We both come from the magazine world where the piece of the moment arrives in the fashion closet fresh off the runway and ends up featured somewhere in the pages of the magazine (how awesome would that fantasy be if applied to everyday life, right?). Now that we have our booties planted firmly on the ground and are working with people and budgets across the board, our attitude about trend items is concrete -- there is no need to pay a fortune for something that you will ultimately want to replace months down the line. Just let the trends come and then let them go.
To be clear, we very much believe in being current -- but we also hold true to the fact that what's current is relative. The pieces in one's wardrobe that will be worn day in and day out, season after season, the "anchor pieces," should require the most thought, the best fit and possibly the most money -- but also offer endless versatility -- regardless of the season and the latest trend. A classic example is the black blazer that can be worn to a breakfast meeting at the school, a work-related lunch, the grocery store in between and a night out on the town. If your days are anything like ours, we suggest keeping a shoe change in the car to help that said blazer become fully functional and multi-faceted.
With the right focus on the important pieces, trend pieces become fillers and compliments that can perfectly round out our top wardrobe "anchor" staples. The good news is that those trend pieces are now affordable, thanks to retailers like H&M, Zara, and Topshop (to name a few favorites, however, the list certainly goes on and we haven't even mentioned the collaborations between high end design and low cost mass retail that are everywhere). It's now fairly easy to add a current trend piece or two to an already existing wardrobe for under $50, and honestly, that number can go higher or lower based on any budget but the point is that it doesn't take much.
Just because you spend less on trend pieces doesn't mean those pieces have to be disposable. Forget about the adage of chucking anything that hasn't been worn for over a year (with the assumption that we can all just replace and move on). Even with the more inexpensive trend pieces that you may have lived in three seasons ago and now want to reinvent, with some creative fashion thinking you can see your wardrobe through completely different (rose-colored) lenses. A good tailor can take that out dated floor length tweed coat on it way to goodwill and transform it into a chic little jacket that hits that flattering spot at your waist.
Our mantra is: Assess, Edit, Style. These three words are the basis of our concept when walking into everyday closets and making people look and feel their best. There are solid wallet-worthy anchor pieces that need to be the bones of what you wear, and trend pieces should become secondary. Looking great doesn't require pouring through the latest pages of Vogue or Elle and then diminishing your bank account. Besides, you really should save your money for that amazing tailor that we feel should be at the helm of every wardrobe. That, and the cost of a haircut these days is a whole other story.