Fashion Advice to Live by: “Don’t be into trends. Don’t make fashion own you, but you decide what you are, what you want to express by the way you dress and the way to live.” – Gianni Versace

Some are concerned about grades, others about popularity, but my concern with the upcoming season is the herd of stereotypical trend followers. Yes, I am referring to the thousands of pastel colored sheep who will inevitably begin to wander aimlessly through shopping centers come Spring 2014.

As the winter months transition into the more pleasant temperatures of spring, it is important to not only break the socially-established trends, but to redefine and transform them.

This past weekend, I made a trip to the Oakbrook Mall and found that the stereotypical-spring-wardrobe construction is already in progress. Pastel-tinted tops paired with floral-design, denim bottoms dominated the window displays. As I made my rounds, I noticed that the “stereotypical spring” epidemic had infected each store I ventured into. It is only a matter of time before these cookie-cutter styles and ideas flow into every teenage girl’s closet.

As I fumed over my unpleasant findings, I noticed a store unlike the rest. Although corporate, Urban Outfitters has managed to redeem the confined cliché fashions spread across every other store at the mall. With a similar color palette, this design team established a new expectation for the season’s ready-to-wear attire by utilizing Pantone’s color of the year, Radiant Orchid, differently than the rest.

Instead of the collared, button-down pastel tops accompanied by brightly patterned leggings at Forever 21, Urban presented a plaid, button-down pastel top layered with a boyfriend sweater, paired with denim capris, and finished with a pair of charcoal colored, ankle booties. In sharp contrast to the sweater dresses paired with floral bottoms at the other stores, Urban paired them with distressed denim shorts and combat boots.

This store presented the approaching season’s trends in a way that appeals to fashion spectators more concerned with establishing their own style from the ashes of last year’s burnt-out styles. Many fashion admirers fear breaking free from trends because it can be difficult to venture outside their comfort zone and into the unknown.

Yet, they should never fear new styles. Stores like Urban Outfitters do not follow the routine trends and it accessible to  develop a unique style through the year’s dynamic temperatures and occasions. With the temperatures and fashions continuing to change, it is crucial to recall self-expression.

In order to look the best, you do not always have to dress like the rest.