2024 Fashion Trend Theories
And how to shop them. Plus, stay tuned for the beauty edition coming tomorrow.
Here’s what’s been on my mind lately as we enter a new year. Some trend theories or perhaps; wishes of what I want to see more of in 2024. Stay tuned for my beauty trend insights tomorrow.
Glass accessories
Dries Van Noten glass necklace $468, Dries Van Noten glass necklace $735
The most fragile and delicate material feels ready for a big comeback. Last season, Dries Van Noten made glass necklaces, and glass handbags have been trending for the last year or so too. I could see a brand like Loewe, which pushes its materiality to an extreme (especially with footwear), create a pair of shoes that look like they’re made out of glass. (Even though Margiela already did it).
I want to see glass blown jewelry in spirals of drippy colors, glass charms on bags, phones and baubles, glass bangles and glass-like details in nail art.
Extreme, historical-leaning sleeves
Left to right: Chopova Lowena shirt $305, Aureta shirt $188
Extreme, period-style sleeves are the new hemlines when it comes to determining what’s dominating fashion’s new direction right now. A fashion historian recently told me you can tell more about a garment by examining the length and shape of the sleeves than anything else. And boy did we love a good puff sleeve in 2023. Selkie, Simone Rocha and Cecilie Bahnsen are the essentials to the extreme sleeve starter pack.
Sleeves are only going to continue growing in shape, height and stature next year. Think: leg of mutton style, Tudor-looking varieties and all kinds of sleeves you can’t fit under a coat. I’m looking at the obscenely good costumes in Poor Things too. Let your sleeves be wild and recklessly large in the new year. Kika Vargas and Chopova Lowena have been churning out some historical-looking sleeves lately and we’ll undoubtedly see more on the upcoming runways.
Maximalist femme goths
Gigi Burris headband $150, Free People bow headband $19
It feels time for a subcultural revival of gothic aesthetics, but with a spin. As more and more people turn to wearing all-black, the colorful maximalist aesthetic is going to sink its roots into earthy, inky iterations of black clothing pumped up in silhouette and excess. Think: Junya Watanabe’s extreme spike cocoon coats from the spring 2024 runway.
This will all be combined with a sea of accessories and personalization like mini bows, long lace ribbons, glossy beads and sparkles like black diamond jewelry. Black is back and we’re going to see it in a more maximal effect going forward, with twists of dark coquette or new romantics circa 1980s.
Surfer/skater prepster fashion
DC shoes $39, Abercrombie polo $23
It’s been quietly bubbling to the upper echelons of our fashion discourse without many people even noticing it. People on TikTok have been posting about their old Uggs vs. the new Uggs that apparently lack in quality. Uggs were the original Australian surfer shoe, and the new association with the old authenticity is an interesting one. Hollister and Abercrombie style surfer/skater prepster vibes from the mid 2000s were all over the runways at Miu Miu.
Lanvin kicked off the trend a few years ago with its chunky, wide-splayed sneakers that literally look like the shoes skater boys wore in the 2010s. Expect preppy surf and skate culture to make a bigger influence on fashion going forward too.
Wild shapes that distort the body
Noir Kei Ninomiya flower coat $7,500, Noir Kei Ninomiya flower top $2,200
The next era of maximalism goes beyond print, color, pattern and accessories. Noir Kei Ninomiya, Junya Watanabe and Comme des Garçons all had silhouettes and shapes that were even wilder than usual for spring 2024. But you only have to look at others like Dauphinette or Duran Lantink to see a new direction of puffed up, distorted shapes that conceal and re-shape the body into something new.
Remember Bad Binch TONGTONG? We need a refresh and it feels like body-bending fashion will become even more mainstream this year—if not in the everyday, on some of our favorite runways and musical performers.
Tutus
Dance tutu $56, Simone rocha tutu $388
Balletcore played itself out over these past two years with flats, bows, ribbons, leg warmers and dancewear galore, but the tutu got a lot less attention.
Skirts won the year 2023, between Chopova Lowena and mini pleated tennis skirts. Consider the mini stacked tutu with many layers, worn over a pair of baggy jeans or thick black leggings. With Madonna on tour and Simone Rocha taking the reigns of Jean Paul Gaultier couture next month, I can’t imagine how we won’t be seeing more real life tutus in 2024.
Vintage pastel slips
vintage blue slip and jacket set $130, vintage butter slip and jacket $150
The underwear as outerwear trend reached its peak early last year. It feels boring. But as spring and summer come, we’ll undoubtedly collectively slip back into sheerness. But I think it’s going to be a different look this time. Try: midcentury pastel slip dresses with little bits and bobs of lace, worn with chunky knits, under wide kimonos or little boleros. Best done in hyper bright pastels or milky shades of ivory, butter and oats.
Going Gold
Saks Potts gold jacket $865, Dries Van Noten jacket $117
2023 was firmly the year of silver. But bright, deep, 24k gold is ready for a revival. Think: gold leather jackets, gold chunky jewelry, gold hair accessories, vintage gold watches, tall gold boots et al. Gold metallics appeared in countless spring 2024 runway shows, but I think Bottega Veneta is doing a great job with its golden bags.
The color feels warmer, and less future-leaning than cold, icy silver. The more yellow toned, the better. On this note, I also think we’re going to be seeing lots of vintage brass in interiors in 2024.
Bookish things
New Yorker tote $20, Jane Eyre book bag $15
Without a doubt, glasses became the year’s biggest subversive beauty trend. The nerdy, bookish aesthetic in fashion has been here for a few years, proudly kicked off by dark academia. With the prep also on the rise, as well as fashion people and collective online culture taking more of an interest in books, reading, writing and criticism, I expect to see fashion reflect this even more. Fashion shows in libraries (Sandy Liang), books and newspapers but also as accessories (Bottega Veneta) already manifested. I think we’ll continue to see literary inspired fashion merch, fashion people wearing things like the New Yorker tote, book-shaped bags and the general combination of literature and fashion together.
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Until next time dolls,
Kristen
BTW. I use affiliate links where possible, which means I may get a small commission from things you buy. Thanks for your support. <3
P.S… did you know I wrote a book on New York fashion, which was recently released!? Order it here.
'glass-like details in nail art' - you really miss nothing! My Christmas manicure (still on but a bit worse for wear) is fully of chunky multicoloured glitters that do have an oddly stained-glass-like effect in the sun, I was just thinking how pretty they looked.
in fact glass in general feels very appealing, I bought some lovely vintage green and orange glass and bead earrings and a brooch that have been doing constant duty through this season, somehow where I balk at wearing clear rhinestones for day the coloured ones seem much more wearable, like 'we're just fun we're not here to dazzle'.