How I Outsmarted the Trend Cycle and Overcame the Need to Buy It All

The speed at which trends emerge and then dissipate is pretty alarming. In the age of Instagram and social media celebrities, there's an immense pressure to keep up with the newest It item, be it a new bag, shoe trend, or a new denim shape. After all, we live in a "see now, buy now" culture where everything is made available for purchase the instant you first see it. This kind of trend whiplash is exhausting both mentally and financially—who has the budget to be shopping all the time?

It's something I call "trend anxiety", and I'll bet you've also felt it at some point too. It's the feeling I get when I see someone über stylish and automatically feel the need to have a version of what they're wearing right this second. When I experience "trend anxiety", my brain does this fun thing where it puts together outfits from what I already own with the missing piece I'm lusting after.

I've found a trick for cutting through all the trend noise and overcoming the need to buy everything in sight. It's saved me tons of times from making an impulse purchase, and luckily, it couldn't be simpler to implement.

Keep a wish list

What I've started doing is keeping a running list of the things I've been eyeing. So when I see someone wearing an enviable item, I open up the notes on phone and add it to the list. And then I wait. My general rule is to keep the item on my wish list for at least two weeks, but sometimes I'll keep it on the list for up to a month. After that period of time, I look back at my list and check in with myself to reassess how I feel about each item. If I feel strongly about an item, I'll move it to the top of the list so that it's clear which have fallen to the bottom (and thus have lost their luster).

Shop smarter

It's easier said than done, as you can imagine. I still make purchases all the time that completely sidestep my little list. When cult sites like Net-a-Porter and, of course, Zara have massive mid-season sales, I'm rarely consulting my shopping wish list. But overall, it's really helped me to prioritize and budget for the items that I actually need to build up my wardrobe and not just the items I want. By keeping a list, I've learned to tell the difference between items that will add value to my closet (like a pair of versatile black jeans) and those that are just attempts at making me happy in the short-term (like a crop top or tiny sunglasses).

Ahead I'm sharing each of the wish list items that have passed my two-week test. From an investment-worthy black blazer to minimalist jewelry staples, here's everything I've deemed worthy of investing in. To be honest, I'm itching to check off my shopping list badly enough that even writing about it is bringing me dangerously close to hitting "order". But hey, they've passed my test, so now I know the love is real.

Black blazer

Cropped denim jacket

Black jeans

"Baggy" jeans with a tapered leg

White cotton dress

Little black dress

A much-needed travel outfit

White pumps

Black sandals

White sneakers

Black crossbody bag

Uniquely shaped wallet

Huggies

Gold statement ring

Now you're better equipped to decide which pieces are really worth investing in.