Are You Brave Enough For New York Fashion Week’s Top Trends?

During the first New York Fashion Week since COVID-19 transformed our lives as we knew it, the city was alive and well. The looks on the runways were anything but drowsy, as well. After more than a year with loungewear ruling supreme, one might imagine that fashion’s over-the-top glamour would return with a fury — but is the public ready for bubble hems and high-shine head-to-toe? New York’s designers are tweak.

However, the global pandemic’s consequences were still felt—just not in the ways you’d anticipate. The feeling of back-to-school (with many beginning to return to classrooms and workplaces) was apparent via pleated skirts and uniform-inspired items, and social distancing took the form of wide, voluminous, and over-the-top dresses and gowns that command personal space. Some may claim that the colors and fabrications, which felt like a gleaming, vibrant, walking party, signified the (hopefully) end of a time when the world was silent.

We’re going outside, and this season’s trends are guiding us out of the shadows and into a (hopefully) shining world anew, rather than succumbing to the muted, soft-edged, lifeless way of dressing that takes over when no one is leaving the house; we’re going outside, and this season’s trends are guiding us out of the shadows and into a (hopefully) shining world anew. Continue reading to learn about the 12 trends that could help you kick your loungewear obsession for good.

Personal Space

With expanding curves, commanding crinolines, and puffed-up silhouettes that truly say, “Stay six feet away, please,” the season’s dresses and gowns lend themselves nicely to social separation. We can’t think of a trend that is more fitting for a future where parties can happen while still maintaining safety procedures.

Corset Details

Crinoline skirts weren’t the only throwbacks on the runways for Spring/Summer 2022. Corsets were also popular, and we can’t help but think they’re the ideal cure to the shapeless sweatshirts we’ve been wearing.

Sailor Style

The sailor-style tops and details at NYFW foster fantasy, escapism, and a sense of youth, and are another trend inspired by being everything but stationary. We can easily see this tendency spreading to the general public sooner rather than later.

Hi-Shine

At night, turn on the bright lights and put on your sunglasses, for everyone from Tom Ford to Batsheva appears to be ready to go out in high-shine creations that can’t be ignored. We wouldn’t recommend trying this trend on your next zoom call, but maybe next time you’re in the mood for a night out.

Sunset Hues

Is it possible that the sun will set on a gloomy chapter for all of us? The warm, sunny tones during Proenza Schouler and Eckhaus Latta shows seem to mark the conclusion of one chilly, dark chapter and the beginning of another. Pink and orange are the new neutrals (yes, seriously).

How Low Can You Go?

If the runways are any indication, the high-waisted period is coming to an end (and they usually are). Pants and skirts are being thrown lower and lower, and it’s apparent that we’re finally moving away from the high rises we’ve grown accustomed to.

Bubble Trouble

Remember how much you loved bubble bubbles in middle school? It’s back, and this time it’s finer than ever, as a staple of both evening wear and more casual minis. It’s the return no one expected, and whether it succeeds in the mainstream remains to be seen.

Exposed Bra

Due to the normalization of bra-tops as wardrobe mainstays, undergarments are now, well, clothing. Leave your blouses at home and go for something a little…less on sweltering days spent sweating on the train.

Men’s Section Suiting

Although office jobs may appear to be a thing of the past, corporate-inspired attire is very much in vogue. Even if we’re working from home for a little longer, we may wear boxy jackets, bulky ties, and large button-ups.

Trashy Y2K4L

Trends that were formerly labeled trashy are making their way to the top, seemingly inspired by celebrities such as Britney Spears and Paris Hilton from the 1990s and early 2000s. Velour hoodies, low-slung miniskirts, and bejeweled embellishments abound. What was once old has become new once more.

Back to School

The uniform-inspired basics from Sandy Liang, Thom Browne, and beyond reflected the back-to-school spirit. If only you hadn’t thrown out that pleated skirt…

String Thing

The runway looks at NYFW included stringy, beaded fringe, and while they may not be the most practical pieces, they’ll surely shake you out of any eveningwear rut.