We don’t live in a time where we buy a whole new wardrobe every season. We’re not in an episode of I Love Lucy. Remember those episodes where Lucy and Ethel would come home with boxes and boxes of new clothes for the new season? Today, we buy a little here, subtract a little there. Our wardrobes are always in flux. However, what we all want to be, whether we are into shopping or not, is current. But nobody has the funds or the time to start over each season. Instead, we want to be able to add a few things to our wardrobes that bring it up to speed. And you don’t need a lot to do it. Below, I have added one trend to each of these work looks that can give you some ideas for taking what you already own, and by adding one new thing make an outfit look fresh.

FIVE TRENDS YOU CAN ADD TO YOUR WORK WARDROBE TO GET IT UP TO DATE

Trend #1- Pleated Pants

Nobody is saying you have to ditch all your flat front pants or give up your skinnies. If we have seen anything in trends over the past few years is that they’re not as narrow as they once were. There was a time when a trend would hit and that would be all you would see, there were no other options. But these days, trends are more flexible. I don’t think we will reach a time where the only thing that can be found in stores are pleated pants. So don’t throw your skinny ankle pants in the donate pile. The circle of pants trends has just widened to include pleated options. That’s all.

So if you want to buy a pair, you can easily add this trend to your existing work wardrobe. I styled this pair from COS with a summer tweedy jacket from M.M. Lafleur, a simple ivory tank, black pumps from Rockport, and black chunky twisted hoops from Bauble Bar.

Trend #2- Silk (or silk-like) Blouses

Do you think the trend of silky blouses has anything to do with the fact that we’ve been lockdown for over a year wearing athleisure? Silk and silk-like blouses are a trend that we haven’t seen for some time considering we’ve been on a casual trajectory for years now. Perhaps the silk blouse is our response to wanting to get dressed again? I’ve been so digging this trend, even worn casually with jeans. The silk blouse is also a nod to the 90’s trend which has been raging on for some time now.

A silk blouse is super easy to incorporate into your existing wardrobe. In this look, I styled this striped style from Everlane with a belted A-line skirt in bright blue from BOSS Hugo Boss. I finished the look with a pair of cobalt pumps from Coach and an enamel link necklace from Ann Taylor.

Trend #3- Square Toe Shoes

I want to state for the record that I hate square toe shoes about as much as the first time I saw pointy-toe shoes in a shoe store in Paris in the early 2000s, before they really hit as a trend here in the U.S. The look of these shoes that were so pointy looked odd to my eyes that were used to toes that were more square or rounded. This speaks to how long it takes the eye to get used to a different look when the trends change. It also means that, in time, I will probably be more comfortable with toes being square again. Admittedly, my much older feet are breathing a sigh of well-earned relief that shoes might be more comfortable to wear with this new toe box trend.

How super easy is it to switch out the shoes of an outfit you already own? I styled this pair of square toe pumps in beige from Naturalizer with an orange and white printed dress from M.M. Lafleur, a cropped ivory cardigan from Hobbs, and irregular drop earrings in citrus from Lafayette 148.

Trend #4- Bold Suits

Bold suits were around pre-pandemic and now that we’re returning to work and some sort of normalcy, the trend will most likely continue. Bold suits make a strong statement and women have grown weary of flying under the radar. If this pandemic has proven anything, it’s that women in the workplace are superheroes and need to be treated as such. Women have been hit hardest by unemployment due to the pandemic by either losing their jobs or choosing to off-ramp to care for their families at home.

A bold suit is easy to break apart so it can be worn in a variety of ways. A client recently purchased this bold magenta suit from Hobbs (link to jacket, link to pants) and we spent some time styling it as separate pieces. I styled this suit here with a navy top, navy stud earrings, and the same cobalt shoes as in look two.

Trend #3- Bold Minimalist Jewelry

Bold and minimalist seem like two words that shouldn’t be used together. If something is bold, how can it be minimalist? What it means is the jewelry may be larger but it’s cleaner and less ornate. Think modern and less vintage.

I added this unfussy necklace from COS to this look of a beige blouse from The Fold with ivory bootcut trousers from Seventy Venezia and finished the outfit with block heel pumps from Marc Fisher.

Adding Trends Doesn’t Have to be Impossibly Difficult

Back when I was a fashion designer, it was my job to seek out the trends and design them for whoever I was working for. Designers get paid to do this. I always explain to clients that if it is in the store it is trendy and there are designers out there who get paid a lot of money to do this job for you. Don’t overthink it, if you like something and it works for you and your wardrobe, buy it, especially now that you see how easy it can be to work these trends into your wardrobe.