What You Could Be Wearing This Summer
As the next fashion season approaches, you must all be dying to know, what is Lauren predicting that the trends will be? She must tell us!
Just kidding. Not a single person has asked me but I am here to deliver what you didn’t know you needed.
Some choose to follow trends, many do not, nevertheless I thought it would be fun to try and predict what will be trending these upcoming seasons and see if any of them come true.
I’ve noticed a pattern of how pieces come to be trendy: they're usually what a certain group of influencers wear. These influencers, that I’ll refer to as the “fashion girlies” are influencers like Lydia Campanelli (@lvdiv), Ruby Lyn (@rubylyn_), Devin Pollon (@devapollon), Devon Lee Carlson (@devonleecarlson) and many others on the cutting edge of fashion. However, I found that what these influencers wear is heavily dictated by what Bella Hadid, supermodel and fashion icon, wears; they adopt her style or particular clothing items a few weeks or months after she's seen wearing them. These influencers are not necessarily known in the "fashion world" as big trend setters as there are so many sides to this industry. However, I would say that they are very influential to those who follow them. The trends eventually trickle down to consumers who have no idea who these influencers are.
An example of how a trend trickled down from Bella Hadid to the everyday consumer or trend follower is the Samba Adidas shoe trend. Those became popular after being seen on the fashion girlies and blew up to become a huge trend. However, with todays increasingly fast trend cycle pace, everyone now has them and the fashion girlies must move on to the next clothing item since it's lost its novelty and has become less desirable.
Intermission of why the trend cycle is so fast today:
The fast pace of trend cycles is indeed a result of a phenomenon commonly known as the "coolness factor." In today's society, the status of being trendy and cool is highly valued, particularly among younger generations. The pressure to stay up to date with the latest trends is reinforced by social media, where people constantly share their experiences and showcase their possessions.
However, as soon as a product becomes readily available to the everyday consumer, it loses its exclusivity and, consequently, its appeal. People often want to differentiate themselves from others, and owning something that everyone else also owns means it no longer feels unique. This creates a demand for new and exclusive products, which manufacturers and marketers capitalize on by creating a constant stream of new trends.
Moreover, the rise of fast fashion and online shopping has made it easier than ever to purchase and dispose of items quickly. Consumers can buy clothes, accessories and gadgets at a low price and discard them when they are no longer fashionable, contributing to a cycle of consumption that perpetuates this trend cycle.
Now back to predicting trends, though they are driving consumerism and substantially harming the environment! It’s okay though, not to shame anyone, we all fall victim to it but at least we can be aware of the reality of such things.
1) Capri pants
I cannot say I am a fan of these, but I can slowly see these becoming a trend among the fashion girlies, meaning it is likely to become a trend among us common folk. Although I don’t like them, there are many trends that I initially did not like that then grew on me since I would see them everywhere. If you have ever seen the movie Focus (2015) with Will Smith and Margot Robbie, you’ll remember the one scene where they conned a man in a football bet. They use a psychological phenomenon called priming, where they repeatedly expose an individual to a stimulus which subconsciously influences their choices, allowing them to pull off the con. This is how I often feel with trends I don’t like. When loafers were first trending, I was not a fan, but they grew on me over time as I continued to see them in the media I consumed.
2) Chunky belts
Chunky belts are already popular among the fashion girlies so I think the trend will only get bigger. Right now, the big belts are often either metallic or leather, and I think the leather will not stay in trend as it’s not very summery. Instead, we will continue to see the metallic belts and other more colorful styles.
3) Chunky necklaces
Chunky necklaces are already pretty trendy so they might die out by the summer. I think ones that resemble the image of the cord heart necklace will die out or start being considered "cheugy". Cheugy, a term that gained popularity on TikTok, is used to describe a style that has passed its trend cycle to the point that it's seen as cringey. I think interesting vintage chunky necklaces will still remain popular this summer.
4) Statement jewelry
Going along with the previous trend prediction, I think chunky, statement jewelry in general will trend again this spring and summer. The last time that chunky jewelry was trending, the big trends were La Manso rings and the "Happy Go Lucky" Martha Calvo necklace. Attached are images for reference.
This time around, I think pieces that are more timeless will trend, as those who are setting the trend are maturing themselves. We will see less colorful jewelry and more staple chunky metal pieces.
5) Long jorts
This seems to already be trending among the Australian fashion girlies but our general fashion girlies have also been on this. Since Australia, being in the Southern hemisphere, has spring and summer from September to February, they may have an edge on setting the summer trends for the northern hemisphere. Jean shorts have been a summer wardrobe staple piece for decades, but jorts—the bermuda cut version—appear to be back. This, again, is an acquired taste but we’ll see how popular they actually get.
6) 70’s style/crochet/Free People
It is possible that the release of the "Daisy Jones and the Six" TV show could inspire a trend in fashion, specifically towards the 70's era, crochet and the brand Free People's style of clothing. It depends on how big the show gets, as it’s been out for a couple of weeks and there has not been that much buzz about it. The wardrobe of the show has been notably stylish and could set off a trend of this aesthetic if the show begins to blow up.
7) Sequined/metallic bags
Refer to the images to catch the vibe of the sequined style I’m talking about. I think these will be really big in the summer as metallics make your tan pop. The crochet mixed with the sequins in the first image gives me the most summer vibes since woven bags are already very summery. The second silver bag is a specific item that I think will trend.
At this point I’ve written fashion girlies so many times that I don’t think I will ever use it again. From jorts to chunky jewelry, you are bound to find a trend to hop on that matches your personal style (if you are interested in joining in on trends). I'm curious to see which of these trend predictions will come true and a friendly reminder that you can shop sustainably and find all of these at your local thrift store!
