now wth you.
Here are some changes for you to watch for.
1. Stores shift their merchandise focus to evergreen basics and neutrals — items that are comfortable at home while working from home or continuing to be home more than anywhere else. I LOVE this!
2. Typically, women are not wearing high heels to the office because they’re not going to the office and when they are this choice is not their first choice. Shoe manufacturers are being asked to focus on creating designs with stability. This would include wider and thicker heels, shoes with padded insoles, and other athletic touches. Fashionable flats could become the shoe of seasons to come. I’m not a betting person but this pivot could entice me.
I succumbed. Ordered these perforated cuties.
CLICK HERE for more details and to purchase!
3. With the focus turned more toward home when people go back to work, the dress codes are becoming more casual. There will be an after effect of blurred lines between casual clothes and work clothes. You might see hoodies paired with blazers and silky tops being paired with upscale sweatpants. There will be more mixing and matching between dressing up and dressing down.
You all know how I feel about this I LOVE it. Using what you have in new and creative way is and always has been my passion. And now it’s a new trend! I should have placed a wager on that one!
4. As people spend more and more time at home, what’s beginning to happen is and this is what I’ve been hearing and experienced myself, the question is, just how much of my wardrobe am I really using? New pieces are likely and should be strategic. That’s exactly what I’m doing right now with all of my wardrobing clients.
5. Stores aren’t counting on selling items a season ahead. There are few preseason sales going on. This means that you will find cold weather coats stocked in stores when we’re experiencing cold weather. You are shopping now in August and are still shopping for summer clothes.
Discounts that would’ve happened years past are not happening. Initial reductions typically 25% won’t go lower this year. The results – more of those clothes for you to choose from longer into the season.
6. As I said earlier must haves aren’t as relevant now. It is really important for you to listen to yourself and figure out your wardrobe needs rather than expecting retailers and advertising campaigns to tell you that you must buy this latest coat style or specific pant. Don’t get me wrong. If you need to add a specific colour to your wardrobe to make your wardrobe come alive then you should move forward with that decision. If there is a style of sweater or a skirt or jeans that you have loved in the past and timing was off for that investment now might be the time to do, especially if it will expand and enhance your casual wardrobe. I added a much needed pair of black jeans & come gorgeous linen transition pieces for the still new to me casual beach lifestyle
7. You are a mall shopper, as sad as it is there are many store closures. The upside of that is now is the perfect time for you to possibly start shopping stores and boutiques in your neighbourhood that are locally owned. If these stores can hang on, they are likely to succeed during changing times like these. They aren’t locked into the rigorous manufacturing schedules of the brands in big chain stores. It’s very important to me and you know that I’ve always encouraged shopping and supporting local. Here is a chance to support small, local direct to consumer brands.
My closing thoughts on this are while people may be spending more on comfy clothes and easy to throw on dresses for home if there’s been a stirring for a luxury item, they and you may be ready to lean in and make that purchase. If not now, when? That designer bag that you could find at your local high-end secondhand store. That novelty, not practical, coat, cashmere sweaters in colours that are not neutrals, which could bring immense satisfaction Just be the little pick me up that you’re needing. I don’t look at this as shopping on a whim because in this case it is an item you wanted for a very long time.
CLICK HERE for more details and to purchase!
In my mind there’s no better time. As long as it is adds to your wardrobe and can be incorporated Into what you already have, and love it forever, I say go for it.
Purchasing something special won’t make everything better. But it will make you feel good and that’s important.
Stay safe
Until next time,
Sue