It’s a well known fact for any fashion history nerd out there that trends (besides minor ones that crop up suddenly just to be never seen again) flow in 20-year cycles. Even though many like to claim that trend cycle is shrinking as of lately, as there’s evidence for 2010s trends resurging hardly a decade later, the 20-year rule has still been applied in a broader sense, with nostalgia for more recent times likely just a reaction to cultural stunting during the COVID-19 pandemic, and a search for a familiar and habitable normal during uncertain economic times (the early 2010s fronted styles that were more accessible to those negatively affected by the 2008 housing market crash). When we look at the 2020s insofar, we’ve seen a plethora of influences from the 1960s, 80s, and 2000s, such as mod dress silhouettes, geometric shapes with bold colors, and the return of low rise jeans, just to name a few.
Another well documented phenomenon in the fashion world is the fact that no decade has a concrete end-cap. The beginning and end of every 10-year period produces vastly different favored fashion styles, frequently caused by, but not limited to, altered political states, changes in average regional socio-economic well-being, and most reliably, the melting of one decade’s history into another. The skater dresses, galaxy prints, and infinity scarves of the early 2010s were ultimately a product of the era’s adherence to minimalism and economic modesty. As the U.S. and many of its middle-class residents recovered financially, that era hardly resembled the mix of name brand athleisure and quickly circulated TikTok associated accessories that relished in popularity from approximately 2016 to 2021.
Additionally, the late 2010s still hold distinction from the early 2020s because the COVID pandemic catalyzed what’s now known as the “TikTok effect” where alternative aesthetics were unprecedentedly positioned on equal footing with mainstream “normie” or “straight” youth culture. Not only did it become acceptable to look rich again, but it wasn’t so strange to see people dressed like “weirdos” as well.
Millennial culture was permanently altered by the financial crisis of the late 2010s, and these past five or so years, marketing aesthetics like the bold but office appropriate corporate memphis or the zen but bland austurbane have taken the forefront in mainstream culture. It has to be declared, as we move into an era where their youth is being utilized as inspiration, millennials are living out the last years of their peak in cultural relevancy. Due to the demands of adulthood, they’ve shed the carefree mindsets of their youth (think of early 2010s indie sleaze or twee hipness purgatory) to conform to the business casual lifestyle they must abide by to survive.
Thus, in the latter half of the 2020s, we’re going to witness a sneak peek into which fashion trends — a mix of luxury, mindfulness, and a snarky generation’s love of the macabre — will come to shape the legacy of this synthesis with the 2030s. While taking inspiration from generations past, the next 5-10 years will further establish the cultural identity of Gen Z as wielders of the internet’s power, in being both proprietors of ephemeral trends, seekers of stability in uncertain political times, and genuine admirers of timelessness.
- Side parts
Get your rat pick combs ready! Side parts are already on the Pinterest Explore page, and just as several other fashion outlets will tell you, this 2000s-esque style is already making a comeback!
When I was in middle school in 2018, I vividly remember flipping away my side part in shame for the new era of symmetry, but such an era will be no more. Side parts invoke a feeling of bold yet effortless beauty and pair along nicely with more voluminous hairstyles — which we’ll get to later. Humans find symmetry to be beautiful, but an asymmetrical hairline can contrast with our features and be very flattering! Side parts are also an essential element to some other resurging hairstyles, like 1960s flicked bobs and 1930s Hollywood waves.
- Cut-out necklines
Fashion writers have been big fans of referring to many recent trend revivals as ‘recession indicators,’ with varying levels of accuracy and desperate fervency for a financially morbid nostalgia for the late 2000s, but trust me when I say when it comes to this trend, we’ve found the real deal. Cutting up T-shirts to create new necklines or other fun designs like fringe, tied knots, or absolutely tearing it up with a technique known as “shredding” became a popular trend after the 2008 financial crisis, seeping into the 2010s. I believe this trend will be more tame this time around, so our shirts will remain relatively intact, but we’ll see more and more people favoring this cheap way to fashion their own shirts with wide, DIY un-hemmed necklines to achieve that off the shoulder 80s-esque style.
- Dolman tops
The dolman top is still relatively underground. Please be advised, the Pinterest search engine still gets confused at what a real dolman top looks like, but if my predictions are correct, accurate representation won’t be hard to find in the near future.
The shirt style is actually derived from old Hungarian military uniforms, later becoming Hungarian peasantry wear in the 19th century. The top was adopted into Western women’s fashion in the same century as a jacket-type garment, and then developed into the “dolman sleeve” which characterizes the more modern dolman top today, with ultra wide sleeves created by a low armscye (hole where the sleeves are sewn around). The tops are more familiarly known today as having “batwing” sleeves.
Ultra baggy pants, like barrel jeans, have established the 2020s as a “wide leg” decade, much unlike the skinny jeans of the 2010s. Perhaps, then, the later 2020s will embrace more wide-arm silhouettes, and incorporate comfy leisure styles into a utopian fashion world where pajama-like pieces are considered high-brow and chic. All in all, I think we’ll continue to see trends leaning away from the high maintenance “clean girl” aesthetic into comfortable and effortlessly stylish choices.
- Peplum tops
To explain my belief in a continued peplum renaissance that will continue beyond the brief blip we witnessed in fall 2025, we have to zip through a quick history of pants in the 21st century, in all matters of how hidden or exposed one’s bellybutton was. The constant movement can be best described with a swinging pendulum. We started with the extreme low rise in the 2000s, then moved to the sometimes rib-height high waisted pants in the late 2010s. Low rise jeans came back with the Y2K aesthetic resurgence in the early 2020s. As we inevitably head toward a period where we’re emulating the early 2010s, we may soon be reaching a period of waistline calm with mid-rise pants becoming the new standard with acceptable wiggle room on either side of the spectrum.
I believe this expanding tolerance will soon be coinciding with the peplum top style, given the bottom flair of the top is flattering when the height of pant waistlines aren’t the focal point of a look. The peplum style can also be used well with patterns already in style like gingham and ditsy floral, and necklines that have already resurfaced like Peter Pan collars.
- Tights and shorts
This may sound like a combo you’d only see on Girl Meets World, but believe it or not, tights and shorts are already back together. Besides being a deliberate style choice, the combination points to the effect of a tighter economic situation. Even when the summer months are long gone, to spice up some variety, we can combine some unlikely duos to make do with what’s already in our closets. The combination also merges nicely with trends we’ve already seen recently with long socks and tights in fun, bold colors and patterns, which will pair well with solid denim or neutral colored shorts.
- Dusters and capes
This prediction is quite possibly the largest stretch, but hear me out.
Dusters are lightweight, cape-like coats used to protect the outfits underneath from collecting dust from trails or otherwise unhygienic environments — not to be confused with trench coats, which were designed to be a part of military uniforms, usually accompanied by belts and other utilitarian elements like wide lapels and storm flaps. Dusters were worn by horsemen of the Wild West, and later off the trails in the open cars of the early 20th century to help protect its passengers from the flying dirt and debris of high speed travel.
We’re going to see pieces that align with inspiration from the 2010s bohemian revival. The boho-aesthetic we speak of was characterized by warm beiges and browns and items like fringed ponchos, boots, and purses, which took inspiration from the Woodstock hippie era in the late 1960s and early 1970s, who got their inspiration from appropriating indigenous American culture. Dusters will perhaps come back a century later in reminiscence of Western wear and khaki colored clothing from a more respectful and practical angle.
Similarly, I believe we’ll be seeing a resurgence in a wintry version of the style, perhaps more adoptable in colder Northern or East coast environments in the U.S. Wearing a cape or capelet doesn’t necessarily mean you have to look like Little Red Riding Hood. Cape styles can range anywhere from something colorful and bold, like a full-circle wizard’s cape, or simply just a normal winter coat with fastenings in the front and no specific sleeves to entrap our arms. Capes can be easily adopted into lingering minimalist modern styles as well, and emulate a classy neutral style or represent the vintage gamine qualities often associated with twee fashion.
- Colorful statement belts
If you’ve been in a clothing section at Target recently, you’ll probably see belts in various shades of black, brown, and maybe some metallics or animal print if the particular location is feeling quirky. We’ve already seen the Y2K revival, so it makes sense we’ll continue to see influences from later in the decade, most likely incorporating more nostalgic elements from Gen Z’s childhood in the mid to late 2000s. With colorful belts, shades replicating different types of flowers and fruits can incorporate that child-like whimsy with more subtlety and softer tones than the neon and checkered print infused “kid-core” trend associated with the COVID-era.
- Piping and borders
“Piping” is a raised trim used on the hems of clothing to emphasize the silhouette of a piece, or certain design elements like hoods, pockets, or seams. The style is commonly used for tops, dresses, coats, and handbags. Outlining our clothing can create a cartoon-like but classy twist, and create a simple but bold effect on virtually any clothing item. Piping is an overlooked element of many recent popular items, and the versatility of the mod-like style will likely increase in popularity and be purposefully sought after in the coming years.
- Capris
Pants cut off below the knee made a comeback in recent runway shows. The cargo capris often sported by the likes of Lindsay Lohan and Hillary Duff may have a moment during our 2000s resurgence, but Gen Z will be remodeling the style for a 21st century feel. The short pant style, already inspired by the 1950s, will be employed in the late 2020s in a sense of more explicitly emulating a vintage style, likely paired with tops that accentuate effeminate silhouettes.
As we reach the pant-waist equilibrium I mentioned earlier, and high waist comes back into vogue, capri styles will emulate a pedal-pusher or rockabilly quality.
- Big hair
Beauty and fashion are like co-dependent roommates, always following what the other is doing. The last trend I’d like to discuss, and perhaps my favorite, are the signs that we’re going into another era of loving large, voluminous hairstyles.
For the past few years, layered hairstyles like mullets and wolfcuts have been popular, so trends will likely graduate into some more bodacious hairdos. The big hair of the early 21st century may perhaps not be as teased and feathery as the 1980s, though. Emulating those exact styles would be more difficult, since they were only achieved with hairspray that had better “freezing” qualities, which has since been discontinued, and with our concern for the environment, Gen Z won’t be looking for an opportunity to re-open the ozone layer.
Another indicator of a big hair revival is the fact that rollers are already increasing in popularity. I may be biased, because my roommate and I both go to sleep with little velcro cylinders in our bangs at night, but we’re not the only ones! It’s not really a stretch to say Gen Z will start experimenting with a little more mousse and hairspray.
We’re a bold generation, and on the flip-side of the modern minimalism that’s dominated mainstream culture for the past 15 or so years, Gen Z is looking for a resurgence in accessible style options that make big statements. So, allow the later 2020s to be the years you allow yourself to take up space, even if it has to start from your scalp.