The only thing that stays the same about style and fashion is that it always changes. Fashion evolves, but – in most cases – trends come back. When pushing all boundaries in fashion, all that’s left to do is rethink old trends or bringing them back to life. The clothes you own were selected based on criteria that were dictated at the time by the biggest fashion houses. There’s no wonder why people are so interested in what trends will be in focus next year. Strategically rethinking your closet should start right now.
The most popular social media channels already made a list of keywords that people actively look for at the moment. The greatest of them all is “new fashion trends”. Designers already gave people some hints of what they are planning to launch in their next collection. The list below should be your forecast for the year that’s about to start. Keep an eye on these trends and see how they evolve in the near future:
Bags are the best investment pieces
Prada, Louis Vuitton and the other big brands out there seem to pay a lot of attention to bags this year. Newer brands started to come up with pieces that are more affordable so that all fashion lovers can afford them. Bags have always been investment pieces, meaning that you have to take some money out of your packet if you want quality. That’s not the case in all situation. A brand disrupted the fashion industry in the past two years, and it continues gaining a lot of popularity lately. The brand is called Cult Gaia and the idea they launched is represented by bamboo bags. Since sustainable fashion was discussed quite a lot lately, these bamboo bags were welcomed in fashion with open arms. Gucci adopted this trend too, and it seemed appreciated rapidly. Gucci bags are one of the hottest items on the market.
Remember when brands tried to conceal their labels as much as possible and keep things minimal? That time is over. In 2019, expect all fashion house to launch products with visible logos on them. Balenciaga and Givenchy launched an 80s-inspired collection in 2018, and they already included logos subtly on their products. Next year, the trend will be brought to light even more. Circular bags and chains should come back in your attention as well.
Sneakers go back to the 90s
Sock sneakers will remain in 2018 and the next year will be all about the original 90s sneakers. Chunky sole sneakers won’t be perceived as ugly or too blocky anymore. People already started to adopt this trend. Chunky sneakers combat minimal sneakers, which are still considered fashionable by some houses. Maximalism in fashion started to replace minimalism, which was never really out of style, to begin with. This trend seems to be appealing for brands such as Nike and New Balance. Besides their chunky appearance, designers won’t be afraid to use the craziest colors to emphasize the sneakers even more. Fashion lovers call this trend “loud”, and it would be safe to say that the word describes it properly. Whoever loved the 90s will definitely be happy to hear about this trend.
Animal print makes a return
Yes – animal print trends once again. After people finally left this trend behind, fashion houses decided to bring it back, entirely renewed and at its most powerful. Animal print has now become the new neutral, even though it is a heavy pattern that can’t be combined that easy without proper fashion knowledge. Layered looks containing animal prints of all sorts, ranging from tiger stripes to zebra ones or even snakeskin might be the focal point of 2019 collections.
Tom Ford and Michael Kors are just two of the designers that decided to adopt the feral trend in their new collections. Mixing and matching animal prints might seem troubling, but you can gather inspiration from celebrities and fashion influencers who already started getting a better grip on how to combine these pieces. You will start noticing animal prints especially on accessories such as scarves and earrings. Since maximalism is going to take over all aspects of fashion, animal print doesn’t need an introduction, and you should expect seeing it everywhere soon.
African wax prints are an interest
African wax prints hold great symbolic meaning, even though people don’t know it when they wear it. African-inspired textiles are definitely gorgeous, and they made an entrance quite quickly on the fashion scene. They are vibrant and pop into your eyes quickly, so designers had to make use of these features. The deep meaning behind the colors, shapes and even fabrics used is much more complex than that. African-style prints were initially used in the Netherlands, around the nineteenth century and they were later adopted in other parts of the world. The colonial expansion was the event that made the transition possible in areas such as Indonesia and Africa. Wax prints started to be popular in Ghana, and they expanded to West Africa.
Today, wax prints are known as being exclusively African, as they started to be made locally. Of course, the local textile is more expensive, but the prints are imitated all over the world and being commercialized. Many clothes are inspired from original African wax prints and there is no doubt – they are fashionable.
Statement accessories
The trends in terms of accessories will take 2019 by surprise. Painted stone and other raw materials will play the main role. Jewelry from the 20s makes a comeback, as well as layering multiple pieces of accessories. Kyoto Tango bracelets shouldn’t miss from anyone’s collection in 2019, as well as other statement accessories. Large necklaces and tiaras should be seen everywhere, especially the ones made of rhinestones or pearls. Statement can be considered a subcategory of maximalism, so you can definitely tell what is the main team of the next year. Wearing accessories will be a condition for all outfits, and they will respect the other trends mentioned above, from sustainable fashion to the craziest prints.