the summer trend report

Welcome to Your Older Sister’s Closet’s first seasonal trend report!!

The word trend has gained a bad rap given today’s obnoxious influencer culture with seemingly endless online shopping hauls and ‘how to dress like an it girl’ guides littered all over our feeds. And let me be clear: I do not consider myself a trendy gal. In fact, when family and friends describe me that way (clearly as a compliment, I know), I find myself biting my tongue and resisting the urge to explain all the reasons I do not want to fit into that consumer category. I still carry a bit of that negative connotation.

I love the idea of (1) a slowly (!!) curated, thoughtful wardrobe, and (2) building a closet that truly stands the test of time, which in theory feels very anti-trend.

That said, after spending a year fully on the anti-trend bandwagon, I looked at my closet and saw nothing but basics and, honestly, not an ounce of personality. I struggled to pull out a single piece that transported me back to a vacation, a milestone, or a specific moment in time.

A few years removed from that restrictive, and frankly quite boring, mindset, my closet is fun, feels incredibly me, and acts as a personal time capsule. The key here is to think critically when it comes to deciding which trends are actually worthy of a place in your closet.

These are a few questions I ask myself when I’m on the fence about a trend:

1. How versatile is this within my current wardrobe?

2. Does this fit my current lifestyle?

3. Will I still gravitate toward this once everyone has moved on?

4. Is there something about this trend that feels distinctly me?

5. Did I have an emotional response or feel some kind of personal tether to it?

If I can confidently answer yes to most of these - especially that last one - I consider it worth adding to my closet.

Here is what I’ve seen trending in some capacity this summer that I have deemed worthy of a purchase for my personal lifestyle/closet. Let’s get into it!

ok maybe the most micro-trendy on the list HOWEVER, I saw bandana & tie dye cashmere all over Paris earlier this winter, so you know it’s making its way over to the States as we speak. both prints have always felt incredibly nostalgic & distinctly ‘summer’ to me, but I trust we will see these year-round soon.

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