On average a person only wears 25% of their wardrobe. Now there are many reasons for this and let me tell you not having enough clothes is never the case! [LOL] Some causes may be that they bought items hoping they would eventually fit into it, it was such a bargain they could not pass it up, or it was a had to have item at the time but went home and quickly realized nothing in their closet went with it. Now these are all big no no’s when you go shopping however, they are not what I am going to focus on for today. What I want to talk about is something much bigger and not really an issue but more of a styling concept that one must learn. I call it “Buy Now…Wear Now”.  It is a great styling tool to learn and use consistently as it will help you grow your wardrobe as well as wear a lot more pieces through out the year.

Now most of you know that in the fashion world there are only two seasons. Spring and Fall; there is no Summer and Winter like the weather seasons. Thus, meaning that the concept of buying for certain seasons is totally backwards. If you have not already noticed we are still in August and Spring Collections are all on sale while Fall Collections are coming in at rapid speed! Fall is considered to be from July to December and Spring is January to June. Therefore, you really have to be aware of what you are buying, when to buy certain pieces and most importantly how to get the most wear out of each piece. This concept is especially important when you are dropping a large amount of money on one piece. I do condone this type of shopping 100%, I believe quantity over quality but that is a whole other topic. :) Now, because we are currently in Fall it seems most appropriate to teach you how to wear the trends of this season while we are still seeing the sun blazing outside. Not to mention that Fall is my favorite season, born and raised in the Northwest my have something to do with my favorites. I absolutely love boots, tweed coats, bulky sweaters, sequin dresses, dark color, etc… the list could go on forever.

The two trends that I am really loving are FUR and LEATHER! Both of these trends can totally be worn now for Summer and will transition perfectly into Fall. Now I know you must be thinking, “are you crazy it is like 80 degrees outside how do you expect me to wear fur and moreover leather”! Well, let me tell you that styled with the right pieces its very doable. I do not know about you but I love instant gratification and the thought of buying a fabulous $1,500 fur jacket or vest and having it tucked away in my closet until the temperature drops to at least 40 degrees is just unacceptable. If fur is your trend of choice this season, I would style it with a great high waisted short, a light weight blouse, topped off with your fabulous new FUR jacket/vest and paired with chunky wedges! Now in the evening you could switch it up with a skinny jean, tank top and the vest/jacket. Moreover, when it gets cold you can also put a long top underneath the vest. And the jacket of course will look great over anything especially a sequin dress!

If you are dieing to wear your leather jacket, shorts or pants here are a few ideas of how to style them. Leather jacket is pretty simple you can really style it over anything and it will look good. A summer dress, tank and shorts, maxi dress, top and jeans, etc. Leather shorts are easy as well your legs are already exposed so all you need to think about is what you will wear up top. I would suggest something light weight; t-shirt, blouse, tank, or maybe even that fur vest. Pair it with wedges or caged sandals and you are ready! Now if leather pants are your trend of choice, I would suggest only wearing these late in the evening as leather does not breath. Also, again I would wear something light weight so that you stay as cool as you can. In the winter, when the weather actually cools off I would pair both the leather pants and shorts with bulky sweaters and booties. The shorts I would also wear a textured tight underneath, that way you stay warm and look chic doing it. What is really neat about this seasons leather is that is washed leather which makes it more casual and to me seems to be a better look for Summer.

LEATHER JACKET “SUMMER LOOKS”

LEATHER JACKET “FALL/WINTER LOOK”

Ok, so now that you know how to wear two of the best trends for Summer and Fall… get to shopping! And do not be afraid to splurge, these two trends always seem to come and go through different years they are definitely pieces that you just never get rid of! And I must say vintage fur is the best!

Here are a few of my favorite leather and fur pieces in retail stores now… Until next time, stay styled right! xoxo FSR