There was a surge of different types of fashion in 2018 that came from the runway and were transformed into casual lifestyles, and many influencers continued to put the spotlight on the growing industry of sustainable fashion. There are still trends that started in 2018 and are carrying onto 2019 into new and innovative ways.
Same Feel, Different Style
Short ankle boots have always been a popular staple piece in a wardrobe, especially during the fall and winter. Before, heeled booties would have a comfortable, round toe shape, with a block heel with no more than two inches. Now contradicting the comfortable, cowboy block shape boots have, heels will have a geometric shape while keeping the block feel, and even feature various stiletto styles.
The 90s square-toe and pointy-toe shape seems to be coming back for boots, as well as in flats. The ankle boots are all anyone wears during the fall and winter, but in the spring and summer, the same geometric blocks and pointy-toe shape will impact flats too.
Puffed Shoulders
Another trend that’s coming back, but this time it’s from the 80s. The less flamboyant version of the shoulder padding blazer – puffed shoulders. Puffed shoulders work well with the delicacy of fabrics worn during the spring and summer, and can be worked into sweetheart or square necklines the best for daytime looks.
Shiny Textures and Animal Patterns
From winter to summer, patterns like snakeskin and cheetah will be making a big comeback! This is another big trend that was in 2018 that has come back from the 2000s. Both a print and texture, snakeskin will be a big feature this upcoming year as it will be used on both clothes and accessories. From booties, jackets, belts, shirts, and pants – snakeskin will become a stylish piece that can be worked into all four seasons.
Sequins will also be more accessible for people to have. A lot of runway pieces haves shown sequins worked into casual wear, with both bold and subtle colors. The use of sequins seem to be a trend that was taken from beauty, with the bold, colorful eyeshadow glam looks that were popularized through YouTube and Instagram, and now are normalized for people to wear/do.
Sustainability – let’s practice giving back to the fashion industry and the environment!
Just like the trends mentioned before, many are affordable because of fast fashion. Fast fashion is clothing that is inexpensively made at a fast pace. It is deemed unethical to take part in as it might be inexpensive to us, however, the workers who made our clothes are paid next to nothing, while working in unhealthy conditions – just so we get cheaper options for clothing.
The sustainable fashion industry and consumer spectrum grew at a fast rate this past year and will continue to do so. Being the opposite of fast fashion, the purpose of sustainable fashion is to help the environment through the hands of us humans by remaking and reshaping old clothes into new pieces. This helps to give back to the big fashion brands that work hard to show their collections each season, while staying on-trend with clothes that will last for a long time.
Sustainable fashion continues to grow as brands like Patagonia, Reformation, and Everlane are capturing consumers’ attention gradually. The fashion industry, from the runway to retailers, has grown tremendously in 2018 – in 2019, their power and creativity will be unstoppable.