I'm in My Elegant Era—5 Too-Trendy Things I'm Leaving Behind This Year

Last month, as 2024 approached, I took the opportunity to evaluate my (admittedly overflowing) wardrobe and make some decisive cuts. I realised I hadn't done a deeper audit of things in quite a long time, so not only was my closet in need of a healthy purge to make everything finally fit on the hanger again, but my style has notably pivoted over the past year towards a more elegant and classic look and many of my older clothing items just no longer feel like anything I want to wear.

I'm guilty of trying a lot of different trends and during the height of the Y2K redux, I tried dozens of things that feel overly-trendy when I look at them now. It turns out that I was holding onto plenty of items like baggy cargo pants and colourful plastic jewellery that I thought I'd get wear out of but never really did. At the end of the day, I've always preferred more timeless styles to trendier ones, so I'm taking it as a lesson to be pickier when trying new styles. Below, I'm discussing below several of the swaps I've made to move my wardrobe and personal style in a more elegant and less trend-driven direction that will (hopefully) withstand the test of time.

Pausing: Kitschy Corset Tops

Keeping: Classic Bustiers

Style Notes: The first items I removed during my recent cleanout were corset tops with bright colours and kitschy prints. While they were fun to wear in the moment, I look at them now and they immediately remind me of a very specific era of my life, a surefire sign that they're anything but timeless. Instead, I held onto a few bustier tops I had that were on the simpler and more refined end of the scale.

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Pausing: Tall Platforms

Keeping: Sleek Slingbacks

Style Notes: Speaking of trends I was only convincing myself I liked, I admit that platform heels are one item that's never been very "me." When everyone and their mother seemed to be wearing a pair, I simply couldn't help myself from doing the same. Now, though, I'm focusing on slingback pumps that recall the sleek and simple style of the '90s.

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Pausing: Baggy Cargo Pants

Keeping: Column Skirts

Style Notes: Cargo pants are one of those cool items that you either pull off flawlessly or not at all (take a wild guess at which category I fell into). Yep, I tried to love them but ultimately could never shake the feeling that the pants were wearing me and not the other way around. One trend that suits me especially well, however, is the column skirt. When I'm not feeling jeans, I always reach for a tailored maxi skirt for a dose of polish.

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Pausing: Printed Mesh Pieces

Keeping: Sheer Lace Pieces

Style Notes: Vintage Jean Paul Gautier and Cop Copine tops are still in high demand on the resale market, but being print-averse, I've accepted that the style just isn't for me. In place of them, I'm interested in sheer lace pieces to wear going out on the weekends, like a lace bodysuit underneath a blazer à la my elegant style icon Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.

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Pausing: Colorful Plastic Jewelry

Keeping: Sculptural Statement Pieces

Style Notes: My jewellery box was overflowing with colourful plastic rings and quirky beaded necklaces just a few years ago, but one glance at it now and you'll notice it's a sea of gold and metal in organic shapes. 

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