Full disclosure: I’ve never been much of a fashion guru.
While I quite enjoy browsing through racks of clothes at the mall and mentally piecing together intricate outfits in my head, my day-to-day outfits are pretty predictable. I’ve admittedly never outgrown my ripped jeans phase and I will wear my dirty AF1s to the grave.
In high school, I had the privilege of dressing up my relatively basic outfits with a cute pair of heels (thanks, mom, for the inherited shoe obsession), but even my veteran feet can not handle a day’s worth of college commute in wedges.
While I’m not one to obsess over New Year’s Resolutions, I truly want to widen my horizons. I’m totally open to swap out my ripped jeans for a tasteful pair of faux leather trousers. With that being said, I think it’s time for me to do a little more research and dive into the world of 21st Century fashion.
I’ve never been good with predictions, but I decided to try my hand this year. Without further ado, I present my fashion predictions for 2022!
- Monochromatic Makeup
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I truly feel like 2021 fashion was for the indie kids. We saw butterfly clips, sweater vests and Doc Marten’s scattered throughout our VSCO and Instagram feeds. While these trends will continue to keep their places in our timelines, I think that vibrant monochrome makeup will take the world by storm during 2022. These whimsical makeup looks are sure to bring out the inner indie kid in every makeup guru and will surely pull together any outfit.
- Statement Earrings
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I don’t know about you, but I spend a lot of time on TikTok. I might not be a sorority girl, but I somehow ended up on ‘Bama Rush Tok’ in the Fall of 2021. I’ll never have to worry about my rush outfits or my bid day accessories, but I spent hours mesmerized by these girls on my TikTok.
Their outfits were adorable. I definitely miss dressing up. All of these girls had beautiful, bold statement earrings. I can’t wait to swap out my basic studs for these bad boys this summer.
- Waist Chains
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After doing a bit of research, I’ve learned that fashion trends usually recirculate every 20 years. Needless to say, I’m nervous for 2010 fashion to reappear in 2030. Following the 20 year rule, I studied some fashion from 2002 (my birth year!) and used my best judgment to consider what might make a reappearance this year.
I’ve noticed that waist chains were super cute accessories from the early 2000s and I can definitely see them making a mark on 2022 fashion. I actually purchased one last year from a large retail site.
Sadly, it’s too big to fit around my waist, but I hope to see more of them in retail stores so I can invest in a properly fitting one.
- Band Tees, Distressed Jeans and Thrift Stores, Oh My!
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A few years ago, my friends introduced me to thrifting and I fell in L-O-V-E!
I used to think thrifted clothes were gross. I mean, who knows where they’ve been? After educating myself and spending some time in our local thrift stores, I learned that second-hand clothing is really good for our planet. Thrifting is an easy way to save your dollar and reduce your carbon footprint.
I’ve noticed a lot of trendsetters like to thrift their clothing. News flash: sustainable fashion is IN.
I definitely expect to see more worn, hand-me-down or ‘from-my-grandma’s-closet’ looks in 2022. I, for one, can’t wait.
- Heeled Booties
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As much as I love my worn, torn and dirty AF1s, I know it’s time for a new shoe to tromp through all the frats in 2022. We’ve seen Sperry’s, Converse, Vans and Air Force 1s, but now it is time for the heeled bootie.
Every girl loves a nice heeled bootie. It is a great way to dress up a boring outfit and our feet can usually tolerate them for a night out. Last year, I bought a few pairs of booties and I surprisingly fell in love with a pair with the tiniest heel. I’ve learned that less is more, and I think many other college girls will follow suit during the spring semester.
Like I said, I’m not much of a fashion guru. But, we all have to start somewhere.
I think 2022 is screaming “Y2K all the way!” and I’m here for it, or I could be completely wrong. Who knows? Either way, I’m excited to see what fashion trends resurface this year. What are you wearing in ’22?