All the IT fashion trends of the season – Guest blog article by Claire Hastings

Photo by Roberto Nickson (@g) on Unsplash

Slowly but surely, summer is slipping through our fingers. All we can hope for is great weather until the end of September and a few good Indian summer days. After all, come September, we’ll be keeping a close watch on an entirely new spring lines, starting from New York at the beginning of the month and ending in Paris at the beginning of October. Therefore, this sounds like the perfect time to take a trip down memory lane, look at some of the biggest trends and tendencies of the season that is soon to be behind us, and perhaps even snag a clothing item or accessory that’s been missing from our collection and rocking it while we still have the time.

The gentle pastel:

The war of trends has been a serious one, as each ‘contender’ has been, and still is, more alluring than the next. However, there is no denying that the first on the list is, completely deserved, the pastel trend. It has been spotted on sharp blazers and sexy and elegant shorts in Tom Ford’s line, romantic ruffled dresses presented by such brands as Chloe, and even the power suit wasn’t left out of the game. No garment was spared, from skirts to blazers, everything was adorned in soft yellow, pale pink and lavender hues, and if you don’t own a pastel garment in some shape and form, you have to fix the situation immediately, because rumor has it, pastels will be sticking around, which makes them a worthy investment.

The divisive issue:

Photo by Anton van der Weijst on Unsplash

As Vogue contributor Emily Farra points out, there is one trend that has sp

arked a lot of debate, and that is the ‘toddler-like’ dressing, a trend that seems to be a hit among fashion influencers this summer. While she says that every woman has the right to dress however she wants, after all it is 2018, in the wake of such movements as #MeToo and #TimesUp, perhaps we would be better advised to leave the short bubble-gum dresses and Lolita-vibe heart-shaped glasses aside and go for something more grown up, something that will exude both sexiness and power. Therefore, let’s hope that the lace-up bodices and miniskirts with child-like puffed sleeves will be left in the past, hopefully by the end of summer.

All hail the athleisure trend

We did warn you that the war of trends was a fierce one, and as strong as a contender the pastel trend is, we have a sneaking suspicion that the athleisure agenda isn’t going anywhere, at least not in the foreseeable future. Why? Because it perfectly caters to the needs of people and their lifestyles. With all the career chasing, the pursuit of wellness, a desire for that perfect amalgamation of chic and comfortable attire, one that we can both work hard and party hard in, has never been stronger. Our lifestyle won’t be changing anytime soon, so we’ll be piling on athleisure pieces until we drop, wear our comfortable and sleek Nike shoes to work, head to brunch in leggings and a crop top and even wear romantic dresses with tennis shoes. We’ve waited for this fashion Holy Grail long enough, we’re not letting it go.

Mix and match:

Photo by Sylvie Tittel on Unsplash

One of the most prominent trends, on the runways and in the street style arena, has been mixing and matching of bold prints. Vertical stripes on top, diagonal ones on the bottom; granted, this particular look is more about the Americana vibes and tendencies, but the two have become inextricably linked. Aside from this kind of pairing, we’ve seen plaid on plaid, polka dots on florals – it seems that when you have that Carrie Bradshaw boldness, you can mix and match ‘till you drop. Of course, in order for this kind of look to be chic, interesting, and bordering on ‘too much’ without crossing the line, it needs to be done with the utmost dexterity – hence, get a lot of practice, see how your favorite influencers are pulling this type of look off and emulate it for a while before you’re ready to fly solo.

Make it pop:

Whether you’re asserting your femininity with a bright yellow dress a la Carolina Herrera, choosing the oversized trend made popular by such designers as Marc Jacobs, or reclaiming power in a sharp suit with broad shoulders that Tom Ford brought back to the spotlight, do so by using prime saturated colors. Yes, we started off with gentle pastels, but as clearly said in the beginning, the battle was tough, and there is no one trend that is the winner. However, if you want to make a statement, but don’t want to give into such fleeting trends as the sheer dress or clear PVC bags, go for something that has staying power potential. The cuts are exquisite, the colors are bold, but as they are truly saturated, go easy and neutral with accessories and footwear, and you will look boldly impeccable, no matter what you wear.