10 Tips for Weaving Runway Trends into Your Day-to-Day Winter Fashion

Though I'm not a fashionista, I enjoy keeping up with trends and have a penchant for shows like Project Runway. It's certainly not always practical to incorporate fashion trends in my rural lifestyle - e.g. the cows just don't care if my boots are knee highs with four-inch heels or rugged with grip soles (obviously the more prudent choice.)

But, there's a few fashion "rules" that are timeless for incorporating new trends into winter fashion. Here are my top ten:

Invest in a good winter coat. A stylish, classic jacket never goes out of style and will keep you looking fashion forward throughout the season. My favorite color choices are black or grey because they tend to go with every accessory... which brings us to #2...

Try trendy accessories. Investing in the color or style of the moment is a lot more affordable if you stick to smaller fashion items such as belts, scarves, hats, mittens, and jewelry to compliment your existing wardrobe pieces.

Buy the pattern in a shirt. Rather than purchasing a whole trendy outfit, I like to purchase one or two shirts in patterns, styles, or colors that are current and then pair them with classics like dark jeans or black trousers. It's easy enough to change shirts to trends than a head-to-toe trendy look.

Glam up your eye makeup. Want to add a little glitz, holiday color, or play up a fashion trend you noticed in a magazine. Makeup is a simple option to turn to when you want to totally update your look. People may not realize what's different, but your new eye shadow and contemporary nail polish can make a powerful impact. I once tried a green eye shadow with gold shimmer when it was in style and received so many compliments on the look that I still look towards similar glittery trends each year.

Choose a new shade. My grandmother always said that any woman could get buy without any other makeup if she had a great lipstick. I think grandma was on to something there as the right shade can really make or break a fashion look. The natural "nude" look seems to almost always be in style, but the reds and colors change from year to year. Be sure to visit your local makeup counter and try on a few shades before committing to a new one.

See what's in your closet. Often it's simply a color combination that is in style, such as pinks and browns matched together. If you already have these colors in your wardrobe and have complimentary items, there's no need to rush to the store to buy some more. Use what you have by combining wardrobe items in a new way.

Scope out the local thrift shops. When the 80's look came back into fashion, my daughter and I scoured the thrift shops and came up with oodles of authentic clothing options to update her wardrobe with. Everyone asked where she got many of the items, no one guessed that they were second hand clothing.

Opt for designer knock-offs. I love flipping open fashion magazines and seeing the "look for less" articles. There are so many affordable options that resemble the high-fashion items, so why pay out prices you can't afford when you can get a twin look for a fraction of the cost.

Walk the walk. I'm a fan of updating my shoe wardrobe periodically, not just for the fashion, but to keep my feet happy and pampered. Shoes can wear out fast here in the country and there's nothing worse than aching feet at the end of the day. I generally have more "practical" pairs of shoes, but try to incorporate one or two "trendy" styles into my wardrobe each year, too.

Get a hair cut. Even a trim can perk your look up to a fashionable new level. Feel free to go with the style of the moment, but if you are unwilling to alter your length dramatically (like I am,) check out the latest hair accessories to help your update your hair style. I've noticed lately that the "milkmaid" hairstyle is a hot trend for those with long hair, and that braids, in generally, seem to be the new "it" style. If you don't have long hair, there are plenty of hair extension products that are so close to real, it's difficult to tell the difference when you see them worn.

With very simple and inexpensive options it's relatively easy to weave the hottest runway trends into your day-to-day winter fashion.