The divine, chic, and refined Coco Chanel once said, “Fashion fades, only style remains the same.” And in a time when there are now five concrete seasons (pre-fall, fall, resort, spring, and couture) and throwaway fashion trends (boxy dresses and leggings anyone?), how do you develop a style that is entirely your own? How do you assure that a friend will waltz into a store, spot a jacket, and declare, “only you could pull that off”?

Honing my personal style has been a quest of mine for as long as I can remember. I always sought out things that were unique, well designed, and a little more special than everything else. I am not even close to having a completely developed sense of self-style—it will be something that I am sure I will fine-tune, edit, and define for many years.

There are a few things I have figured out, though: I will never buy the must-have handbag, and I will always come of as slightly eclectic, slightly unpolished, and, I hope, a little off-the-beaten-path. I was wearing vintage in high school when everyone else was wearing Abercrombie, I wore dark colors and heels in California when everyone else wore Sevens and flip-flops, I dressed up for class as a coed while everyone else donned sweats.

But I have also followed a few of the trends du jour, some with much more success than others. During college, I amassed a closet full of throwaway items, only a handful of which I return to season after season. Last year I made a pact with myself: I will only buy things I truly love as well as wardrobe staples and cheaper trend items that I wouldn’t feel bad about dismissing after a few months, er, days. Since then, I have purchased the most divine persimmon wool coat with big gold buttons by Milly—the single most expensive item in my wardrobe—(left), a gorgeous white shift with a beaded neckline (also Milly), a few loud-print skirts by Dolce & Gabbana, and plenty of James Perse tees and tanks (a wardrobe staple), and I mixed it all in with a bunch of throwaway costume jewelry from For Love 21 and a few trendy dresses from H&M.

What I guess it all comes down to is that I am starting to realize I must invest in what I will always look good in (wide-leg trousers, the color blue, four-inch heels) and what I will always love (oversized jewelry, animal prints, and furs) and mix it in with a few things that are currently in season (jewel tones, layered knits). As far as my dream list of investments go, I want a little boy’s navy blue blazer from Brooks Brothers, a pair of Christian Louboutin pumps, a blouse from Alexander McQueen, anything vintage YSL, and a great, classic day bag (I am thinking a Tory Burch tote). So tell me, what trends have you fallen victim to, what are you wardrobe go-to pieces, and what are you most excited to buy this season?