THE FALL TREND REPORT
Style Essentials Every Girlboss Needs For Your #OOTD
 

By Shana Lynn Yao

There's a chill in the air - have you felt it? As the leaves in Los Angeles turn...um green (what can I say, it's sunny LA!) there is a chilly breeze that has blown in. Fall has arrived and just as every seasonal change - whether you are a fashionista or not - there is a buzz in the air - a movement of sorts, for new inspirations, new colors, and new attitudes.

It happens every year whether you want it to or not - things change - new ideas are born, inspired minds launch onto the scene with their creations, and just as expected as New York Fashion Week every year, trendsetters clamor to get in on the action. 

It's called a fashion trend for a reason. As Malcom Gladwell wrote in the best selling book "The Tipping Point", it starts out as a small buzz amongst the influencers and trendsetters, and then slowly trickles down to the general public where it become mass market, been there done that, and then just as quickly as it started, it goes away.

But in actuality, some trends STICK. Those iconic and everlasting trends are called STYLE.

Which is where the word "girlboss" comes into the picture. Despite having spent all of my life in the world of fashion - from my 25 year career as a marketing director for high end retailers and shopping centers, Rodeo Drive, and even as a child anxiously awaiting my fall fashion magazines to come out to bury my head into - I'm all about practical, budget friendly fashion. 

And thankfully, in today's day and age, there are budget conscious, quality retailers at your fingertips.

Why do you need these 5 fashion trend essentials then? Let me count the ways - to start and end with - your style is a statement. How you present yourself in person or online as a business owner is a declaration of sorts.

What does that mean? It means that as a female business owner - hell - as a business owner in general - it is now your JOB to sell yourself. No need to point the finger at the other women killing it online - I'm actually pointing right towards YOU.

Yes - you don't need to be a fashionista but you have to have a personal style if you want to successful market yourself in this photo driven world. It's a new day and age, and #lookgoodfeelgood is not just a hashtag - it's a personal manifesto . And specifically, these 5 trends are NOT the ones you'll read in Vogue magazine - these are specifically hand selected for the female business owners who want to look in the know and capture your audiences attention with these subtle style secrets.

So without further ado, here are the 5 MUST HAVE fashion trends EVERY girlboss needs this fall season. You may even have some of these in your closet. Plus, all of them are under $50 - so you can't go wrong. Are you ready? 

1. THE STATEMENT CHUNKY SWEATER

GET THIS LOOK

The statement chunky sweater - keyword - it's a statement! As I said above, we live in a world that communicates in pictures and video. That means that even on your website you have less than 7 seconds to capture someone's attention. Whether it's a photo on your blog, a photo on Instagram, or a webinar - NOT using all of your secret weapons (style is a secret weapon in case you didn't know - wink wink) would be just a shame.

So what better wardrobe update than a big chunky sweater! Not only does it look COOL, it will keep you WARM. Pair it with a short skirt and tall boots, skinny jeans, or even over some suede shorts and over the knee boots (you sexy mama you!)

Plus - hello - this sweater is under $30. What are you waiting for? SHOP IT NOW

2. DEWY GLOWING SKIN

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Wow - did someone just turn on a light? Because your glowing skin is blinding me :o 

Gorgeous, right? I don't know about you, but the last time I was 17 was, uh, WAY more than 17 years ago! And that youthful glow is attention getting and alluring. Plus, when you have it, you start to feel younger too. 

I learned about this secret product from Youtube vlogger Kelsey Simone. Yes - she IS seventeen and totally gorgeous, and because of it, managed to grow her channel from zero to over a million subscribers on Youtube - simply by glowing from the inside out. 

So when she recommended this all natural product, I had to try it - and WOW. I may not be seventeen ever again, but I feel about 20 years younger. Imagine your next Instagram selfie with your dewy skin looking moist and alluring. A fall must have for sure. SHOP IT NOW

3. BOLD COLOR ANYTHING

As I said above, style is a declaration. After all, your personal brand is what people say about you after you have left the room. Which means entering the room, you've got to leave an impactful impression, whether that room is at a restaurant, a networking event, or your online social media presence.

YES! In fact, as a girlboss business owner, every time you are online, you are literally making a statement about yourself. You make a statement with your profile photo (uh oh if you're Facebook profile photo is your dog), or with a photo you post on Instagram. It's a statement of who you are and how you see the world.

You have 7 seconds to capture someone's attention and BOLD COLORS are one of the easiest ways to make a statement - so thankfully - this fall season they are in - and in a BIG way.

Even if you are a black and white person like me, there is nothing more eye catching than a touch of bright color to instantly make a statement.

In fact, black is actually a bold color. But just wearing it in a normal setting is not what this fall trend is about. Again, it's not what you wear, it's how you wear it (as in the above photo of me on a stark white background). 

How are you going to go bold this season?

4. RIPPED ANYTHING

As I have said repeatedly, it's not what you wear but how you wear it. Thankfully, this trend is NOT going away. And whether you spend $500 on a pair of designer ripped jeans (yes they exist!) or you pull out those ripped jeans you have, or decide to get creative with a pair of scissors and an old sweater - the ripped anything trend is IN.

To make the ripped look fashionable, pair your ripped denim with a great pair of heels, boots, and a sweater or dressy blouse.

Fire up your creative thinking and go look in your closet. There are so many possibilities with this trend and regardless, it speaks to the new world we live in - where people are realizing that minimizing a lot of extras is actually quite hip and cool.

5. CONFIDENCE

It's free! I know, I kind of cheated, but the truth is, you are "in style" if you have the confidence to own not only what wear, but how you wear it. It goes far beyond just styling your look - it's a presence, a j'nais se quoi that resonates in everything you do.

Call it an energy, a vibration - but it speaks a loud message, every time you enter a room.

The problem so many girlboss business owners have, usually, is turning your personal style into an online personal brand.

Some try to "look professional", or hide your real personality behind a generic quote or stock photo - when the truth is - by not presenting who you are - whether it's in person or online - and I mean who you really, really are when nobody is watching - you will just fall into millions and millions of other people online who are doing the same thing.

Nobody is you and THAT is your power.

So what trends will you be sporting this fall? Share them in the comments below. Remember, as Sophie Kinsella said in her best selling book (my personal favorite!) "Shopaholic":

SHANA YAO IS A BEST LIFE STRATEGIST AT TOTAL GENIUS . SHE BELIEVES WE ALL HAVE STORY THAT LIVES INSIDE OF US. YOUR LIFE STORY WHEN UNCOVERED AND DEVELOPED, BECOMES A BRAND STORY THAT CREATES YOUR LIFE PURPOSE, CHANGES LIVES, AND IS THE MONEY CODE THAT BECOMES YOUR LIFE OF PROFITS, PURPOSE AND MEANING.

IF THIS ARTICLE INSPIRED YOU. BE SURE TO SHARE IT WITH OTHERS AND LET'S CONNECT AT MY OTHER HOME ON INSTAGRAM!

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