these are the fall trends to skip— and what to wear instead

A quick Google search for ‘fall trends 2024’ yields a dizzying number of results. Country house chic. Modern elegance. Circle skirts. Leopard everything. Burgundy hues. Like with every new season, the desire to shop and the sheer number of additional trends becomes overwhelming. We know that trends circle back around every 20 years or so, however the large majority of consumers still opt into them, knowing that they’ll be out of style the next year.

When we think of our broken fashion system, we have to remember that the system isn’t in fact broken - it’s operating exactly as it was intended to. Fashion houses define the trends. Magazines, advertisers and influencers promote the trends. Fast fashion mass produces the trends. People buy the trends. People donate or throw the trends away once the newest one hits.

Trends exist to 1) drive overconsumption and 2) define what is ‘normal’ and ‘cool’. It’s a perfect marketing tactic really, that turns the need to fit in into a product that any person can buy. It leads us to become more disconnected from our true selves for fear of being weird, prevents us from saying no to the things that don’t serve us, and so much more.

The overwhelm of constantly keeping up with the latest trends rarely takes precedent over the desire to be accepted by others.

If we look at trends in this way, they can serve as a powerful tool used to control and shame us into buying things that will lead us to be accepted by others. Because we’re taught that outfits or styles that are too ‘out there’ will earn us strange looks from everyday people who are too afraid to admit that they’re so far disconnected from their own sense of self, they would rather point and laugh than appreciate the courage it takes to embody one’s own individuality through fashion.

It’s clear that this desire for normalcy and acceptance drives so many of our choices. And as we know, maintaining the status quo is what’s led us to the current state of the fashion industry.

If we are to rip ourselves out of this capitalist cycle, the question we should pose ourselves is: how can we prioritize our own self-acceptance rather than rely on the fashion industry to manufacture external validation for us?

The answer to this question isn’t something you can buy. Self-healing and getting to the point of accepting who you are isn’t as cute as that new top on the mannequin at Zara. But deepening your connection to yourself can help you own your own sense of style, get in touch with which styles and silhouettes bring you joy, and give you the opportunity to opt out of trends that aren’t aligned with what you genuinely like. Don’t get me wrong: there’s nothing wrong with wanting to wear trending pieces. They’re trending for a reason! But feeling obligated to buy into trends shouldn’t be the norm, no matter what the girlies on TikTok Shop, or Vogue, or Aritzia are saying.

This fall, I recommend you skip trends entirely. Opt out of the hyperconsumption system for at least one season, and spend time getting a better sense of what your style is outside of the trend cycle. What to wear instead? Whatever’s already in your closet. If you get to the point where nothing in your closet feels aligned with your truest style, then shop slowly, shop secondhand wherever possible, and be mindful with your purchases. While trends may come and go, remember that your true style is everlasting.