Cheat Sheet: How to Anticipate Fashion Trends

Everyone wants to look stylish, whether they're "into" fashion or not. Magazines would have you believe that the latest looks are fresh and new every season - but they're usually not. Similar silhouettes, fabrics, and themes pop up year after year. Knowing what's going to be in style again will help you make more informed purchases about clothing and accessories, and help you save some money on bigger purchases by investing in clothing for the long haul.

Nothing says spring like a sundress, right? Yet every year when the spring collections begin showing, the fashion rags gush about the sundress being reborn. The same thing happens with schoolgirl plaid and menswear-inspired clothes each fall, and glittery items just in time for holiday gatherings. Starting to see a trend? Convincing the public that something is new and fabulous makes it more appealing - welcome to advertising 101. Applying this logic to the fashion industry helps magazines sell copies and keeps people buying new clothing every year based on fashion editor recommendations.

A few months later when these same items are no longer "hot", magazines will advise you to stop wearing them in favor of the new latest trend. You might sell off a fraction of your wardrobe on eBay or donate clothes to the thrift store - only to see those same items come back into fashion before you know it. This is an endless cycle that can only lose you money.

Saving money is easy if you start thinking ahead. In my part of the country, we experience all four seasons of the year. Therefore, I need to dress accordingly. I own a few bathing suits, but I also need to have heavy coats to withstand winter temperatures. If your neck of the woods experiences similar climate changes throughout the year, you can save a lot of money on clothing by anticipating seasons to come.

The easiest way to do this is by buying in the off-season. Especially if you maintain the same size year after year, you can score huge discounts on clothing just by switching up your shopping calendar. The more expensive an item is, the more you're likely to save - at the end of the winter, stores discount coats up to 90%! You might only have $50 to spend on a coat in any given year, so 90% off a thick wool coat originally priced at $300 (meaning it costs you $30) is pretty remarkable. Plus, if the coat cost that much to begin with, chances are it's a high quality item that will last you for years to come. Buying this way is great for making big-name fashion attainable on a budget.

Sticking to the classics can help keep you looking stylish, too. There's never going to come a day when a well-fitting white button down shirt isn't going to look classy. The same goes for a black pencil skirt, a tailored suit, or straight-leg jeans. It's the little embellishments and details that alter these classics every season that get dated, not the items themselves. With the basic wardrobe staples, your aim should be to buy quality items that you can wear year after year. Keep an eye on shape - go for the standard cut whenever possible, avoiding overly trendy silhouettes like harem pants that only come into fashion once every 15 years. Find out what looks great on you and stick to it, but do so with an honest eye - acid-washed jeans don't look good on anybody, no matter how much you love Whitesnake.

The great thing about going with plain basics is that you can dress them differently by switching accessories. This trick can also make it look like you have a more expansive wardrobe than you actually do. You'll still want to invest for more important pieces such as a quality handbag, but they'll be available at deep discounts at certain times of the year just like in the coat example. Inexpensive accessories can look great next to your high-ticket basics, and are pretty much the one spot in your wardrobe where buying of-the-moment items won't be a total waste. Don't spend a lot - stick to costume jewelry and on-trend stores like Forever 21 to snap up cheap versions of the latest "it" bags and shoes. You can pair up your $300 coat with a hat and scarf in this season's big color from a discount store like K-Mart and it'll still look great. Mix and match, it works.

Don't be a fashion victim. Invest in smart, timeless items when the price is right and you'll never go wrong.