How to Build a Wardrobe That Lasts: Timeless Style Meets Modern Trends

During the winter months, I pull a gray cashmere cardigan from my closet almost every Friday. It’s been a part of my wardrobe since 2019 and has practically become a uniform, but you would never know at a glance that it’s six years old and thoroughly well-loved. I de-fuzz it with a sweater comb every season and dry-clean it every other, ensuring its physical condition can transcend the barriers of time, just like its classic, eternally chic silhouette. All of these signs point to timelessness, and if you can identify an item in your dressers at home by following these signs, you’ve officially found your wardrobe staples.

Knowing exactly which items you like in your wardrobe and why you like them, opens the doors to let 2025’s trends in—both the ones we know of, and the ones we haven’t seen yet! When I feel comfortable and confident in my everyday wear, it frees up mental space to explore new ways to add color or texture, telling a different story depending on what’s trending. For example, one of my favorite emerging trends for 2025 is fresh and unexpected color combinations. Seeing a burgundy jacket over a cherry-red sweater on the runway or an orange handbag paired with a lavender jacket in a magazine might not have occurred to me without editorial inspiration. But once I see it, I can create a shopping list that allows me to incorporate 2025 trends with the pieces I already have.

One of the benefits of shopping gently-used items at Style Encore is knowing you’re browsing a curated selection. While it’s easy to spot new trending items in store or online, Style Encore also curates versatile wardrobe staples that can be styled in multiple ways and last through various seasons. It isn’t exclusively what’s new and now—more often than not, you’ll find that one piece your wardrobe has been missing for years. Perhaps even, if I may, an eternally chic gray cashmere cardigan.

Blog By: Chelsea Lankford | @truelane