What is Trendy Right Now?

If everything is trendy… is anything?

It’s safe to say that since the pandemic, A LOT has changed in the world of fashion. Just 5 years ago it would have been easy to identify the number of mainstream aesthetics that the majority of fashion consumers fit into, whether it be “hype-beasts” or “hipsters.” Nowadays, fashion consumption has evolved significantly, mainly as a result of the widespread growth of TikTok. It almost seems as if… everything is trendy.

TikTok users and influencers are constantly pushing out new content and introducing new trends at a much higher rate than traditional media. As a result, the fashion industry is no longer the main player in the game of trendsetting. In fact, anyone and everyone has a chance to set a trend on TikTok so long as they go viral. Since this occurs frequently, there is an abundance of “trendy” items that circulate the app daily. An article of clothing can trend and promptly be considered "out of style" all in the span of a few months, like the infamous House of Sunny HOCKNEY DRESS.

If you aren’t in the loop, click the link to learn more!

All of this may lead you to the question…

So what is ACTUALLY trendy right now?

Despite it seeming like everything is trending at the same time, in the world of haute couture, this season’s trends are well defined and can therefore be easily incorporated into your wardrobe.

The important, overarching factors come down to:

• The defining decade of the fashion cycle
• Up-coming silhouettes
• Cultural influences
• The philosophy that fashion is currently following

These four factors are relevant each season, so if you don't want to fall behind, or worse... be "cheugy," you'll want to keep reading about next season's trends! Moreover, if you want to ensure that you stay in the loop, you should check out the ITC Cycle Feed by clicking the button below!

Before we dive into all of the details, if you're simply looking for a quick list of trendy items to shop - check out our "what's in" page on our cycle feed by clicking the button below!

Defining Decade

Beginning with the defining decade of the season, this winter we will continue to see Y2K fashion dominate the scene. Some examples of soon-to-be winter trends taken from the 2000’s would be skinny scarves (think Y2K Yves Saint Laurent), denim on denim, micro-mini skirts, and hot pink clothing. To help you incorporate more Y2K influence into your wardrobe, I’ve provided link/video references below to runway collections that have utilized some of the previously mentioned trends.

• For denim on denim check out Diesel’s fall/winter 2022 collection
• For micro miniskirts check out Miu Miu’s fall/winter 2022 collection
• For hot pink check out Valentino’s fall/winter 2022/2023 ready-to-wear collection

In-Style Silhouettes

Some up-coming silhouettes to look out for this season would be maxi-length clothing, and baggy outerwear. Starting with maxis, this silhouette will be seen in skirts and dresses and will vary in materials and textures. Given that winter is rapidly approaching, warmer fabrics such as knits and velvets will likely be used to make full-coverage pieces such as maxi-dresses.

As for outerwear, bomber jackets will be back in style. This time around they will be quite oversized in silhouette and made of more durable, thicker materials (i.e., genuine or vegan leather). The oversized and baggy silhouette will also apply to the racing/moto jacket trend as seen on Bella Hadid.

In-Vogue Influences

In terms of cultural influences, consumers can expect to continue to see western cultural motifs in fashion. Though this has been in style for a while now, it seems as though the trend will survive until at least next spring. As for this winter, western touches were spotted on the runway collections of both Maison Margiela and Chanel. Some examples of western motifs would be denim, fringe, cowboy hats, and buckle belts.

More Maximalism

Finally, the philosophy of fashion at the moment can be summarized by "the more, the merrier." While minimalism made waves a decade ago, nowadays it’s all about maximalism. This trend is a direct result of both Y2K’s grip on fashion right now, as well as the impact of TikTok on the fashion scene. This philosophy is incredibly easy to practice but can be difficult to execute in a subtle manner. For a simpler approach, you can start by mismatching certain patterns that typically wouldn’t be worn together such as plaid and stripes. At a higher level, you can basically hop into a time machine back to the 2000s by incorporating skirts over pants (of varying textures and patterns), multiple shirts layered over each other, and top your looks off with a multitude of accessories (i.e. hair clips, chunky jewellery).

The Dsquared2 collection below showcases maximalism on the runway.

Now that you know what’s to come in the next season, you’re probably wondering…

How do I incorporate these trends into my wardrobe?

In 2022, it’s crucial to stay trendy in an environmentally friendly manner given the ever-growing issue that is overconsumption in fashion. The best way to incorporate what is trendy right now into your closet would be to either up-cycle your old clothes, re-style old pieces, shop at sustainable clothing stores, or thrift new clothing. Given that many of these pieces are from the 2000’s, they can easily be found on second-hand sites such as Depop, or at your local thrift.  

Prior to shopping, make sure you curate a list of wanted items that will truly add value to your wardrobe in addition to being trendy. You can formulate this list based on the information you read in this blog post or from more information found on the Cycle Feed. DO NOT FORGET to regularly check back here on ITC for what’s in, what’s next, and what’s trendy!