How many times have we heard fashion gurus say, "Pink (or brown, or green, or red, or whatever) is the new black!"? Too many to count. In these tough financial times, however, filling up your closet with the new "it" color each season doesn't make a lot of sense. Buying baby doll dresses and micro-minis just because they're in doesn't either. Fortunately, there is a better way!
Each season, some color always gets referred to as the "new black" - that's because black never goes out of style and looks great with everything (same goes for other neutrals, like beige, white, off-white, dark brown and navy). Building your base wardrobe in neutral colors is a great way to ensure that you never get caught wearing last season's pink trench coat when orange is this season's black.
Neutrals are boring, though - right? Well, they can be. However, they make a great blank slate for you to decorate with trendier pieces, colors and accessories. For instance, a plain white blouse can be paired with a scarf in this season's hottest color, a funky necklace or even adorned with a skinny belt. Also, wearing neutral pants allows you to show off your inner fashionista with fabulous, colorful shoes, boots and stockings. These accessories can be purchased very inexpensively and can keep your basic wardrobe au courant while keeping your wallet full!
Classic styles are another area to focus on. Turtleneck sweaters, crisp white blouses, mid-rise dress slacks, A-line skirts and boot-cut jeans are always in style, so base your wardrobe on these staples. Also, instead of kowtowing to every trend that comes along, figure out what looks best on your body and stick with it.
When you do want to try out a trendier piece, purchase something inexpensive or borrow it from a friend before committing a big chunk of change to something you may only wear once. If something in a "trendy" style truly looks amazing on you, don't worry about wearing it after the trend has passed - if it looks great, it won't look dated. Another plus - you can wait until classics go on sale to buy them, since, by definition, they never go out of style!