As a fashion lover, I used to have a hard time differentiating between “OMG I love this!” and “OMG I’ll wear this!” Fellow self-proclaimed fashion girls can relate to balancing appreciation for fashion trends with an awareness of personal style. I certainly have been guilty of purchasing a trend, wearing it once or twice, and ultimately, although I loved it when I bought it, deciding it wasn’t for me. If you love fashion, you might relate. With the trend cycle faster than ever, it’s unreasonable, for all sorts of reasons, to shell out for every trending piece that comes down the pipeline. Here are some sure-fire ways to tell whether you LOVE something, or the internet is telling you to love it. 

Check Your Notes

If you use Pinterest for outfit inspiration, check your work! Scroll waaay back. Scan all of your boards to find common themes. Are you finding that you’re wondering why you ever thought that outfit combo was cute? Even with pins from years ago, can you tell you were onto something? Discover whether you are a person that falls into a pattern of becoming obsessed with trendy pieces for a short amount of time. Do you move on quickly from outfits you once found adorable? As you look back, are you cringing or getting reinspired by the pieces you see? When you’ve found a trendy piece you love, look at the inspiration you’ve saved. How many times, if at all, does that piece come up on your outfit inspo boards? 

Reference Your Personal Style

People with a stronger sense of personal style tend to not fall into the trap of trend purchasing too often. Consider how you typically dress and how you’d like to dress. Even if you’re someone who might describe their style as “trendy,” it will still be uniquely your own. At this rate, there are sure to be few people left who really buy into every trend. 

Just as individual pieces are trendy, so are entire aesthetics. Are you Coastal Cowgirl or Y2K? With Gen-Z at the forefront of trend forecasting, with help from TikTok, Pinterest, and Instagram, and the increasing turnover rate of trends, branding yourself with a specific aesthetic has become the new craze. This era of self-expression through fashion aesthetics bleeds into more than just clothes, it becomes a lifestyle, an entire personality. It also means that there are suddenly more and more sub-categories of trendy clothing items. While they might bleed from one to the other, generally, cowgirl boots give you that coastal cowgirl look, and hoof-like Tabi shoes are appealing to the grunge revival. Tennis skirts for the athleisure look, low-rise denim for the Y2K girls, you get the idea. The point is, it’s harder now than ever before to not be aware of what’s trending, particularly as it relates to your personal style. 

When you’ve found a piece you’re considering purchasing as yourself, does this trend really fit my personal style? What aesthetic does this piece fall into and can I identify with that aesthetic? 

Get in Your Closet

I cannot stress enough the importance of picturing the item you’re contemplating investing in in your existing wardrobe. There’s nothing like realizing you’ve bought something that doesn’t actually go with anything you own. I know you want those green Adidas Sambas, but picture those Sambas in your closet. Do they match your other shoes? Do you have at least 5 outfits you could wear them with? Are you going to want to grab them every time you have to run out the door? 

What Do You Actually Wear?

While you’re standing in your closet, consider what you actually wear on a daily basis. Do you even wear pieces like this? Do you already own a version of this piece? Consider your day to day life. Can you wear those Sambas to the office? Are you actually going to wear those leopard pants to school drop off? 

Staple or Trend?

Know the difference between a staple and a trend. It’s possible that the item you’re considering purchasing, while trending isn’t necessarily a trend. There are the classic wardrobe staples that Pinterest will say you need. White t-shirt, black t-shirt. Dark denim, light denim. So on and so forth, but if you truly know yourself and your personal style, there might be items you consider staples as well. Vintage eclectic blue sweater you’ve worn all winter the past four winters? Overalls you throw over everything? Those are staples for you because they are constants in your wardrobe. If a piece comes along you feel you must have, consider whether it could be a staple in your wardrobe. It’s up to you to decide whether you’re invested enough in the piece itself to continue wearing it long after it’s disappeared from your FYP. 

If All Else Fails

If all else fails. Log off. Take a step back. Stand in front of your closet and ask yourself a very serious question. Do I want this because I want people to know I have it?