2021 is a new year, and many of us wish that this year would be an absolute carte blanche. Maybe that applies to fashion trends.
2020 was a weird year. The vibes were definitely off – it was either tie-dye sweatpants and Tiger King or bright pastel Y2K and a binge watch of the Office. I’ll take the pastel crop tops, but I’ll leave the matching sweatsuits and low rise jeans. Dark academia? Yes. Bike shorts? No. However, things are looking different for 2021. There seems to be a certain amount of carryover, but what will it be? This amateur fashion editor aims to help ease you into the trends of 2021 with almost no experience and a few google searches.
Dark Academia Stays
Arguably the best fashion trend of 2020 was the “dark academia” set, full of glamorous people trying to recall the good old Harvard days where everyone wore a shirt with a collar and had fancy cigarette pants. Categorized by muted plaid pants, tweed jackets, turtlenecks, and large tote bags, the dark academia vibe remains in 2021. It’s clean, it’s classic, and it honestly takes no effort to throw a button down under your sweater, or to add a few extra rings to your fingers.
Big Coats Are Big
Trench coats made a big splash at Spring Fashion Week, so I think that gives me license to tell you that you should grab a trench coat. I’d be bold in my colour choices (although the classic camel brown is never wrong, especially when you want something that is versatile). I’ll also remind you that oversized blazers with raglan sleeves and giant fluffy cropped jackets are on the market in a subtly relevant way. If you’re looking for a single investment piece for this year – a coat is never a bad choice.
Face Masks Are Still Mandatory – But They Can Be Cool
Apparently face masks are now part of the fashion forecast, so let me make a few predictions – black is a major player in terms of what colour will be most popular, but any fashionista who can match a bold face mask colour to a bold pair of shoes will definitely be the talk of the town.
White Boots Are the New Blundstones
We are all sick of Blundstones. I never want to see another pair ever again. Living in Fredericton, I know I’m going to live to see the Australian paddock boots abused another season, but there is an alternative. White boots. Slick, shiny, easy to clean in the snow, white ankle boots, white heeled boots, white over-the-knee boots – they’re the shoes of the future.
BROWN is the Colour of the Season
Move over sage green, brown is here to stay. Tan, mocha, warm ochre – brown is the colour I have picked out for 2021. It’s universally flattering, it doesn’t really fade in the washing machine, and unlike certain pastels, it never really goes out of style. A brown trench coat looks just as chic today as it did on Humphrey Bogart. And don’t even get me started on the possibilities when it comes to contrast and shade differences. Dark brown bodysuit with a caramel trucker jacket? Nothing could be better.
Mittens Were Good Enough For Bernie, They’re Good Enough For You
What else has to be said? Bernie Sanders’s sweet little homespun mittens have been taking over the internet since Joe Biden’s inauguration. There are a million and one places where you can commission a pair of bespoke mittens for the winter – Etsy is a great resource, and supporting local artists is always fashionable.
Bridgerton Brings Back Corsets
While the debate about whether or not corsets are cool when you wear them on the outside of your clothes rages on, Netflix Original Bridgerton has convinced at least half of TikTok that corsets are in for 2021. While Bridgerton is Jane Austen-style Georgian, with empire waisted white gowns, somehow that has been spun into a trend where almost boudoir-style Victorian corsets are being paired with everything from blouses to fishnet tops. The most popular so far seems to be a green floral style with