Fashion has been slowly degenerating since the 1970s. Today’s world is a wasteland of sweatpants, spandex and graphic T-shirts. While the future of clothing culture may look grim, the present is not wholly without merit. There have been glimmers of hope in the 2024 trend cycle, signs that maybe, just maybe, something greater than stay-at-home athleisure awaits the generations to come.
Suede
2024 is far from suede’s first rodeo. The soft and durable alternative to classic leather has been making a major comeback. Boots, vests, jackets, you name it — contemporary fashion just can’t get enough of suede’s retro, Western chicness. Brown suede, in particular, is big, owing to the material’s rustic associations. The fashion landscape is a saloon, and suede-wearers are the cowboys sauntering through its batwing doors.
White Peasant Skirt
Petticoats have come out of hiding. The white peasant skirt, with its breezy tiers of cotton, has become a versatile wardrobe staple. This iteration of the maxi skirt is the fashionista’s equivalent to the painter’s blank canvas. The skirt can be anything and worn anywhere you want it to be. The popularity of the white peasant skirt is demonstrative of a societal yearning for simpler times. At the same time, the skirt is a deconstruction: It wears traditional femininity inside out.
Mary Janes
Is there anything more youthful and classy than a pair of Mary Janes? These strappy little shoes are a force to be reckoned with in the footwear scene. They are popular in a variety of styles: heeled and flat, glossy and matte. Gone are the Mary Janes’ days confined to elementary schools; the shoes are off to college, the corporate workplace and beyond. Mary Janes are being worn by people of all ages, but retain a youthful charm — a nod to the kitsch that is childhood.
Denim
In 2024, Blue Jean is king. There has been a notable rise of denim-on-denim action: Jeans are being worn with matching shirts or jackets, and the denim jumpsuit has never been more in style. There is an array of trends that fall under the denim umbrella, including (but not limited to) barrel jeans, jorts and longer denim skirts. The various denim garments that are trending are indicative of denim’s domination. Denim is traditionally the fabric of the working man, and it is certainly being put to work today.
Sambas
There are Sambas as far as the eye can see. The Adidas Samba is the definitive sneaker of the aesthetically inclined. Its signature stripes, low profile and gum sole project an image that is athletic, but understated. The Samba is a shoe that does everything to be cool without looking like it is trying, and it confers an air of effortlessness on its wearer. The Samba has emerged as the trademark of a young and casual fashion in-crowd.
Long Coats
While the hemlines of skirts have risen, the hemlines of coats have dropped. Wearing coats that fall to the calf or ankle has grown in popularity over the last few months of 2024. With such length, the coat becomes an outfit in and of itself, eclipsing whatever may lie beneath it. The trench coat, in particular, has undergone a societal facelift. Its unsavory associations have been cast aside in favor of its alluring ones. The long coat of today commands intrigue, if not mystery.
Chunky Headphones
While many headphones have by now been replaced by their smaller, sleeker counterparts (i.e., earbuds), chunky headphones have found their niche in contemporary fashion. They are dually used to listen to music in public and to make a public statement about listening to music. Even when at rest, slung around a neck, chunky headphones declare that their wearer possesses a certain yearning for escape. The chunkier the headphones, the bolder the statement.
Pop of Red
Though Pantone says otherwise, red is the color of 2024. Red has set up shop in every avenue of stylistic expression: makeup, jewelry, clothing, footwear. A red piece or accessory instantly adds life to a look. The pop of red trend is a refreshing and much-needed respite from the muted palette of minimalist fashion. It is, in summary, a declaration of vitality.
