Fall is here. Yeah! If fall is your favorite season for clothes, you’re definitely not alone (it’s my favorite, too!). All the cozy textures and layers and rich colors and yummy sweaters and it’s finally boot weather. It’s the best season for style, right? And even if you have fun fall clothes sitting in your closet, you may be itching to try something new this season.
But trying something new can be a little daunting, especially if it’s not something that you’re comfortable with. If you’re planning to buy into a new trend or test a new print or just wear different things from your closet, there are ways you can get started without a complete 100% commitment. Read a few of my ideas on how to try it in degrees, aka 4 low commitment ways to try something new.
INVEST SPARINGLY
The simplest way to try a new style or trend without fully committing is by minimizing your $ investment. Yes, you may love the $500 designer leopard print coat, but if it’s so far out of your everyday style that you’re not sure you’ll wear it much, test the trend with a lower cost alternative. Please note – I’m not saying to buy multiples of the same thing. If it’s a risky dollar investment, then keep your dollar investment low. And if you wear the heck out of the inexpensive leopard coat this season, invest in a higher quality version next season.
WEAR IT FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME
When I work with clients, I’m often gently nudging them out of their comfort zone – and I do this deliberately in ways that they can handle. And sometimes, I’m asking them to try something new that they’re not used to, or not even sure they can pull off. And that’s when I tell them to try it for a short period of time.
I have a client who used to dress up much more for work – before SF, she lived in New York and Japan. A priority for our work together is adapting her style to the casual Bay Area environment. She used to always wear dresses and skirts to the office – so, I asked her to start wearing pants as a method of toning down her dressier tops and jackets, but she was hesitant. But instead of committing to pants for a full 8 hour workday (plus commute), I suggested that she start wearing pants to dinner with friends (a 2-3 hour commitment). It may seem like a minor shift, but knowing that you’re wearing something new just for a few hours makes it much less intimidating than wearing it from 8am-6pm at the office.
START SMALL
If you’re going gaga over the season’s newest print or a bold new color – but you’re not 100% ready to commit – don’t try it for the first time with a major piece in your wardrobe. That snake print jumpsuit or fuchsia blazer may look pretty online, but once you get it home, it might feel like too much and then sit in your closet. So, a great way to introduce a new pattern or shade into your wardrobe is to start small.
Accessories are the ideal way to start small – a patterned shoe, colored belt or fun scarf is a smaller dose of newness that still adds style points to your look. Even going for an easy (and inexpensive) top is a smaller commitment than a larger (and pricier) piece. And if you’re eager to experiment with a new color, but aren’t sure it’s for you, look for that color in a printed item as a less intimidating way to include it in your wardrobe repertoire. If you’re looking for other ways to add color into your closet, read this.
PICK A DAY
OK, so you’ve decided that you want to wear more dresses to work. But then weeks go by, and you haven’t had a morning when a dress feels right. So, instead of overthinking it to the point of exhaustion, I introduce ‘dress Thursdays’. And that simply means that you’ll wear a dress (or a blazer or heels) weekly on Thursdays (or any day you choose). It’s a simple decision, but it gives you the motivation to just do it for a while. If you’re iffy on doing it for an extended period of time, plan to do it for a month – and then evaluate.
Are you ready to try something new this season, even in a low commitment way? If you’re looking to explore new things, but aren’t sure where to start, follow me on Instagram and Facebook for daily style inspiration, and subscribe to my monthly newsletter for a big dose of style delivered directly to your inbox.
