How to be trendy: Evergreen tips to be trendy and keep up with changing trends

How to be trendy? Being trendy is much more than just wearing the most stylish clothes or flaunting cool gadgets. Being trendy is a way of life and before looking trendy, you need to feel trendy first. From style and fashion to music to celebrities to technology, here is how you can be trendy and keep up with the changing trends in school, college and life in general.

1) Read fashion and women's magazines: Latest in the world of fashion

Fashion and women's magazines do elaborate spreads on the latest trends in fashion, lifestyle, relationships, teen trends and a lot more. From brands, latest accessories, jewelry, creative ways to use your old clothes, hairstyles, bargains and more, magazines are enlightening when it comes to keeping up with trends.

These magazines are more than just glossy pages of content and pictures. They present themselves to be a window into the world of latest trends for the average person sitting in his or her living room.

A 12 month subscription to some of these top magazines costs less than $10 if bought from the right places. You can get away with the fee if there's a public library near to where you live. Alternatively, you can check out the magazines' websites.

2) Don't shun top fashion brands: Premium labels are trendsetters

Some people have the notion of shunning the big fashion brands and clothes by top designers, claiming that they are overly expensive for no reason at all. You may want to reconsider your thoughts if you think the same way.

Big fashion houses like Armani, Gucci, Coco Chanel and Louis Vuitton charge exorbitant prices for their clothes because they offer a premium product. Comparing them with cheaper brands is like comparing a Ferrari with a cheap family sedan. It is impractical.

To be trendy, stop shunning the top fashion brands even if you can't afford them. Window shop at their dedicated stores and get a feel of how luxurious the experience really is. You cannot shun the trend setters if you want to be trendy and fashionable yourself.

3) Keep updating your hairstyle

Hairstyles are supposed to change and mature with time and age, just like the person wearing them. Allow your hairstyle to represent your personality, character and age.

Experiment with new hairstyles but don't confuse this with adopting new hairstyles just for the sake of trying something new. For example, someone like Mark Zuckerberg would look ridiculous sporting a Mohawk hairstyle while a pixie cut may not suit Eva Longoria. Hairstyles are a representation of who you are – Evolve them as you evolve.

If going to the hairdresser every time does not fit inside your budget, style your hair yourself or ask a friend to do it for you. Use a flat iron to straighten your hair for a romantic date, curling iron to get curly hair for a party or accessories like headbands for your casual look in college.

4) Shop regularly as opposed to one-time shopping sprees: Update your wardrobe one outfit at a time

Don't keep shopping a once in a six months ritual. Regardless of the size of your wallet, make an effort to hit the shops every other week even if you don't want to buy anything. Browse around and pick up something you like.

You must allow your wardrobe to fill up outfit by outfit so you can keep up with the latest trends. Else you will be stick with a lot of clothes which will go out of vogue, all at once.

5) Have good skin: Naturally beautiful skin has never gone out of vogue

Naturally healthy skin has never gone out of vogue. Guy and girls with good skin always attract another look. There is something about flawless skin that radiates warmth and beauty.

From using moisturizers in the morning to cleansers in the evening and from using good quality makeup products to using acne cream to keep those darn pimples away - Pull all the stops to keep your skin soft, supple and fresh.

6) Accessorize: Complete your trendy look with accessories

Fashion accessories are meant to complete your outfit. Whether it is a Louis Vuitton bag, Burberry scarf, your favorite Aviator sunglasses, bracelets, rings or neck-pieces accessories add a distinct touch to your look. They allow you to add your own personal touch and identity to your clothes.

Like everything else, accessories too come in and go out of vogue. Be in touch with the latest in accessories by going through shelf after shelf of stylish accessories in a mall every other weekend.

The easiest way to know which accessories are trending right now is to make small talk with the guy or girl behind the retail counters at malls. They are the ground workers and know exactly which accessories are selling like hot cakes and which aren't.

7) Shop in thrifty stores: Sometimes the most fashionable clothes are bargains

Who said that the trendiest outfits can only be bought at stores of high end labels? You could be on your way to amazing bargains if you know your fashion inside out. Read up all the jazz on the latest trends and hit thrifty shops.

Grab a skirt from one shop and buy a bargain of a top from another. Mix and match, take it from the scratch and become your own stylist.

8) Don't be afraid of experimenting with fashion: Explore and embrace

Experimenting with fashion and latest trends is not for the faint hearted. While you may not want to go all guns blazing to become a trendsetter, you should not be afraid of experimenting with fashion either.

Next time you walk into a store to shop for new clothes, don't head straight to the aisle from where you pick up your usual outfits. Look around, check out the latest arrivals and try some on. Something may just click and you could find yourself wearing the trendiest outfit in town.

9) Dress with pride: Flaunt your fashion

It doesn't matter how old you are nor does it matter whether you are working, in school or in college. If you want to be trendy, you have to be proud of your fashion aptitude, style and the clothes you wear.

Whether you are the ultimate girly girl of your class who keeps tugging away at her hair, the style diva who wears the hottest clothes in office or the casual guy in college who always wears a scruffy look, carry your outfits with pride.

1) Don't shun technology

Technology has changed the world as we know it and it will continue to transform the way we live, right from everyday tasks to complicated procedures. In fact, researchers at IBM believe that devices and gadgets will be able to work with the 5 basic human senses of smell, sight, hearing, taste and touch in the next 5 years.

To be trendy and to keep up with the changing times, you need to embrace technology. You can't hate smartphones in 2012 nor can you refuse to shop online. It is undeniable, they add convenience to modern day living.

2) Embrace social media: Be on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Pinterest

Being active on social media is the simplest solutions to learn how to be trendy. Facebook will reveal the latest trends that your friends are adopting, Twitter will reveal trending topics while your Pinterest feed will have anything and everything from latest designer outfits to new architectural designs.

It is good to have an account on all these social media portals even if you are not a social butterfly. You don't necessarily need to post or tweet regularly. You can keep up with the latest trends by simply tuning in to your feed at least once a day.

3) Catching up with celebrities: Gossip, style and more

Celebrities are generally the trendsetters when it comes to fashion and lifestyle trends. Their style, behavior and antics are slowly adopted by the general public.

Catching the latest in Hollywood and around the world every once in a while should be enough to keep yourself updated with the latest buzz in Tinsel town. You can follow celebs on popular social media websites including Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

4) Socialize in real life: From parties to hanging out at the mall

You won't be able to pick up new trends and find out what everyone else is wearing unless you step out and be among the trendsetters themselves. Get up from your cozy chair and make your way outside.

Visit the 'happening hot spots' of your city and check out things that are buzzing. Look at what the smart people are wearing, carrying and doing.

5) Catch up with the latest online: Tune in to your favorite online news portal daily

Log on to your favorite online news portals every day. Some of the most popular websites like Mail Online, Huffington Post and NYTimes are a collection of news and opinions on just about everything.

These websites no longer stick to only headlines that include jargon from business, politics and markets. From famous people to trending stories about locals, hopping on your favorite online news fix will keep you updated in life.

6) Listen to new music: Don't be fixed with a particular genre or artist

Being stagnant to the same music is like listening to Backstreet Boys all the time just because they were the rage when you were a teen. You can't be trendy if you are stuck in a bygone era.

Don't mistake this as a need to change your music preferences. This is only about keeping your ears open to new music. For example, you can't call yourself trendy if you haven't heard One Direction's latest chart topper or Justin Bieber's newest viral video.

7) Don't ridicule new trends: Watch out for viral memes, pictures and videos

You can't be trendy if you ridicule new trends. Confused? Shunning crazy trends and brushing off seemingly silly viral videos will keep you away from the stuff that is making headlines world over.

Even something as random as the horse dance from PSY's Gangnam Style can become the most watched YouTube video of all time. If Hugh Jackman can do the Gangnam Style dance on The Tonight Show, you should at least know what it is all about.

Keep up with the latest buzz by keeping your eyes open for quirky trends that surface out of nowhere.

8) Healthy is the new sexy: A healthy body is a trendy body

From being able to carry off the trendiest skinny jeans in college to be able to pull off a backless number for your brother's birthday party, trends are easier to adopt if you have a healthy body.

Clothes will look good on you, accessories will accentuate your lines and curves, and you will be able to pull off the latest trends without making a faux pas. Find the motivation to bulk up or the drive to lose weight, whichever way you need to go.