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Trendy isn’t always cool

Here today, gone tomorrow - buying the latest fashion is a gamble in the cool stakes.

"The shopping public are hungry for new must-haves to burn a hole in their credit card"

Fast fashion, catwalk trends, cheap and cheerful fashion…. all these words are thrown at us by the media, with an underlying message of BUY NOW! You’re feeling down? Buy something! You’re feeling bored? Buy something! Those bright purple skintight jeans are soooo fashionable, the fashion magazines reckon they are a brilliant must-have buy. Okay, so the price tag is €60… But you’ll get loads of wear out of them.

Well, no, you probably won’t. Unless you really suit that violent purple, stuck to your legs look. Or unless you are so blinded by the fashion industry, that you really believe it’s better to embrace the latest fashion than to wear clothes that suit your shape and your lifestyle.

Whilst some trends seem to go on forever, pushed forward by sadistic fashion magazine, money hungry clothing brands and crazed designers, in general, fashion trends whiz past in a matter of months. The shopping public are hungry for new must-haves to burn a hole in their credit card, whilst the fashion industry is whooping it up and filling the clothes market with more extreme trends by the year.

However, for the buyer, there’s one problem that tends to be overlooked. That oh-so-now giant woolly jumper, cinched at the waist with a teeny patent belt, will be oh-so-uncool by Christmas. So we buy more, our wardrobes get stuffed to creaking point and we still feel that we have nothing to wear.

What’s a clothes lovin’ gal or guy to do? Only buy the quality and pocket unfriendly classics? Stick a finger in the air to shop-bought fashion and get creative with your granny’s old stuff?

How about forgetting the fashion magazines, the models and the celebrities, and looking for colours, shapes and materials that YOU love and that really suit you.

How about spending Saturday re-inventing the clothes you already have, rather than splurging on a load of "it’s okay but I don’t love it" fast fashion in the shops. How about clearing out all the clothes you never wear and giving them to a charity shop or arranging a clothes swap with your friends.

Be unique, wear what you love and look great in, forget the trends and before you know it, people will be looking for fashion tips off you.

This article is part of the SpunOut Opinion section – a space for young people to share their experiences of tough times and encourage others to seek help.

This story is just one person's experience and it may be different for you. Remember that no matter what you are going through, there is help and support available.

See SpunOut.ie/help for more information.