Fashion trends come and go at the drop of a Beaumont hat. And while few styles truly
stand the test of time, it can be a fulltime job trying to keep up with what's hot and what's not.
Curious about what didn't make the cut for 2020? Keep watching.
With a quick scroll through Instagram in 2019, it was nearly impossible not
to stumble upon the chunky sneaker trend, a.k.a. the "dad sneaker" look.
"Wow, heavy. Extremely heavy."
"Um, do you like the look of the shoe?"
" No."
Taking inspiration from the normcore kicks of the '90s, the fashion trend was rocked by
countless influencers, bloggers, and celebrities, especially after Kanye West made it an actual
thing with his Yeezy line. Brands such as Fila, Puma, and Adidas cashed in, too. But in 2020,
the trend walked itself right out of our closets. Earlier in the year, Footwear News reported,
"'80s inspired sneakers are set to make a huge comeback,
serving as a stylish juxtaposition to the chunky styles popularized over the last several years."
And models like Kendall Jenner have proved exactly that. Complex editor Matt Welty
also predicted the dad shoe trend was dying out. And he was right. He told Sneakers Mag,
"Everything comes and goes. It won't be chunky sneakers forever as a mainstream trend.
The Fila Disruptor, thankfully, won't be worn by everyone next year. But there will
always be a place for regular sneakers." Neon activewear was just another of the many
fashion trends likely started by the Kardashians, most notably Kim, which was later adopted by
high-profile influencers. It eventually made its way off the 'Gram and onto the streets,
but by 2020, it looked like everyone was pretty much over the look.
"Look up, breathe in, and go."
According to F-Trend, bright looks are no longer making the sale. Instead,
real athletes want utility-driven features, like pockets or functional zippers.
In fact, this could be the beginning of a very big shift when it comes to activewear trends.
Ultra runner Scott Bailey, a former distributor for Supra,
even took things into his own hands, with his company Path Projects. The outlet reported,
"He was dissatisfied with the running apparel on the market and decided to create a line
of neutral-colored, minimal-style clothing made from the best fabrics he could find."
A 2020 trend report from Lyst revealed a similar story;
consumers were moving past fast fashion, and instead,
opting for more sustainable looks. Y'know, performance wear that can actually perform.
For those who rely on an all-black wardrobe each day, 2020 offered a not-so-subtle warning;
color, straight ahead! Caroline Maguire, fashion director for Shopbop, explained
how black was swapped for vivid looks, telling HelloGiggles of the tones that were trending:
"There are a ton of bright, saturated colors,
from postal blue and persimmon [per-SIM-in], to lime and lilac [LY-lak]."
"We must be over the rainbow."
But of course, bold pops of color aren't for everyone. Still,
Maguire says just about anyone can pull off the trend in their own way. She added,
"If you tend to shy away from bold shades, you can try out the trend by slowly
integrating it into your wardrobe via small accessories, like a handbag or a bracelet."
Bucket hats are the bandwagon trend that influencers couldn't get enough of,
but for 2020, they got a chic new twist. According to Us Weekly, those narrow-brimmed
bucket silhouettes went wide with pride. Tess Corvaia, hat designer for the label
Lack of Color explained the choice to give these toppers a facelift, telling the outlet,
"Bucket hats are still hot and we introduced fun,
new custom printed, wider buckets in this collection."
The label has been worn by the likes of Selena Gomez and Gigi Hadid,
and the trend isn't anywhere close to going away completely. Corvaia explained,
"Bucket hats are really easy to wear because you can throw them in your bag, take them
to the beach or while riding your bike." Tiny sunglasses were all the rage in 2019,
and it seemed like every A-lister sported the look, including Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid,
Kourtney Kardashian, and Beyoncé. But for those who weren't ready to let go of their
itty bitty frames just yet, it appeared the look got to stay, with a little update.
"I'll see you in the celery aisle. The rosé aisle."
"I'm seven. I just turned seven."
PopSugar reported,
"Instead of opting for the barely there wire frames that have dominated the last few seasons,
[we're seeing a] slightly more vintage look with an acetate frame that gives
your micro minis a little more weight." You probably already know that animal prints
got to stick around for 2020. Well, most of them, anyway. When it came to leopard print,
the popular look took a back seat to its zebra and tiger friends.
As designers debuted their 2020 spring and summer collections,
they were filled with playful jungle prints, but once-popular looks like leopard and cheetah were
noticeably absent. David Koma sent his models down the runway in animal-print catsuits while
Dries Van Noten debuted tiger print on everything from blouses, to skirts, to coats. Vogue noted,
"Animal prints have become the new normal, and none are as compelling as zebra."
With design houses like Dolce & Gabbana,
Elie Tahari, and Versace all rocking safari-themed prints, the outlet added,
"[It's] an easy way to add a wild edge to your basics."
The saying "less is more" may have applied to swimwear in 2019,
but that wasn't the case in 2020. According to Who What Wear, cheeky thong bottoms and
revealing cutouts were out and more classic looks took their place. The outlet reported,
"Swimsuits [took] on new shapes with long-sleeve tops, short-sleeve one-pieces, booty shorts,
and ultra-high-rise bottoms. The more modest silhouettes still show some skin, though,
whether it's with a super-cropped top or a plunging neckline."
"Oh, cute suit. I'll see you by the pool!"
Brands like Reformation and Solid & Striped offered the trending modest look.
But even though they might have sounded like it, these didn't look at all like
your granny's swimsuit. Cosmo noted the trend at Miami Swim Week, reporting,
"Retro sportswear style reigned…from super-high-cut bottoms to sport color
palettes and tees knotted as swim tops…The high-cut bottoms have that ’80s retrospect feel."
Consumers no longer wanted to be a free, walking advertisement on
behalf of the brands they're wearing and were reaching for streamlined, logo-free apparel.
According to Erica Russo, VP and fashion director at Bloomingdales,
the giant logo fashion trend was one that many of us were happy to ditch. She told Elle,
"There [was] a return to clean lines and minimalism."
Libby Page, senior fashion market editor at Net-A-Porter, agreed, telling the outlet,
"We're seeing a lot less logos on clothing and accessories.
Logos [were] taking the backseat as fashion [entered] a new understated authority."
But if you thought you had to give up your signature label-studded clutch
completely, you were in luck. With a more minimalistic approach, brands like Chanel
and Louis Vuitton still managed to keep their iconic bags on trend, minus the big logo.
Fashionistas said farewell to the mini handbag fashion trend that was popularized throughout
2019, to make way for bigger things. And according to everyone everywhere, tote bags made their big,
triumphant return in 2020. Fashion expert Sydney Sadick said the latest trends in fashion
revealed people were in favor of the functionality larger bags provide.
Because no one can carry a reusable water bottle in a bag that's only made to hold lip gloss.
"What's in the bag, what's in the bag, what's in the bag, bag, bag, bag, bag?"
Sadick told ABC 7,
"Oversized tote bags are back and perfect for holding all your commuting essentials…This
bag is big enough where you can actually put your boots in the bag,
and take them out when you get to work."
Additionally, Who What Wear insisted,
"The bigger, the better…So stow away your less roomy belt bags,
a trend that has taken a back seat this season."
Usually, festival season equates to the rise of on-theme fashion trends, but with the cancellation
of most major music events in 2020, the trend was completely bypassed, according to The New
York Times. And directly related to that, fanny packs simply weren't seeing sales.
"Flashbacks."
According to Katy Lubin, VP of communications for Lyst, fast fashion sites like H&M or ASOS, who
generally capitalize on the waist bag trend, were seeing a different situation emerge. Lubin said,
"They place vast orders with suppliers for items like neon fanny packs meant for young,
predominantly female shoppers who will buy, wear and then often discard looks. Unsurprisingly,
we haven't seen that same surge in demand this year."
She also told The New York Times that the festival
fashion market as a whole had taken a hit. She revealed,
"With the festival sales window disappearing alongside customers' summer plans,
some wholesale retailers have moved to cancel orders for products."
Unfortunately for retailers who generally rely on the music festival season for their biggest sales,
2020 has been a tough break and scores of e-commerce
brands were left with unsold inventory. For those who sported the ever-popular neutral
fashion trend nonstop in 2019, 2020 became a year to move those subdued pieces to the back of your
closet. Loud and proud bold colors entered the scene and positively scorched the runways. When
Brandon Maxwell debuted his Spring/Summer 2020 collection, he lit up his line with an array of
shades including a stunning scarlet red. A deep saffron hue was also a mainstay on the runway,
seen in a plethora of fashion week presentations, according to Who What Wear.
Thankfully, if you typically tend to shy away from over-the-top colors,
the outlet noted that semi-neutral alternatives that fell somewhere
in the middle, still appeared as a fresh take on a staple look. For example, in place of beige,
pistachio became the go-to basic on the catwalk. In fact, the outlet even said it could,
"Guarantee the pistachio hue will act as your newest neutral for [2020]."
"Pistachio. Perfect."
Whether or not you ever welcomed pistachio into your wardrobe, the earthy tone enabled
some of us to rock color without feeling overly flashy. Still, at the end of the day,
it was all about those vibrant, electric hues that took over on the spring and summer 2020 runways.
"My purse is a store. I carry everything in it.
I mean, it's just amazing what I can find in my bag."
They say in the Southern U.S. that a woman's purse is a mysterious thing,
but there was zero mystery left when the clear PVC handbags of 2019 emerged. Still,
if you weren't into the idea of sharing a view of all your personal belongings with the world,
a more inconspicuous trend finally surfaced in 2020. Vogue reported that bucket bags were
the go-to handbag: a style that supported tucking away all your necessities from the
prying eyes of total strangers. The outlet insisted the bag's, quote, "forever appeal"
was "more valuable than ever," due to its ability to be both modern and vintage-inspired all at
once. And when it came time for designers to debut their latest handbag creations on 2020 runways,
PVC bags were gone, and the trusty bucket bag made its fresh return in a big way.
Clear handbags may have been kicked to the curb, but the bucket bag wasn't the only
trend that replaced them. Straw raffia bags also made a big comeback, according to Vogue,
and the publication claimed they're no longer a seasonal accessory, declaring,
"[They] are the annual stalwarts of summer, but now they're so polished,
they're deserving of desk-side positions in the office, too."
By 2020, it was time to say farewell to your ripped booty jeans. That is,
if you were daring enough to wear the trend in the first place.
Kylie Jenner was one of the first celebrities to step out in the ultra-risque trend
and dozens of stars soon followed her lead. The look, which featured rips all along the backside,
was also adopted by Kristen Stewart, Miley Cyrus, Emily Ratajkowski, and more.
"We have a commando situation. There is a commando situation on stage."
But it seemed everyone finally decided they wanted pants that
actually covered their bums in 2020, and more modest denim trends quickly followed.
In April, Marie Claire shared a slew of so-called "grown-up alternatives" to back-ripped jeans,
proving there were many other trends worth trying. The outlet suggested,
"A conventional pair of bleached stone wash denim with subtle distressing. [And]
the mom style denim is a summer wardrobe staple, whether or not you have kids."
But while we may have collectively exchanged our destroyed booty jeans for something a little
less…breezy…denim remains a fashion mainstay,
every year. And while some of its cuts and washes and rips may fade out with the season,
there's nothing more classic than a pair of good jeans, whatever your favorite look may be!
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