Keeping up with fashion trends

[PineappleAndGrapefruitLilt]

I tend to be very 'behind' with fashion trends eg avoiding skinny jeans but giving in when I had trouble finding other styles, staying in skinny jeans when everyone had moved on from them etc.

I'd like to be a bit more fashionable, can anyone recommend a good way to stay up to date with fashion trends, such as a blog or website? Or should I just go into shops and see what I like? I'm mid 40s but still love a browse in New Look.

Oh god OP, you are going to get a million people berating you for caring about fashion and telling you what a moral failing it is. Other wise I quite like ‘who what wear,’ news letter and always checking the ‘just in’ sections on websites is good for ideas.

High Street clothes shops will carry what is deemed to be ‘in fashion’ so a browse in New Look, H&M, Primark etc will help you be current, if that’s what you’re after.

Head over to Instagram and search UK fashion. See which posts/posters you’re drawn to, eg they could be similar in size to you, and follow them.

I like streetstyle type blogs and it reminds me to look around me when I'm in town. I live in the country and work in a few major cities so I like to just sort of pay attention on the tube or the subway from time to time. You can have fun picking up microtrends and larger movements. If you sit on the NY subway and look at the socks of the women sitting opposite you, there's a clear age line where visible socks disappear - basically 18 - 35 it's ankle or crew socks, then 35 - 60 it's no socks (presumably trainer/liner socks), then 60+ socks return, plus popsocks for good measure!

I have no political or fashionistical position on socks I just like to notice the patterns.

Op, I deal with it by having a bunch of catalogues and web sites that I check every three months.

I know my body type (tall, lean, long legs).

I know what colours don't suit me (navy, brown, black, mustard, bottle green)

I know what styles don't work on me (frills, blazers, jumpsuits)

Next month I'll spend 3 hrs on a rainy afternoon looking at what's new for autumn, excluding all the stuff that won't suit me, check how many of my things from last year still look good and then order a few new clothes to fill the gaps and bring things up to date.

Sometimes I get it wrong and send something back. They don't mind. And occasionally I hear about a new web site and add it to the list. All very low stress ☺️

I also like “Who What Wear”. I enjoy looking at runway shows even though I’m not buying haute couture! I look at what’s in shops and what stylish people I admire are wearing. If there’s a trend I like I dip my toes in. And obviously we are all influenced by trends no matter what we think. There’s styles I don’t like on me (boho for example) so even if they are in I tend to avoid. I still can enjoy seeing others try them out though!

I mostly just watch other people and what they're wearing. I find the coffee shop is a good place as you get a mix of people, some dressed for business and some off duty.

I make a point of popping into a 'real' high street store like H&M at least every few months, just to see what's in and how they're styling it. I also keep an eye on shop window displays, especially in September and spring when things change.

I still like a magazine. I used to be devoted to Vogue but these days, I often prefer a Hello or Grazia fashion supplement.

There are a couple of websites that 'curate' trends. One is mostly high street and one ranges from high street to high end. And.... I've forgotten what they're both called, which I guess must mean I've not looked at either of them for a while! But I'm sure someone else will know.

But also, I always try and keep an open mind about a new trend. Even if I don't think it's for me, or I remember it the last time round and can't believe it's back already, I still make an effort to reserve judgement until I've at least tried it on for myself.

I think as pp said, it's not always about high fashion so much as shapes and general look. I love Trinny, she puts looks together so well usually. I also like Angharad Jones for the look, rather than the clothes iyswim.

I wouldn't say I'm especially fashionable exactly, but I do love clothes and wearing different things. I am old, but I pay attention to people on the street who are similar age to me and don't fade into the background. Usually it's an attention to detail, neat turn ups on jeans, a bold colour, a nice pair of earrings, a gorgeous coat that's just the right length. It's also not being predictable.

I also follow some older women on Insta who are great at putting things together to look stylish, or who are very good at pep talks about staying visible. A lot of it is confidence and good clothes make me feel confident.

Thank you all for your replies, very insightful and I'll be taking a look at your recommendations ☺️

If you’re only interested in High St fashion

Sheer Luxxe

would be a good thing to sign up to.

For a curated selection going from supermarket to couture,

Collagerie is excellent.

If you’re actually interested in runway showsa then the Vogue (Runway, not the magazine) app is worth the £19 per annum. (Though I gather there are free sites that offer similar coverage.) It’s impossible to feel behind when you can watch live runway shows, and have an archive of them all, going back years, at your fingertips.

@PineappleAndGrapefruitLilt I’m going to suggest something reality retro - buy or subscribe to a magazine ! Easily the best one is Red. It’s perfect for your age and has expensive ideas right down to high street. Even if the clothes are expensive, you get the idea and then look in Zara or Mango. The Spanish do copies of new ideas pretty quickly. I even get a feed where they recommend M&S buys, so you don’t spend a fortune. It’s so much easier to enjoy a magazine and let them steer you. You won’t like every trend, but I always find something I do like or make a trend work for me by getting something similar. It’s money well spent and so much easier when you know what to look for.

Agree with everyone above - it's mainly a matter of training your eye. After a looong period of severe poverty, when I deliberately avoided fashion so as not to make myself miserable, I went on an intensive two-month binge of retail websites, magazines, those "What they're wearing in Paris/London" video shorts, and runway shows. I'm not remotely saying this amount of immersion's necessary: it's just that I love fashion and was hoovering it up like a beggar at a banquet!

Just by looking, you'll absorb the shapes, proportions, colours and textures that are current and will start to spot what's incoming. Once you've got your 'eye', try lots of things out to see what feels good to you. Ask yourself which details you'd like more or less of, what might look good with this or that. And keep on looking.

I really hope you have fun with it!