by: Erin Morrison
Fashion trends are constantly changing from season to season. Some of our first looks at each season’s trends come from fashion weeks which have been taking place in New York since 1943, in Milan since 1958, in Paris since 1973 and in London since 1984. Fall and winter shows take place in the spring, and spring and summer shows take place in the fall. This year’s fall and winter fashion weeks were in February of this year.
Fashion magazines like Marie Claire, Vogue, Elle and Harper’s Bazaar document what trends will be coming soon based on well-known designer brands like Givenchy, Chanel, Prada, Michael Kors and dozens more.
For this year’s fall season, one trend that really stands out is the preppy style. For women, that includes miniskirts and blazers—sometimes matching, sometimes not. For men, preppy style can be khakis and polo shirts. Suits, while always in style for men, are also in style for women, with a tighter fit and sometimes belted. Shoulder pads are returning with women’s suits. Prints like tartan plaids, houndstooth and tweed go along with the preppy and suits trends.
Another print that many brands are using now are animal prints—particularly, leopard and cheetah spots. This fall’s color scheme has a lot of gold and jewel tones like darker purples, greens and blues. Many designers are also using darker, “moodier” colors—red wine colors and blacks. Satin, lace and quilted patchwork are also being used occasionally.
With fall comes cooler weather, and with cooler weather comes coats and sweaters. Right now, long, sleek coats are trending, as well as more outdoorsy coats like thermal puffer coats. More people are wearing jackets with fleece, leather or denim. Knitted sweaters are also popular as sweater dresses this fall.
Some trends that are more adventurous include capes—not like the superhero cape but more like a poncho— asymmetrical necklines, feathers, statement hats, neon colors and fanny packs.
As college students, buying brands straight from fashion week would be unrealistic. Luckily it is becoming more common for more affordable brands to mimic the runway trends. Mall stores like Forever 21, H&M, Express and Charlotte Russe are great options to spend less on popular fall fashion looks. Even supermarkets like Walmart, Meijer and Target have been selling less costly versions of clothes that mimic runway looks.
And even more affordable options for buying trendy clothes is to buy second hand from thrift shops like Plato’s closet, Goodwill, local vintage stores, or even at garage sales.
You can be more adventurous and explore your own personal style more with thrifting. Having a more unique style is becoming more popular.
One local vintage store is Dandelion in downtown Champaign. Char, the owner, said, “This store has a lot of unique items, so I think sometimes the more colorful, out-there things sell the most because you just don’t see these things every day.” She also said she sees more classic items selling as well. “Something that always sells really well is vintage denim so Levi’s, leather jackets and sweaters. People really like cashmere sweaters.”
Not only is a more unique style gaining popularity, but so is vintage fashion. Char said, “I have noticed with new clothing, a lot of it is emulating vintage fashion.” At fashion week, there were shoulder pads and fanny packs. Pop culture is also making vintage fashion more popular. She said, “I think the 80’s is really strong right now, maybe because of shows like stranger things, and what people are wearing in the music industry right now.”
Whether you follow trends or not, it is ultimately up to you to determine your personal style. Feel free to visit Char’s store, Dandelion, in downtown Champaign!
