How do some people just know what is going to be trendy/fashionable way before others?

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I'm a sheep and end up buying things after I've seen them around or with regards to clothes other people wearing them or seeing them in magazines, but some people don't need to see them, they just know. For example a woman I know bought a white car a few years ago way before anyone else around here had one and has now got a dark coloured car, she had ash high tops again years ago way before they were everywhere. There are a few women and men around here who just seem to know what is going to be popular and buy it and then move on to the next thing just as most people are getting into the previous thing. Barbour jackets are another example of this, wearing them four years ago but not being seen dead in them now.

We're about as far from trendy areas as you can be so I want to know how do these people do it?

They don't. They buy stuff that appeals to them. At some point later on it comes into fashion.

Don't buy stuff because it's fashionable. Buy it because you like it, because it suits you, and you can afford it.

Really, these people are always wearing something that becomes the next popular style, I don't think it can just be down to buying what they like. I'm not interested in being able to do it I'm just intrigued as to how some people do.

The being able to afford it is a good point I often wonder how they can afford the expensive bag, shoes or to change cars often or whatever.

I agree with Dame Fanny to some extent, especially with high ticket items but some people seem to have a knack.

For example there have been a couple of people on The Voice in the past whose look went on to become popular months after the original auditions.

coz they're buying it when the designers do it, and it takes another year for the high street get their copies out, which is when it becomes mainstream.

Fashion conscious people follow trends that have been set during the rota of fashion weeks and follow blogs.

I think that some people are just very interested or very finely tuned to this sort of thing. They can sense when the "normal" or slower-to-catch-on people have finally caught on to a particular trend and so will veer away from it or take the next logical follow up. I remember watching a tv program about these type of trendsetters and how advertisers/marketing people try to analyse what they are wearing or doing to see what the rest of us can be sold a few months later. I also remember people at school/university who made a point of abandoning what they previously loved (fashion/music/what ever) once "everybody started liking it". Some people just need to be ahead - pretenious is the word for it in my book, but each to their own!

Watch what they put in the Couture shows every January / July.

This is usually filtered down to the next ready to wear show a few months later. Then the high-street copy from there. If there was a trend in the couture you can sometimes find similar items in the shops and bag them before they're too popular.

Following fashion week and couture shows makes sense, but are there such things for home decor and cars then because they seem to be able to do it across all areas of their lives.

I think most of us are sheep, and don't dare to wear anything really new or cutting edge until we've seen a few examples out and about, or in the shops. I certainly don't want to stand out, in fact, by the time I adopt a trend it's normally over.

Cointreau I know exactly what you mean, whilst I like to look good and make an effort standing out is not for me and you can guarantee by the time I buy something, it is being slated as being so over on here. I'm not planning on changing that though, it seems far too much effort for starters.

I have a v stylish friend. I work on the basis that if she is buying it I will probably want to buy it in three months' time (NB: I am not a crazy clothes stalker, I do find 'my' version of things!). But yes, she buys more or less exclusively designer, so things like wedge trainers she has been wearing for 2-3 years already.