At the beginning of every year,
I reflect back on the previous one and the sartorial styling that gave
it flavor. Last year gave me more time than ever for reflection, but
fewer actual resultant observations.
During
the Great Quarantine of 2020, while the wheels of fashion still kept
turning (as evidenced by the continued existence of fashion publications
and the #OOTD hashtag), I hopped off the ride. I paid only passing
attention to the articles telling me what to stock up on for next
season; I certainly didn't get to observe any other fashionistas in real
life!
So the
pickings are slim, but I'll do what I can to report on a trend or two
before returning to my cozy and carefree existence where leggings really
are pants.
Sweatpants
Speaking
of pants, let's start this post off with something you all knew was
coming—sweatpants! The darling of athleisure that translated all too
easily into stay-at-home everything, sweatpants were the topic of every
Zoom joke that wasn't about putting wine in your coffee mug. For me (and
presumably for many others), these cozy pants were not just a trend but
a necessity, as a COVID winter loomed. I went all-in on sweatpants in
the fall, buying as many bargain pairs as I could get my thrifty hands
on (it ended up being 3), and even making a token effort at staying
relevant by converting a straight-leg pair into the slouchy cuffed type.
Ultra-cropped tops
The
other trend I noted in my sweatpants post was this specific type of
very short, very baggy shirt. It seems impractical to me in a
thermoregulatory sense, but it seemed almost mandatory to pair little
cropped sweatshirts with your big baggy sweatpants, as long as you were
young and/or in possession of abs of steel. I am neither (and rather committed to keeping my midriff warm!) so I am happily letting this
trend pass me by.
Cardigans
I
suppose in a year where everyone seeks out the comfy and cozy, a topper
that reminds you of your grandmother makes perfect sense! To be honest,
though, the short, large-button cardigan is the first trend I noticed
this year, way before coronavirus was even a gleam in the CDC's eye. It
has popped up pretty consistently in my halfhearted fashion scrolling,
and cardigans are one of the specific items that my local consignment
shop was requesting this winter. If I were ever to seek a sign to let me
know what's trendy, it would be whatever the professional buyers are
trying to obtain. Cardigans it is!
Boots with lug soles (and knee high shafts)
I
always put a shoe trend on my list, but to be honest, I've hardly paid
attention to shoes at all this year, since the only ones I can wear are
soft flat ones for walking quietly on my hardwood floors and biking to
the grocery store. I've totally let practicality supersede trendiness in
my recent shoe shopping. But there's one thing I couldn't help but
notice every time I read a missive from my Internet fashion advisors.
It's the lug-sole boot. Although my sample pictures are exclusively of
the above-the-ankle variety, I've been told that knee-high boots are
coming back. After years of learning to loathe thigh-high boots (they
always slide down!) and reluctant adoption of ankle boots, I'm excited
for the return of knee-highs—my first boot love. Of course, time will
tell if it really becomes a trend, but here's hoping anyway!
Predictions
Speaking of hoping, it's time to talk predictions. My forecasting game was way off last year
– I haven't seen even a hint of lace gloves! Seeing as I was such a
poor guesser for 2020, I hesitate to imagine what 2021 will bring, but
yes, I'm going to make the attempt anyway.
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