Although it may seem like we just blinked and 2019 has become 2022, a new year is upon us. With the excitement and potential that comes with a new year, there are many new fashion trends to keep your eye on.
It’s always nostalgic to look back on previous years and see what styles and clothes defined them—like the resurgence of Y2K fashion in 2021—and looking ahead to see what a new year will bring is like a competitive sport. Some trends will change as the year progresses but some are already in place and ready to be worn.
From pieces you probably put on reserve for the holidays to what’s sure to be the biggest color of the year, we’ve narrowed down seven of the 2022 trends we’re most excited for—and three that we’re saying goodbye to along with 2021.
1. Knit sweats
Regardless of the current state of the world, it’s a fact that spending much of the past two years at home has changed how society collectively looks at clothes, and the biggest change has been in prioritizing comfort over anything else when getting dressed.
Gone are the days of sweats being a nighttime and weekend thing; now, they have a permanent spot in our everyday wardrobes, which means that it’s time for them to get a little out of the “gray” and “cotton” boxes they lived in for so long. The sweats of the future have been elevated to a higher level with luxurious knit materials and eye-catching patterns and colors.
2. Purple
Pantone’s Color of the Year always serves as a solid predictor of color trends in fashion, and this year’s pick, Very Peri (a shade of light purple), has spent some time on the scene in 2021. This year, expect shades of purple that will dominate the Instagram feeds and wardrobes of your favorite fashion influencers.
3. Chain belts
Accessory trends can be exciting because they are not necessarily fixed. You can easily buy one trendy accessory, add it all to your basic outfits, then your entire look will change. The chain belt is the most popular accessory in 2022. The chain belt.
4. Sequins, metallics
Although metallics and sequins are typically reserved for the holidays, they will be available year-round in 2022. 2022 will see bags in all colors of silver and all the sparkles you could imagine. We should stop reserving pieces for special occasions and have a little more fun with our clothes.
5. Miniskirts
All the runways for spring 2022 had one thing in common: shortskirts. Miniskirts come in a variety of colors and patterns, and will be back when the weather warms up this spring and summer.
Have no fear, though—you don’t have to go You can also Shorts are allowed to join the trend. Anything below the mid-thigh qualifies.
6. Chunky loafers
Lucky for those of us who already invested in them last fall, chunky loafers aren’t going anywhere in 2022. The academia-inspired footwear adds a little bit of edge to whatever they’re paired with, so we’re pairing ours with, well, basically everything.
7. Feathers
You’ve probably already seen them scrolling through Instagram throughout December, but feathers are flocking to make a name as the most exciting clothing detail of 2022. From trim on silk blouses to bustier-style tops absolutely covered in them, they’re the luxe addition to our closets that we didn’t know we needed.
What We’re Leaving Behind:
“Cheugy”
2021 was the year of TikTok starting fashion debates—and some of them caused their fair share of division. Toward the middle of the year, the word “cheugy” started floating around as a catch-all term for anything Gen-Zers deemed outdated.
While trends will always come and go, the ease of using the word cheugy to describe anything Gen-Z doesn’t like is a little cheugy in itself. Rather than completely canceling genres of things (yes, they’re currently trying to cancel blonde hair), we’re saying out with the cheug and in with wearing and doing what makes us feel our best.
The Jean feud
In the same vein as cheuginess, the height of 2022 fashion debates centered around jeans—particularly skinny jeans. While the under-30 crowd tried to get rid skinny jeans for good but millennials fought tooth & nail to keep them in their wardrobes.
While jean trends constantly come and go, and yes, some styles of jeans are currently more “in” than our skinnies, 2022 is all about wearing what we want, whatever it may be. If skinny jeans make you feel the most confident, wear them; if you love how you feel in baggy jeans, that’s your call. After all, trends are a revolving door, and history shows that as soon as everyone decides something is out, the fashion gods decide it’s back in again.
We don’t have to wear what we want when we want it
Lily Collins’ eclectic wardrobe is a great example of this. Emily in Paris to red carpets and the Met Gala being back, 2021 gave us a lot of fashion inspiration—and a lesson that life’s too short to not wear what you want, when you want to.
You feel like leather pants on Tuesdays? It’s possible. You can make your summer dresses work in winter by pairing them up with tights. Wear it. It doesn’t matter what your impulses are, 2022 is the year to act on them.
Source: The Every Girl
