Shopping Trendy vs. Timeless

When you don’t have a very forgiving clothing budget, every potential purchase becomes a high stakes inner debate. Is this really a necessity? Will I be able to wear it plenty of ways? Will it work with the things I already own? Can I picture myself wearing this for multiple occasions? As the proud owner of a meager (some might even call it pitiful) clothing budget, the question I struggle with the most is whether to spend my hard-earned pennies on pieces that are trendy and fun and great right now versus using my money for things that are more timeless and classic and potentially could have a place in my wardrobe for longer since they hopefully won’t go out of style. And although I definitely have the most fun with trendy items, more often than not I take the conservative route and buy things that aren’t terribly trendy, but will hopefully stick around for the long haul.

Annie Jean Apparel sent me this beautiful maxi skirt recently, and it has me rethinking the things I usually choose to buy. Because this skirt, with its bold colors and trendy print, isn’t the sort of thing I usually buy for myself when I’m out shopping . . . but I love it. I feel happy and confident and pretty wearing it, and I enjoy it soooooooo much more than the simple, quiet, timeless things I typically gravitate toward for the sake of getting the most bang for my low-budget buck.

It has me thinking that I need to find a better balance between basic, sometimes boring wardrobe essentials and fun, exciting, trendy pieces. Of course there have to be some classic closet staples—nice white tees or basic scarves, for instance—but they’re only as fun as the happy pieces you pair them with that bring a smile to your face. Really, no matter how much my wallet might tell me that my money should only be spent on something that will never go out of style, like solid-colored tee shirts and jeans, I don’t want to be stuck wearing only that day after day. I need me some color and print and excitement. Boring outfits don’t make me happy. Bold skirts do.

I’m curious how (and, honestly, if) other people handle this sort of issue while shopping (I’m learning that I have the tendency to stress and worry over imaginary problems. Ease up on me, everybody needs a hobby.). Do you worry about trendiness vs. timelessness when you shop? Do you try to only spend money on classic items, or do you go for it with things that make you smile now?

If you need a little more color and fun and trendiness and joy in your wardrobe, you can use coupon code RBMM25 at Annie Jean Apparel to save 25% through the end of the month! And all bias aside, I have loved working with Annie Jean . . . I’ve gotten the chance to collaborate with quite a few brands throughout the course of this whole blogging adventure, and the folks over there are nothing but sweet and courteous and attentive to customers, and I’ve absolutely loved everything I’ve gotten from them (you can find a few more items I’ve worn from Annie Jean HERE). Happy shopping, friends.

Top: c/o LuLu*s // Scarf: Target // Skirt: c/o Annie Jean Apparel
Shoes: Delia’s // Bag: c/o Lily Jade