Your new-year fashion forecast
And just like that, 2021 comes to a close! As we prepare to take our first steps into 2022, DFS rounds up the major style trends expected to lead the charge in the coming year.
PALETTE CLEANSER
With more people spending time at home, the desire to declutter and start afresh is looming larger than usual, resulting in a major closet cleanout as we enter 2022. In place of volume, people will move toward wanting only the best version of each of their essentials — a crisp button-down shirt, classic tailored trousers that cut at the perfect length, and hard-working accessories that see us through from morning to night. This trend will be coupled with the embracement of neutral palettes, such as white and nude, which aren’t only versatile but create a sense of calm and clarity.
THE RETURN TO JOY, AMPLIFIED
2020 will go down in fashion history as the year of sweatpants and dressing from the waist up, and 2021 saw those trends start to fall to the wayside as the world began to see through a more positive lens. As we continue to shift even further into a post-pandemic era, we’re also getting whole-heartedly dressed up again. As a result, our wardrobes continue to turn up the volume on joyful dressing — cue voluminous proportions, bright colors, fanatical textures, and floaty dresses with playful cut-outs.
BEYOND THE BINARY
As the globe continues to move away from gender norms and traditional forms of masculinity and femininity in favor of unique expression, the fashion sphere will follow suit. Designers will continue to move towards designing for people, not genders, and trends will feel more androgynous — cue women wearing suits, men wearing skirts, and a move toward genderless bags and accessories, such as simple, oversized totes and shoppers and baseball caps in a variety of iterations.
DAILY ATHLETE
Athleisure and activewear aren’t going anywhere soon — but they do continue their elevated evolution. With the lines between work and home life continuing to blur, so is the fusing of high and low pieces within one look. A key part of the trend is sneakers — from box-fresh white styles to flashy high-tech kicks. And while sneakers for every day is nothing new, the new styling continues to keep it original — sneakers with a silk slip dress? A suit? Anything goes.
