Whether you are from in-state or out of state, you probably are familiar with the typical weather in Santa Barbara now — extremely hot in the mid-day and then super chilly after the sun sets. As someone who is both a skirt girlie and prone to getting cold hands, this type of weather pattern has always been bothersome. I always wish for the temperature to be warm the entire day so I don’t need to bring an extra layer to stay warm. For this very reason, summer has always been my favorite season. Summer is when I am finally able to show some skin, wear cute tank tops and skirts, and live out my dream “Coastal Granddaughter” aesthetic.
Thankfully, summer is just around the corner. Now that we’re a quarter 2024, it’s time to take a look at the upcoming fashion trends. Although the fashion world groups spring/summer into one category, there are still new fashion pieces that are emerging and are about to be spotted everywhere in the summer. All the following statistics and information are sourced from Elle and Vogue Runway, where simple observations are to draw conclusions, meaning that they are not 100% guaranteed accurate.
Trend #1: Denim on Denim
In honor of her new album, Cowboy Carter, the pop star Beyoncé has been rocking the western style outfit repeatedly, and posting them on her social media. A lot of her outfits that she put together are denim tops or jackets paired with denim bottoms. After her many posts in denim, the search interest for “Denim outfits” has increased on Google by 10%. Additionally, multiple summer 2024 fashion campaigns feature denim-on-denim outfits, the notable ones being Helmut Lang, Bottega Veneta, 7 For All Mankind, and many more.
Trend #2: Tennis-Themed Aesthetics
Similar to how Beyoncé’s new album ignited a trend for denim-on-denim outfits, another celebrity leveraged popularized the tennis aesthetic in effort to promote her upcoming film, Challengers, coming out on April 26. The celebrity is no one other than Zendaya, who will star in the new movie set in the professional tennis world. Zendaya shows up on red carpet promotional events with outfits featuring tuxedo vest, plaid skirts, neon color (like a tennis ball), and other tennis-themed-related outfits. Retailers like Aerie and Skims have incorporated tennis-inspired pieces into their spring collections.
Trend #3: The Sac Bags
Handbags that have the shape like Marc Jacobs’ The Sac Bag have been trending for a while now. Personally, it looks a lot like the shape of a dumpling, so I will call it the dumpling bag. The popularity of dumpling bags does not seem to fade with time, and continues to be the go-to style of many designer handbag brands such as Miu Miu, Loewe, Ganni, and Bottega. The different brands take on different patterns, but the shape is generally in the dumpling shape. We have seen a huge increase in shoulder bags all the way back in 2023. We adopted the silhouette of a shoulder bag and transitioned into the dumpling shaped bags.
Other Trends
Adidas Samba Shoes
By looking at some online forums and doing some elementary sentiment analysis, it is noticeable that the sentiment towards Sambas are mixed. Some think it is overdone, but others show continued support for it. By looking at the summer 2024 fashion campaigns, Sambas seem to be here to stay. There are many other styles of Adidas shoes that can be customized into the color of an original Samba, and we have also seen the increase with red, navy blue, and other colors of Sambas all over. If you are looking for a cute pair of shoes to style with your denim on denim outfit, Sambas are the way to go!
Jorts
The more controversial trend is the return of jorts. It is essentially a knee long denim shorts, and it has shown up in many influencers and celebrities street style recently. Its Google search popularity has increased by 30% over the past month. Although it is not for everyone, it is definitely something you should try out in the fitting room when you shop — maybe you’ll end up liking the look!
Cotton Trench Coats
Out of all the coats and jackets that have shown up in Elle’s collection of summer 2024 fashion campaigns, trench coats of all fabric take up the most presence. The fabric types other than the most popular fabric, cotton, ranges from denim, to leather, to prints. It is a chic piece to level up your summer outfit and definitely a great way to stay warm during some chilly days throughout the summer.
spring trends persist…
It is important to note that the fashion world groups spring and summer together. So, the previous Fashion Oracle on the Spring 2024 fashion trends could still come in handy if you are looking for more inspiration. With that said, it’s now the time to get on that shopping spree to spice up your summer wardrobe!