FASHION FORWARD: LOOKING AHEAD TO WINTER FASHION TRENDS
- Erin Sullivan
- Oct 17, 2018
- 6 min read
Updated: Dec 5, 2018
I haven't even been to a pumpkin patch yet and Thanksgiving is the furthest thing from my mind. A part of me feels like fall just started so why are we already preparing for winter? When it comes to fashion, if you don't stop and look around once and a while you might miss it (please tell me you got that reference). But for real, fashion moves faster than you can say "Gucci", which is why it's important to start looking at trends now before you 'fall' behind (HA!).
I've been drooling over the photos from the New York, London, and Paris fashion weeks while trying to decipher what I think are the upcoming trends for fall. Lucky for you, I have compiled a list of them all with a little help from my friend Vogue so you don't have to do hours of research like I did. Also, because I can't casually purchase anything from Victoria Beckham or Givenchy, I made sure to include the dupes for us normal people (you're welcome). Let's get started because the trends could change again before you even have time to finish reading this article.
CHEETAH SISTER
I feel like I've almost had a sixth sense that this movement was coming, and let me be the first one to tell you that it's the best thing to ever happen to me. Cheetah and/or leopard print has been my obsession for years and I'm so happy everyone is finally realizing how amazing it is. I used to pick up pieces with this pattern because I thought they were hilariously tacky, however, as my style evolved so did my love for this eccentric print. I went thrift shopping (Hey Macklemore!) with my roommates the other day and found a cheetah print coat for 7 DOLLARS. Yes you read that correctly. Additionally, I have shirts, tank tops, and scrunchies with this same print on it and I'm only a little bit ashamed.
Cheetah/leopard print is going to be dominating the streets this upcoming winter just like it did on runways these past months. It's clawed it's way up into the minds of Victoria Beckham, Dolce&Gabbana, and Balenciaga. You really don't want to miss out on the revival of this iconic pattern this season. It can be easily incorporated into any outfit such as the crop top or mini skirt shown above. You also don't need to break the budget to be in style with top and skirt both running at the same low price of just $10.
WORKING WOMAN
This is not the 1950's, this is 2018. Where women have jobs that don't solely revolve around cleaning their homes, caring for their children, and making sure their husband's every need is met. Today's women are CEO's, lawyers, doctors, and directors as well as stay at home moms, secretaries, and artists. With so many directions a woman can drive her life, there should be an accompanying wardrobe that makes her feel her best. That's why I am so excited to see work attire for woman trending this winter. Why steal your man's shirt when you can steal his tux?
Whether it's a pant suit or a tuxedo dress, fashion designers have been recently inspired by movements such as "#TimesUp" to create clothes that can be rocked from the street to the boardroom. But feeling confident in your abilities doesn't have to break the bank. This mocha colored tuxedo dress is on sale over at Tobi for an incredible $26. I've seen tuxedo dresses like this being sold for hundreds of dollars, so this is the perfect deal to snatch up while you can. It's the perfect dress whether you want to throw a top underneath it for a more modest look or to wear as is for a night out.
PLAID ABOUT YOU
Comparable to my love of cheetah print is my ever present love for plaid. It's a constant in my wardrobe, as someone who has never looked good in a flannel shirt, I would die for my orange plaid flare pants (not dramatic at all). I've always been a sucker for the era of Cher Horowitz in Clueless, strutting around in her yellow plaid set is just about my dream life. Versace stunned at the Milan fashion show when they perfect incapsulated Cher's cartoonish plaid that I adore. While Calvin Klein 'wow'ed audiences in New York with their Americanized version of the classic print.
Plaid is such a classic pattern that it is definitely one of the easiest trends to recreate on this list. It can be worn in some many forms from dresses and skirts to button downs and hair ties. A little bit of plaid in your closet never killed nobody. The orange set up above is one of my favorites out on the market right now. Unfortunately, the $90 pants are out of stock which just shows how popular this look is. Thankfully, the $42 top is still available on the site. I do have a dupe pair of the pants from Forever 21 that I love. Although I wasn't able to find the exact pair online, I was able to find a pair that are similar. The pants I have are cheaper than the pair from I AM GIA linked earlier, but the downside is I'm sure they're not as great of quality. In the end, it really comes down to what's more important to you: saving money or having great quality clothing.
DON'T BE BLUE
When I was little, blue was my signature favorite color. Now that I'm super mature, cool, AND older I would say it's a tie between a blush pink or a deep burgundy. But just because blue isn't my color anymore, doesn't mean that fashion designers aren't celebrating it. Blue this winter is trending like crazy, but not just any blue. I've seen it called anything from 'Nebulas' to 'digital' blue. It's the same color that's used for all social networking applications and is meant to representing technology as well as the future. It's not normally the color you'd expect to be taking it's reign on the winter fashion cat walks but if I'm being honest, it's growing on me.
You can turn heads with a simple design such as the one above. Choosing such an arresting color such as the neon blue not only catches the eye but also allows you to participate in this season's trends while also staying within the budget you have set. This cropped sweater only retails for $17.99 and can be paired with anything from jeans to a skirt. It's practical but can also be spiced up for the incoming season whenever you want. With this color being one of 10 that Vogue predicts will dominate the coming winter, it's best to pounce on it before it's too late.
ROARING 20'S
Personally, if I could go back to any period of time it would be the Roaring 20's. I've always been in love with the parties, fashion, music, and the culture of the time period in the United States. Of course seeing movies such as The Great Gatsby definitely didn't help my fascination. Also the fact that pretty much every year for Halloween I've wanted to go dressed as a flapper girl from the decade. That's why I'm so excited to embrace fringe as an incoming winter trend. When you think of fringe, it's easy to immediately think of something cheap or tacky, however, designers like Gucci and Givenchy are ushering in a new wave called "luxury fringing".
This new kind of fringing isn't nearly what you remember. Fringing these days is refined and molded to fit the elegant aesthetic with shimmering beads that are so eye catching that you'll be begging to wear them. You don't have to only wear "luxury" fringe to participate in this new trend though. Inexpensive brands such as Forever 21 have dozens of fringe pieces ranging from dresses to jackets so you can participate in this fad in whatever way you desire. That way you can feel like a flapper girl from the 1920's whenever you want to.
While all five of these trends not might be of interest of you, it's best to get out of your comfort zone. Taking a risk and embracing trends makes the bitter cold of winter that much more fun.Trends go just as fast as they come, because if they stayed forever, they wouldn't be trends anymore, so you have to try them out while you still can.
Hey Erin, I'm testing comments from you right now. You can delete this!
I’ve gotta admit, when I see or hear cheetah print I automatically think of the iconic Cheetah Girls. When it came to cheetah print, those girls dominated, and hopefully the resurgence in the print can inspire once again. Personally I prefer zebra print to cheetah print, but i can still appreciate it. I’m also completely in love with this blue insurgence. As my favorite color is an indigo blue, I’ll have to widen my tastes to include this new digital blue taking hold of the fashion world.