The verdict is in for next year’s hottest — and perhaps most divisive — fashion trends.
And, true to the trend cycle, it’s an homage to the 2010s.
This year, fashionistas made denim maxi skirts cool again while popularizing the “ugly” shoe — Maison Margiela Tabis, chunky “dad” sneakers and Crocs, for instance — and what can only be described as a “no pants, pants” look, spearheaded by none other than Kendall Jenner and Emma Corrin.
But a new year signals a change in the fashion tides and, while some may have fingers crossed that low-rise denim is washed away, the controversial trou may very well be replaced by the possibly worse fads of the preppy, Coachella-obsessed 2010s — much to the perpetual chagrin of millennials everywhere.
The debatably regrettable faux pas of the aughts and the decade that followed are predicted to usurp the long-reigning Y2K fads, according to Who What Wear, heralding the resurgence of items like the dreaded gaucho pant or fringe embellishments.
The once-loathed dress-over-jeans fad has already returned thanks to Gen Z, begging the question: what’s next?
Polo shirts
An ode to “tenniscore,” polo shirts are slated to make a comeback in the new year.
Emblematic of prep, the casual golf tee was, most notably, seen on Miu Miu’s Spring/Summer 2024 Ready To Wear runway accompanied by stiff Oxford blouses, school uniform jackets and sweater vests. To achieve the now-trendy “geek chic,” simply pair with Bayonetta specs.
The polo perhaps signals a newfound adoption of more corporate attire known as the “office siren,” where the modest hems and necklines meet the sex appeal of vintage Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren.
Capris
The aforementioned gaucho is about as controversial as they come; the three-quarter-length pants — whether leggings, denim or nylon stockings — were once beloved by celebrities on the screen and even on the red carpet.
Blake Lively flaunted a pair in white while filming “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants,” while fictional style icon Carrie Bradshaw sported the cropped trousers in “Sex and the City” on more than one occasion.
Also called the “abbreviated pant,” the shin-baring pedal pushers are, regretfully, gaining momentum, as seen on the runways of 3.1 Phillip Lim, Sandy Liang and Carolina Herrera. Not to mention: sales for capris are up 22%, according to Afterpay data obtained by InStyle.
But the pants have most recently taken another form.
In a shout-out to a bygone era, they embrace wide-leg, skater-chic cargos or form-fitting, old Hollywood breeches akin to those worn by film icons Brigitte Bardot and Audrey Hepburn.
Peplum
If you thought you left your decade-old peplum top in the back of your closet or locked away in your photo albums, think again.
The pastry-shaped blouse is back with the same silhouette — accentuating the contrast between a small waistline and jut of the hip — but this time, with a modern twist: rigid structure from Alexander McQueen, textured tulle from Jacquemus and a dramatic flair on traditional power suits from Givenchy.
Mesh skirts
In the same vein as wearing underwear as pants or bras as tops comes mesh skirts. The sheer nakedness follows the years-old trend of nude fashion, but this time suitable for daytime wear, at least for those who dare.
At Milan Fashion Week, Prada’s Spring/Summer 2024 collection featured delicate mesh midis paired with collared blouses, some even adorned with fringe (but more on that later), while Miu Miu’s catwalk paired similar frocks with buttoned cardigans.
It’s nearly boardroom chic — if only see-through skirts were office-appropriate.
Fringe
Reminiscent of the Coachella-obsessed age of Tumblr circa 2013, we’re seeing a fringe revival — flower crown not included. This time around, the tassels are more suitable for jazz club chic rather than desert-ready.
Fashion houses such as Ganni, Prada and Christian Dior, to name a few, debuted modern takes on the ’20s flapper staple for their 2024 collections, most commonly seen adorning jackets or brushing the ankles on a skirt.
Gucci’s dainty micro-fridge added dynamic movement to lime green dusters and maroon midis with a groin-high slit. Alexander McQueen’s leather biker jacket and pencil skirt featured a fringe hemline cut with a heavy hand, the weight of the hide textile offset by the airiness of the tassels.
Meanwhile, Giorgio Armani gave Gen Z’s Western fad a run for its money with a country-inspired collared blouse featuring a cascade of glittering cerulean tassels cascading from the breast stitching.
“The vibrations, the movement comes from color and the way the clothing is built to move with the body,” Armani told Women’s Wear Daily.