Understanding the Fashion Cycle (and Why It Matters More Than You Think)

From Trend to Decline: How the Fashion Cycle Impacts What We Wear

🧵 Understanding the Fashion Cycle: Why It Matters More Than You Think

Before I started creating content full-time, I worked behind the scenes in the fashion industry.

I was a corporate retail buyer—yes, the person deciding what ends up on store racks—then spent over a decade running a personal styling business, helping real women build wardrobes that worked for their real lives.

Today, as a content creator, I bring all of that experience together to help women navigate style, wellness, and the everyday with confidence and clarity here and on The Well Dressed Life.

And along the way, I’ve learned one of the most eye-opening truths about fashion:

Fashion follows a very predictable—and very intentional—cycle.
Once you understand it, everything changes.

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💡 What Most People Don’t Know

Most people think fashion trends are just about what’s popular or stylish.

But the truth is, the industry runs on a system that’s carefully designed to influence your behavior, your budget, and your closet.

There are five key stages in what’s called The Fashion Cycle:

• Introduction – A new style or trend quietly enters the market, often worn by influencers, celebrities, or featured in high fashion.

• Rise – It gains momentum, becomes more visible, and starts to show up in stores.

• Peak – The trend hits mainstream popularity. It’s everywhere—from runways to Target.

• Decline – Saturation sets in. It starts to feel overdone or tired.

• Obsolescence – It’s out. Marked down. Replaced by what’s “new.”

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🧥 So Where Do Classics Fit In?

There’s another layer to this that’s worth understanding:

While most trends move through the cycle and eventually fade, some pieces never fully disappear.

They may dip in and out of the spotlight, but they don’t follow the same arc of rise, peak, decline, gone. These are your classics.

Think:

• A crisp white button-down

• A trench coat

• Straight-leg jeans

• A tailored blazer

• Ballet flats

• A black dress

These pieces may shift slightly in silhouette or styling from decade to decade, but they never become truly obsolete. Why?

Because they’re built on form, function, and versatility—not trendiness.

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✂️ But Even Classics Evolve

Take the trench coat. It’s undeniably timeless—but the version you wear in 2025 might look different than the one you wore in 2005.

A traditional, full-length trench in cotton twill will always feel polished and elegant. But now, you’ll also see cropped trenches, oversized silhouettes, unique fabrics, and bold colors.

You can wear a trench in a way that feels classic—or you can wear a version that pushes the style forward.
Both can be stylish. The difference is in the intention.

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⚖️ This Is Where Nuance Matters

Understanding how classics evolve allows you to participate in fashion without being consumed by it.

You can wear a timeless piece your way—whether that’s leaning into its heritage or giving it a fresh twist.

And yes, sometimes a classic becomes a trend. It gets a surge of attention from brands, shows up all over your feed, and becomes the “it” piece of the moment.

But that doesn’t mean it loses its staying power—it just means it’s having a moment in the spotlight.

If it works for you—lean in.
If it doesn’t—wait it out.

The beauty of a true classic is that it always comes back.

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💬 A Quick Note Before We Go Deeper…

Let me be clear:

I don’t want to take the joy out of shopping.

Fashion should be fun, expressive, even emotional. For many of us, it’s one of the ways we connect to our identity, our creativity, and even our memories.

I’ve loved clothes since before I can remember. By the time I first flipped through a glossy September issue in the late ’90s I was fully hooked. Back then, fashion felt like an art form—aspirational, yes, but not overwhelming. The culture around it was slower. The seasons had rhythm. And trends, while still influential, didn’t feel like a daily tidal wave.

Today, it’s different.

We’re constantly bombarded—with ads, drops, influencers, and algorithms designed to trigger FOMO. The pressure to keep up is relentless.

And for many women, it doesn’t feel fun anymore—it feels exhausting.

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🎯 Why This Matters

Understanding the fashion cycle isn’t about judgment—it’s about freedom.

This cycle isn’t really about clothes—it’s about control.

Retailers rely on constant churn. They need us to keep buying, to feel like we’re missing something, to believe we’re “out of touch” if we don’t hop on the next big thing.

But that feeling of always being behind? Always needing something new?

That’s not personal failure—it’s the system working exactly as it’s meant to.

So here’s what I want to offer you instead:

You don’t have to ride the rollercoaster.
You can opt out.

That doesn’t mean you stop shopping or stop caring about style. It means you stop letting the cycle dictate your choices.

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👗 What This Looks Like In Real Life

When you understand how the fashion system works, you start seeing trends differently.

You realize being stylish has nothing to do with being “on trend” and everything to do with dressing in a way that feels aligned and intentional.

You can wear what’s “in,” you can wear what’s “out,” or you can wear what makes you feel like yourself.

And that last option? That’s the most timeless of all.

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🧭 You Start to:

• Stop panic-buying the latest “must-have” just because everyone else is.

• Recognize that “back” doesn’t always mean “better” or flattering.

• Feel more confident saying no to trends that don’t work—and more intentional saying yes to the ones that do.

Trends can be fun. They can even be inspiring.

But they’re tools, not rules.

Fashion should support you—not pressure you.

And the more you understand how the system works, the easier it becomes to build a wardrobe that feels like yours.

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🗣️ Let’s Talk

Have you ever felt pressured to buy something just because it was “in”?
Do you feel freer when you stop chasing what’s trending?

I’d love to hear your thoughts—comment below or reply to this email.

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🛍️ Coming Soon for Paid Subscribers

Next week, I’ll be sharing a follow-up just for paid subscribers:
How to Shop Trends Without Wasting Your Money (or Your Closet Space)

I’ll walk you through:

• How I personally decide what trends are worth trying

• What I skip entirely

• How to make something trendy feel like you—no matter your age, body, or budget

If you’ve been thinking about upgrading to a paid subscription, now’s a great time. These posts go a little deeper, get more personal—and give us space to have the conversations we’re really having behind the scenes.

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👀 You Might Also Like:

• The Noise Is the Point
  The fashion cycle isn’t broken—it’s just loud. Here’s how to filter the noise so you can actually enjoy getting dressed again.

• Letting Go Isn’t Giving Up
  If you’re holding onto clothes that don’t fit your life—or your body—this piece is for you. It’s not about giving up. It’s about moving forward.

• Barrel Jeans and Other Reasons Why Fashion Feels Ridiculous
  Trends don’t always translate to real life. This post explores how fashion got so disconnected—and how to find your way back.