Come on now, it’s high time to shake up that wardrobe
Few cycles are as vicious as that of the fashion world. Season in and season out, recurrent trends prove that time truly is a circle and that one sartorial has-been will always be outshined by yet another hot-right-now style moment.
But hey, isn’t that the fun in fashion anyway? Here’s how we see it: trends are our compass around the sartorial landscape. They don’t exist to overhaul the contents of our closet—they’re there to give us direction on which way to steer our personal style. They exist to be tried, kept if they work, or skipped if they don’t.
Here, we get the ball rolling with a list of what we predict to be some of the year’s most prominent and wearable trends. What should you invest in? What should you ignore? More importantly, where do you even begin shopping these trends? All the answers, up ahead.
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No to Neon, Yes to Starburst Suiting
In the tail end of 2018, slime green had its time in the limelight (or should I say slimelight…). A palette-cleansing wild card when worn peeking under layers or downright unapologetic when sported solo, this color sparked more than just memories of Nickelodeon game shows from our childhood: it resurrected neon.
Now, we’re all for a good highlighter-esque palette. Contrary to popular belief, we’d like to think that neons aren’t flat-out unflattering—they just need to be styled right and hand-picked to match one’s skin tone. Despite our defense, we’re side-stepping the neon trend. Or rather, we’re refining it. Instead of going for just any neon piece, sport fruity brights in tailored silhouettes to lend this otherwise whimsical and childish color scheme a little maturity (and a whole lot of badass energy).
UNDO CLOTHING Watermelon linen pants, P1795 | UNDO CLOTHING Tangerine linen blazer, P2795 |
Adieu to Athletic Shorts, Hello to All-Around Utilitarian
You’ve seen Kim K wear it, you’ve seen Leandra Medine wear it, you’ve probably even tried it yourself. Yeah, we’re talking about cycling short trend. While Instagram hasn’t quite let go of it just yet, we say it’s time to move onwards and upwards.
More often than not, the logic behind throwing a pair of above-the-knee cycling shorts under a button-down or an oversized blazer is to break the formality and turn something typically dressy into something street-ready. In that case, another trend could easily outshine your stretchy shorts in the casualizing department: utilitarian. It’s the dawn of the safety belts and the multi-pocket parkas and the belt bags that are actually big enough to fit your stuff. Oh, and don’t forget the cargo pants you chucked to the back of your closet back in 2003—they can finally come out to play again.
BLANK Olive safety belt, P300 | BERHSKA Cargo trousers with chain, P1195 | HARLAN & HOLDEN Cabin gilet, P8950 |
Forget Fringe! Pleats, Please!
Like that one aunt you always know will show up at every single family reunion, fringe never fails to make an appearance in Spring trend lists. While fringe is almost always pretty and often executed in new ways on the runway, it’s time to get a move on. There’s another texture we’re eyeing this year.
The pleat has gradually been rearing its head into seasonal trends for the past year or so, but this year might finally be its big break. Arguably more wearable than fringe, pleats have the potential to cross the formal-casual, delicate-edgy spectrums with ease. Create the illusion of a longer, leaner frame with pleated palazzo trousers or a printed midi dress.
ZARA Pleated palazzo trousers, P3295 | FRASSINO COLLEZIONE Pleated top and shorts, P799 | SEEK THE UNIQ Cashel pleated leafy dress, P2050 |
Print on Print on Print
Clashing prints aren’t for the faint of heart, but don’t be so quick to write off the trend. After all, it has permeated every layer of the sartorial sphere, from the everyday streets to fashion week. Start subtly with layered stripes and florals or go all out with logomania and contrasting colors.
ZARA Contrast floral print shirt, P2295 | ZARA Chain print skirt, P3295 | HA.MU Fill me in retaso pants |
Boxy Toes
While the pointed toe is still very much a thing in Vuitton and Givenchy, the square-toed shoe is coming back to threaten its place in our shoe racks. Perhaps a little less intimidating than the sharp point of a sock boot, the square-toed silhouette is awkward and quirky and has the power to fall anywhere between the wide spectrum of astronaut to stylish grandma.
GIOVANNE THE LABEL The Selene, P1450 | MIISTA Alma black leather flats |
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Who says adopting trends is a bad thing anyway? Whether it’s a fruit-colored suit or a pair of rectangular boots you want to welcome into your wardrobe, just freaking do it, the trend-averse naysayers be damned. New year, new you, right?
Art Alexandra Lara
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