With an innate interest in fashion, I've maintained a willingness to experiment with various style aesthetics and trends over the years. This led to many impulse purchases and many from fast-fashion brands in an attempt to save money. Spoiler: I rarely saved money. Instead, I usually bought more than planned and ended up with a mixture of pieces that hardly denoted a particular style. Sure, I put together plenty of fun outfits, but not many that I truly loved. I look back at most of them and cringe, but we all know about hindsight, particularly as it relates to outfit choices.
It took me a long time to establish what I now consider to be my personal style, mostly because I didn't take the time to reflect on what I was buying. I shopped willy nilly and let affordable price tags convince me that a purchase was sound. Now that I've landed on a style that truly suits me, I'm much more thoughtful about what I buy. I think ahead and plan out my purchases. I consider how versatile a piece is and how many ways I can wear it. I choose to invest in staple pieces that are more classic in silhouette but still fill in my wardrobe with plenty of affordable pieces that are similarly clean and simple for a cohesive feel. If a trend tempts me, I opt for a less-pricey version — if it's ultimately not for me, I'm not as burdened by the purchase.